How to export your data from Pipedrive

Exporting your Pipedrive data before a renewal or exit

If a renewal, a pricing change, a data residency requirement or a lock-in concern means your pipeline data has to live outside Pipedrive, start by inventorying what each export path actually covers. The documented routes are the admin Export data tab, filtered list view exports, Insights report exports and the Pipedrive API. Activities, notes and files linked to deals or contacts need separate exports, and Google Drive files are not included in Pipedrive exports at all. This section covers only those documented paths.

The Export data tab lets global admins and users with export permission download leads, deals, organizations, people, products, activities, projects, notes and files as XLSX or CSV. Those files stay available for 28 days, so download them to storage you control on the day you run the export and record who ran it. Check visibility before you start: each user can export only the data inside their visibility group or item visibility settings. An export run by an admin whose account can see everything is not the same as one run by a sales manager, so run it under the account that holds the widest access you need, and confirm that account's permissions with your Pipedrive administrator.

List view exports are useful when you need a subset, such as one pipeline or one owner, because they apply your filters and chosen columns and can combine fields from several item types in one file. Insights report exports produce PDF or PNG for the visual report and CSV or XLSX for its underlying data, so keep both if you need historical reporting. For bulk or repeatable extraction, the API is the route, and your Pipedrive plan determines the API token budget available to you, so confirm that allowance before scripting a full pull. Finally, inventory linked activities, notes and files and Google Drive content as a separate work item, since none of them arrive in the main export.

Which Pipedrive data types export, in which format and with which limits

This table compares the Pipedrive export routes, from the admin Export data tab to filtered list views, Insights reports and the API, and shows the format each one produces. Read it by first matching the data type you need to a route, then checking the format and the access limits that apply to your user role.

Export route	Data types or content	Format	Limits to check
Export data tab	Leads, deals, organizations, people, products, activities, projects, notes and files	XLSX or CSV	Available for 28 days; limited to global admins and permitted users
List view export	Records from the list you filter, with the columns you choose, which can mix item types in one file	XLSX or CSV	Only data visible to your user; filters and columns set at export time
Insights report, report data	The data behind a saved report	CSV or XLSX	Limited to report scope and your visibility settings
Insights report, visual	The rendered report as a picture or document	PDF or PNG	Charts and layout only, not a full record export
API access	Records and fields your API user can read	Structured responses from the API	Depends on your plan and API token budget; confirm current limits in your account
Google Drive files	Files stored in linked Google Drive	Not included in Pipedrive exports	Export these separately from Google Drive
Linked activities, notes and files	Items attached to deals or contacts	Separate exports required	Confirm each linked item type is covered before you rely on a single export

What does not leave Pipedrive and how to handle each gap

A single Pipedrive export does not give you a complete copy of your account. Google Drive files sit outside the export entirely, and activities, notes and files attached to deals or contacts need their own pulls. Work through each gap below before you treat an export as your backup or migration source.

Google Drive files

Files that users link from Google Drive are not included in Pipedrive's export. The export carries the link or reference, not the document itself, so a deal that depends on a proposal stored in Drive can lose its underlying file once you leave Pipedrive. Ask each team which folders hold deal documents, then pull those files directly from Google Drive with the owner's account and keep the folder structure next to the deal IDs. Confirm with a test export whether the links survive in your file.

Activities linked to deals

Calls, meetings and tasks tied to a deal are not carried by the deal export. Because activities are a separate item type, you need a separate export that keeps the deal ID so you can rejoin them later. Run the activities export with the deal reference column enabled, then check a sample of deals by hand. Activities without a matching deal ID are often orphaned records you must decide whether to keep.

Notes attached to records

Notes on deals, people and organizations are stored as their own item and are not fully embedded in the parent record export. A note can contain pricing history or decision context that your sales team relies on, so losing it is costly. Export notes separately, keep the associated item ID and type, and spot-check long notes with rich text or pasted tables, since formatting may not survive a CSV or XLSX conversion.

Files attached to items

Files uploaded to deals, people or activities are separate from the list exports. Each file has to be downloaded or exported on its own, which is slow for accounts with many attachments. Plan a sweep by entity type, record the file names and parent IDs in a manifest, and store the files in your own object storage with the same folder logic. Confirm the file size and count before you start so the job fits the time you have.

Visibility-limited records

Exports follow the visibility rules of the user running them. A global admin or a user with export permission still sees only what their visibility group or item visibility settings allow, so a partial export can look complete. Run the export from an account with the widest access your compliance team approves, and compare record counts against the Pipedrive interface for each pipeline and owner.

Other exclusions in your account

Pipedrive's documented exclusions are not the only gaps your account may have. Integrations, email threads, custom fields and apps can store data outside the core item types, and this depends on what your team has connected. Before you rely on one export, list every integration and app in use, note which data each one writes, and ask Pipedrive support to confirm what the export covers for your plan and setup.

Why a full export depends on who runs it

Only global admins and users with export permission can run an export from Pipedrive, and every user is further limited to the data visible within their visibility group or item visibility settings. The practical consequence is that a "full" export is only full for the person who runs it. Before anyone schedules a migration or a renewal exit, confirm which accounts hold export permission and whether any of them sits in a restricted visibility group, because a file generated by that user will silently omit deals, people or organizations they cannot see.

This creates gaps that are easy to miss. A sales manager who exports their own team's pipeline will receive a clean file that looks complete, yet it may exclude another region's deals, owner-restricted records or items marked private to a different group. Activities, notes and files linked to deals or contacts also need their own exports, so a user with partial visibility may produce several files that do not reconcile. Ask for a record count per item type from the admin view and compare it with the counts in the exported files before accepting the set.

We recommend a planned export run performed by a global admin whose visibility covers all teams, with the run logged in your migration record. The log should capture the date, the person who ran each export, the item types and filters used, the file names and row counts, and where each file was stored. Because exported files remain available for 28 days, copy them to your controlled storage promptly and record that transfer as well. This record gives your migration team and any later auditor a clear answer to who extracted the data and when.

The export sequence for a complete Pipedrive data pull

This sequence produces a complete, verified copy of your Pipedrive pipeline data, covering the main item types, their linked records and the files attached to them. Following the order below lets you confirm what you hold before the 28-day download window closes.

Inventory data types and linked items
Before exporting anything, list every item type your team uses: leads, deals, people, organizations, products, activities, projects, notes and files. Note which records have linked activities, notes and files, because those need separate exports. Also note that Google Drive files are not included in Pipedrive exports, so record where those documents live. Record the owner of each item type so nobody is left out. Done means you have a written inventory with one row per data type and a column for linked items, which becomes your checklist for the rest of the sequence.
Confirm export permissions and visibility
Check that the person running the pull is a global admin or a user with export permission. Pipedrive limits each user to data visible within their visibility group or item visibility settings, so a permitted user can still produce an incomplete file. Ask the admin to confirm that the visibility groups cover every team whose records you need. Done means the exporting account can see the full record set for each item type, which you can confirm by comparing record counts in the Pipedrive list views against the inventory.
Run admin exports for each entity type
From the admin Export data tab, export each entity type in the inventory as XLSX or CSV. Use one file per entity type so that column structures stay clean and easy to map later. Download each file as soon as it is ready, because exported files are available for 28 days. Done means every entity type in your inventory has a downloaded file, and each file is stored in a restricted location with a name that records the entity type and export date.
Run filtered list view exports for scoped sets
Where you need a subset, such as open deals in one pipeline or contacts tagged for one region, apply the filters in the list view and choose the columns you need. List view exports respect the applied filters and can combine fields from several item types in one file, which is useful for reconciliation. Done means each scoped file matches the record count shown in the filtered view at the time of export, which you can check before you save it.
Export Insights reports
Open each Insights report that your reporting depends on and export its data as CSV or XLSX. Insights reports can also export as PDF or PNG, which suits presentation copies but not data migration. Keep the report definition, date range and filters in a note beside the file, because a re-run later may show different figures. Done means each report has a data file and a short note describing the filters and date range used.
Pull linked activities, notes and files
Activities, notes and files linked to deals or contacts are not covered by the main entity exports, so run their separate exports now. Match each linked file to its parent record ID so you can rebuild the relationships in the target system. Done means you have one activities file, one notes file and a collection of attached files, and a sample of ten deals with linked content shows the same activity and note counts as the source records.
Download everything within the 28-day window
Exported files are available for 28 days, so schedule the download and copy the files to your own storage before that window closes. Store a checksum for each file so that later transfers can be verified. Done means every file from the previous steps exists in your storage, the checksums match the originals and the storage location is documented with its access list.
Verify counts and spot-check records
Compare the row count in each file with the record count shown in Pipedrive for the same filter and date. Then pick a sample of records across each entity type, including deals with several activities, contacts linked to multiple organizations and records owned by different users, and check that names, values, stages, owners and dates match. Record any gaps and re-export the affected items. Done means counts match for every entity type, the spot-check sample shows no unexplained differences, and the verification log is signed off by the data owner.

Questions buyers ask before exporting Pipedrive data

How much effort does a full Pipedrive export take?

The effort depends mostly on how much data you hold and how it is spread across teams. A small pipeline with one team and a few hundred deals can usually be exported in one session, while a larger account needs more passes, more checks and more time for linked files. The main drivers are record volume across leads, deals, people, organizations, activities, notes and files, the number of linked files that need separate exports, and how many teams and visibility groups affect what each user can see. Ask for a written estimate that lists each item type, the file count you expect and the verification steps, because those inputs determine the work more than the export itself.

Can our team export Pipedrive data without outside help?

Often yes, for a simple export. Global admins and users with export permission can use the Export data tab to download leads, deals, organizations, people, products, activities, projects, notes and files as XLSX or CSV. The limits are practical rather than technical: each user only sees data within their visibility group or item visibility settings, so a single admin export may be incomplete unless the right person runs it, and Google Drive files are not included. Linked activities, notes and files need separate exports. Outside help becomes useful when you need a complete, checked dataset with a documented record count for each item type.

What does the export work need from our side?

You need three things: a Pipedrive user with global admin rights or export permission, a named owner who signs off that the data is complete, and storage that keeps the files secure. The admin runs or supervises the exports and confirms visibility settings. The verification owner, usually someone from sales operations, compares record counts and spot-checks deals, stages and contacts against the source. Storage should be encrypted, access-controlled and inside your own infrastructure, since the files contain customer personal data. Confirm with your security team where the files may be kept before the first export starts.

How does the 28-day file window affect planning?

Pipedrive keeps exported files available for 28 days, so an export run early and forgotten can expire before the team needs it. Plan the export as a dated step: schedule it close to the import or migration work, download the files immediately, and record the file names and item types in a log. If a file expires, you run the export again, which may produce a different snapshot if records changed in the meantime. Freeze or note the cutover date so the team knows which version of the data is authoritative.

Are CSV or XLSX exports enough for a migration to a self-hosted CRM?

Exports carry the data but not the full structure. A flat file gives you field values, yet relationships between deals, people, organizations and activities depend on IDs and linked items that need separate exports, and custom fields, pipeline stages and automations must be rebuilt in the target system. A consultant or internal architect should map the schema before import, decide how each Pipedrive object becomes a record in the target CRM, and define how duplicates and missing links are handled. Ask for the mapping document as a deliverable, not only the data files.

Do we need a consultant to map the schema before export?

You need the mapping work whether a consultant or your own team does it, but you may not need a consultant for it. Do the mapping before the export so you know which fields, item types and linked files matter. A team with strong CRM administration skills can do this internally. Outside help is worth considering when custom fields are numerous, when deals link to many people and organizations, or when the target platform has a different data model. DeployOpen plans and implements self-hosted platforms within a written scope, so the mapping can be one defined deliverable in that scope.

What should we ask for in a quote for a Pipedrive export?

Ask for a written scope that names each item type to export, how linked activities, notes and files will be handled, and which visibility groups or users will run the exports. Request the verification method, including record counts per item type and sample checks, and the form of the deliverables, such as data files, a field map and an exception log. Confirm who holds the files, where they are stored, how they are deleted after use, and what happens if a file expires within the 28-day window. Finally, ask which items are out of scope, such as Google Drive files, so you can plan those separately. DeployOpen provides quotes from written scope and does not publish a price list.

Which Pipedrive data falls outside a standard export?

Several categories need attention beyond the Export data tab. Google Drive files are not included in Pipedrive exports. Activities, notes and files linked to deals or contacts need separate exports, so a deal export alone will not carry its history. Visibility rules also limit what each user can export, which means data owned by other teams may be missing. Insights reports export as PDF or PNG for presentation and as CSV or XLSX for report data, so dashboards need a different path if you want to keep them. List each category in the scope so none is missed.

What to plan before the Pipedrive contract ends

A Pipedrive exit depends on decisions made before the notice date, not after it. The cards below cover the export timing, the access you keep until the end date, retention of exported files, and the outside systems that hold copies of your data.

Set a dated export run

Schedule a full export well ahead of the notice deadline so you have time to re-run it if a file is incomplete. Pipedrive keeps exported files for 28 days, so a run done too early may need repeating before the migration is finished. Record the date, the export type and the person who ran it, then confirm the notice period in writing with Pipedrive directly.

Confirm plan and API access

Find out which plan, user seats and API access remain active until the contract end date, and whether they stop earlier. Scripted API exports need a working token for the full run, so a late plan change can interrupt the job. Ask Pipedrive to confirm these terms in writing, along with what happens to the account after cancellation.

Decide export file retention

Exported XLSX and CSV files contain personal data on leads, people and organizations, so they need the same controls as the source system. Decide where the files are stored, who can open them, how long they are kept and how they are deleted once the migration is verified. Your data protection policy should cover these copies, not only the live Pipedrive account.

Name the account owner

Identify the global admin or permitted user who will run exports until the end date, and a backup person if that user leaves. Remember that each user can export only the data visible to them through visibility groups and item visibility settings. A full export needs an administrator account, so check that the owner's access covers every pipeline, team and item type you must keep.

Check integrations holding copies

Pipedrive exports do not include Google Drive files, and linked activities, notes and files need separate exports. Review every connected tool, such as email sync, calendar, marketing and document services, because each may hold its own copy of contacts or attachments. List what each integration stores, which copies you will delete, and which must be exported or re-created in the new system.

Test a restore before cutover

Before the contract ends, load a sample of the export into your target system and compare record counts, linked items and file attachments against Pipedrive. An illustrative check might compare the deals of one pipeline with their activities and notes. Keep the export set and the comparison report together so you can answer questions after the account closes.

What to do with the export once you have it

Treat every file from the Pipedrive Export data tab, list view exports and Insights reports as source material, not as a working copy. Keep the original XLSX or CSV files exactly as downloaded, record the export date, the user who ran it and the filters applied, and store a hash or checksum alongside each file so you can later show that the migration started from unaltered data. Pipedrive keeps exported files available for 28 days, so the window to move them into your own storage is short and should be planned before anyone downloads anything.

Store the originals on servers you control, in a location with access limited to the migration team and the named data owners. Pipedrive exports reflect what each exporting user could see, so the archive can contain personal data from records that were visible to only some people. Apply the same role-based access you use for other customer data, restrict who can copy files to laptops, and confirm your retention rule for the archive before the source system is retired. Linked activities, notes and files need their own exports, and Google Drive files are not included, so inventory these separately and keep them in the same controlled location.

Before importing into a target CRM, map every source column to a destination field in a separate mapping sheet, then run the import against a test instance with a small sample. EspoCRM documents its import feature in the EspoCRM import documentation, which is the natural next read for checking supported entity types, field matching and duplicate handling. Confirm with your implementation partner or vendor how relationships between deals, people and organizations will be preserved, because a flat export does not carry those links automatically.

Where exported data can land

Self-hosted EspoCRM keeps pipeline data in your own infrastructure under the AGPL-3.0 license, and the open-source edition can be downloaded and run at no license cost. The reader carries the operational work: a PHP runtime, a database and a web server. EspoCRM supports PHP 8.3 to 8.5 with MySQL 8.0 or newer, MariaDB 10.6 or newer, or PostgreSQL 15, on Apache, Nginx or IIS.

Database choice: Pick MySQL 8.0 or newer, MariaDB 10.6 or newer, or PostgreSQL 15 before you import, since the import targets the chosen database.
Background jobs: Cron or a scheduled task must run for background jobs, so schedule it on the host from the first day.
Import path: The documented import function loads CSV files into entities, which suits the files Pipedrive produces.
API access: The REST API supports API key, HMAC and basic authentication through dedicated API users with role-based permissions. HMAC is the documented most secure option, and basic authentication is not recommended.
Installer option: An installation script for Ubuntu, Debian and Linux Mint deploys a Docker-based stack with Nginx and MariaDB, with a command.sh utility for backups, restores and upgrades.

Confirm the PHP, database and web server versions against the current server configuration docs before you provision, and confirm which API user roles you need for any scripted loads.

How DeployOpen scopes and supports a data exit

DeployOpen treats a Pipedrive data exit as a fixed-scope piece of work: we agree in writing which item types, linked records and files must leave Pipedrive, and where they will be stored. The export is then checked against the scope before anything is handed over.

How we scope

Confirm which item types the exit covers: leads, deals, people, organizations, products, activities, notes and files.
Map which users hold global admin or export permission and whose visibility groups limit what they can see.
List linked records, Google Drive files and Insights reports that need separate handling, and record them in the written scope.

How we build

Run the export from the admin Export data tab and from filtered list views, keeping the filters and columns documented.
Pull the same data through the Pipedrive API where bulk or repeatable extraction is needed, and test a sample first.
Check record counts, relationships between deals, people and organizations, and file completeness against the source before accepting the output.

How we hand over

Deliver the exported files to your chosen location on your own infrastructure, with a manifest of what was exported and when.
Document the 28-day availability window for Pipedrive export files, so your team downloads and secures each file in time.
Provide a runbook covering each export method, its permission requirements and the steps to repeat it for a later cutover.

How we support

Engagements are fixed-scope, with scope, deliverables and timelines agreed in writing before work starts.
Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as retainers if the exit or a target platform needs follow-up.
Ask for a written quote based on your scope to confirm what is included, who performs each task and what happens after handover.