How to export your data from Qualtrics

How to export your data from Qualtrics before a contract ends

A renewal, a price change or a data residency requirement can force survey data out of Qualtrics, so the export plan belongs at the start of the exit project. Responses, uploaded respondent files and response metadata can be pulled through documented export paths, but the formats on offer and the volume limits depend on your license. Ask your Qualtrics account team in writing which file formats your contract includes, whether respondent uploads can be exported in bulk, and whether API access is part of your package. Build the schedule around those answers, because a format you assumed was included may not be.

A single export does not give you a complete archive. Response files hold answer data and the values you choose to include, but they may not capture the survey itself: question wording, display and skip logic, quotas, embedded data, branching, translations, distribution settings or the reports and dashboards built on top of them. A complete archive needs more than one export. For each project, record the survey definition in whatever form your version supports, along with a question-by-question reference that maps export column names to question IDs. Without that mapping, a rebuilt survey will be hard to match to the old one, and longitudinal comparisons can break.

Test the archive before the subscription ends. Export one project in every format you intend to keep, open each file in the tool that will read it later, and compare row counts and a sample of responses against the live data. Check that uploaded files still map to the correct response IDs. Store the archive where your retention policy requires, with checksums and a log of who exported what and when. Do not assume you can log in after the contract lapses. If you plan to move the surveys to LimeSurvey, read its pricing FAQ on what happens to collected responses after a subscription expires, and compare that with your Qualtrics exit terms.

Which Qualtrics data you can export and in what formats

This table lists each data item you may need to take out of Qualtrics, what to confirm in your account, and the open-source counterpart to test before you commit. Export formats, file limits and API access depend on your license and project type, so confirm them in your own account and contract before the renewal or exit date. Use the table as a checklist.

Export item	Confirm in your Qualtrics account	Open-source counterpart
Response data (CSV, TSV, Excel, XML, SPSS)	Which formats your license and project type allow, and any row or file limits in the export dialog	LimeSurvey response export, with ExportR and ExportSTATAxml plugins for R and Stata users
Respondent file uploads (ZIP)	Whether uploads download as a ZIP, and whether large or older files need a separate request	Formbricks file upload in the Community Edition; LimeSurvey files stay on your server, so test the export path
JSON through the API	Whether API access is included, the token scope, and any rate limits in the current API documentation	Formbricks Community Edition includes full API access and webhooks
Survey structure (questions, choices, logic)	Whether the export carries question text, choice codes and logic, or whether you must document the build separately	Rebuild in LimeSurvey or Formbricks and check it against a saved export
Translations and language codes	Whether each response keeps its language code and whether translated text is exported	LimeSurvey multilingual surveys in more than 80 languages
Audit trail and access history	What is retained and whether it is exportable, since response files do not cover it	Formbricks audit logs require the Enterprise license; LimeSurvey access logs need checking in your setup

What does not come out in a standard export and how to cover the gap

A response export carries the answers, but much of what makes a project work sits outside the data file: the survey structure, quotas, distribution history, reports and account settings. Each item below needs its own capture step before the contract ends, and the vendor should confirm what it will hand over in each case.

Survey structure and logic

The response file holds answers keyed to question IDs, not the question wording, answer choices, display logic or skip rules that produced them. Without them, a CSV from years ago cannot be interpreted. Export or print each survey definition, including the question text, answer options and branching, and store it alongside the matching response file. Ask Qualtrics whether a survey definition export is included in your license and in which format.

Quotas and sampling rules

Quota groups and their targets determine who was allowed to complete a study and when a quota closed. These settings are not part of the response data, so a dataset can look complete while its sampling logic is lost. Record each quota's name, condition, target count and status at close in a dated document. Confirm with the vendor whether quota definitions can be exported directly.

Panels and distribution history

Contact lists, panel membership, invitation dates, reminder waves and link distribution records explain response rates and timing. Some are visible only in the project interface and may not appear in a response export. Export contact lists and distribution logs where the platform allows, and note the send dates and reminder schedule for each wave in your own records.

Dashboards and reports

Dashboards, crosstabs and saved reports are views built on the data, so they disappear with the subscription even though the underlying responses survive. Save each report that supports a published finding as a PDF or spreadsheet, and record the filters and weighting applied. Recreate the analysis from the raw export to confirm the figures match before you rely on the archive.

Account and workflow settings

Users, roles, distribution domains, branding, integrations, webhooks and scheduled tasks are configured at the account level and are not carried in project exports. Document each setting by hand, including who had admin rights and which integrations pushed data to other systems. Confirm with the vendor which of these, if any, appear in an account-level export.

The export sequence and how to verify each step

This sequence moves every Qualtrics project into a set of files you control, with a check after each step. Each export is compared against the live project, and the final archive has checksums so you can prove later that nothing changed.

Inventory every project and its export rights
Account owners list each survey with its ID, status, owner, collaborators, response count and last activity date, then confirm which export formats the current license allows. Check the list against the project view in your account, and have a second person review it. The inventory is complete when every active and closed project appears once and the license limits are written beside it.
Export responses in each chosen format
For each project, export responses in the formats your license allows, such as CSV, TSV, Excel, XML or SPSS. Keep one primary format for analysis and one open format for long-term reading. Confirm the row count matches the response count shown in the project, and compare the column headers with the live question list. Any missing columns, especially those for embedded data or hidden fields, must be explained before you continue.
Download respondent file uploads as ZIP
Project owners download uploaded files as ZIP archives for every survey with file upload questions. Confirm that the number of files in each archive matches the upload entries in the response export, and that file names link back to response IDs. Open a sample of files from each archive. The step is done when every upload question has a complete archive and a count that matches the responses.
Pull JSON through the API where needed
Use an API token for an account with access to the projects to retrieve responses as JSON for records that need full structure or automated handling. Check the API documentation for your data center and token scope before starting. Compare the record count and response IDs with the CSV export for the same project. Store the raw API output unchanged, because it is the closest copy of what the platform returned.
Export survey definitions and logic
Export or document each survey's questions, answer choices, display and skip logic, quotas, embedded data fields and language versions. The available format depends on your account, so confirm that with Qualtrics before you rely on it. Compare the question count and wording with a preview of the live survey. Where an export is not offered, capture screenshots and a written question map, and note which items they cover.
Store copies with checksums and a manifest
Place all exports, ZIP archives, API output and survey definitions in a single folder structure, one folder per project. Generate a SHA-256 checksum for every file and record it in a manifest with the file name, size, project ID and export date. Keep a second copy in a separate location on your own storage. The step is complete when re-hashing the stored copies matches the manifest exactly.
Confirm the archive opens and reconciles
Open each archive in the tools your analysts will use, such as a spreadsheet, SPSS or an XML viewer, and confirm the data reads without errors. Recount responses and uploads against the manifest and the live project one last time, after the export window closes. Sign off the inventory with the project owner, the date and any known gaps. The archive is ready for migration or retention once every project has a signed record.

When the API is the better path and what to watch for

Use the API when the export is a repeatable job rather than a one-off download: pulling many projects on a schedule, refreshing a copy of active surveys every week, or running incremental exports that fetch only responses recorded since the last run. A survey team with dozens of projects will otherwise repeat the same UI clicks for each one, and each click is a chance to miss a project or a file. The API also suits teams that want exports written straight into their own storage with a log of what was pulled and when. The cost is engineering time. You need an API token issued under a user account with the right survey permissions, a script that handles the data center base URL for your account, error handling, and a schedule. Confirm with Qualtrics how tokens are scoped, how long they last, and who is notified when they are revoked.

A scripted pull is only a complete archive if it returns the same material the UI export gives you. Do not assume it does. Compare one project's API output with a UI export of the same project and check each data type: response values, column headers, embedded data, timing and metadata fields, question text and choice labels, the survey definition, and the handling of uploaded files. Confirm how the API paginates large response sets and how it signals a partial or failed job, since a script that treats an incomplete file as finished will archive gaps silently. Rate limits also matter for large projects. Check the limits in the current Qualtrics API documentation for your account type, and build retries with backoff rather than assuming unlimited calls.

Test the whole pipeline on one project before you point it at everything. Choose a project that exercises the hard parts: multi-language content, branching and embedded data, a file upload question, and a response count you already know from the UI. Run the script, then check row counts, column lists and a sample of uploaded files against the UI export, and record checksums for the files so later runs can be verified. Keep the token in a secrets manager, not in the script, and write a log entry for every run with the project ID, the date range and the output location. Only after the single project reconciles should you extend the job to the full set of projects and schedule incremental runs, with a periodic full comparison to catch drift.

What to plan before renewal or termination

Exporting from Qualtrics is a project in its own right, and the decisions below should be made before the contract end date is near. Each one shapes the next, from what must be kept to where it sits and who answers for it later.

Inventory active projects

List every survey project, its owner, its status and its response count, and mark which ones are still collecting. Projects that are live, paused or used for longitudinal studies need different handling from closed projects. Ask each owner which questions, logic, quotas and embedded data fields the project depends on, because a CSV export alone does not carry the survey structure.

Set the retention period per project

Each project may fall under a different retention requirement set by a funder, a regulator, an ethics approval or internal policy. Record the period for each project and the date from which it runs. Confirm retention rules with legal and the research ethics office before choosing which formats to keep, since a summary export may not meet the same requirement as raw responses.

Confirm the export window

Ask your Qualtrics account team in writing when access to the account ends and whether any grace period applies. Exports run from the project level, so large projects with many responses and file uploads need time to finish. Also confirm which export formats your license includes, such as SPSS, XML or API access, because the format list depends on the contract.

Assign archive ownership

Name one accountable owner for the archive, along with a deputy, and state who approves access to it. The owner is usually a data steward or records manager, not the individual survey creator who may leave. Ownership should be set before the first export runs, so that questions about a respondent's data after termination have a clear answer.

Choose storage and encryption

Decide where the archive will live: your own file servers, an object store, or a records system with access logs. Encrypt the archive at rest and in transit, and keep the encryption keys apart from the files. Check that the location meets your data residency rules, since respondent data and uploaded files may contain personal information.

Plan for legal holds and migration

If a project is subject to litigation, an audit or an open complaint, freeze it before any deletion occurs in the Qualtrics account, and document the hold. If you plan to rebuild surveys in a self-hosted tool, keep the original exports unchanged so that a later reviewer can compare the new data with the source. Plan a readability test on the archive before the contract ends.

Questions teams ask before exporting Qualtrics data

Can our team export Qualtrics data without outside help?

In many cases, yes. An administrator with access to a project can export its responses directly, one project at a time. Qualtrics lists CSV, TSV, Excel, XML and SPSS exports, uploaded respondent files come out as a ZIP, and JSON is available through the API. Which formats appear depends on your license, so confirm that with Qualtrics before planning. Self-service works well for a small number of surveys with simple data. Outside help becomes worth considering when there are many projects, uploads spread across them, or API pulls that need scripting and checking. DeployOpen can run that work as a fixed-scope engagement, with scope and deliverables agreed in writing before it starts.

What makes the Qualtrics export effort grow?

Four factors drive most of the effort: the number of projects, the volume of file uploads, your license tier and whether you script the exports. Each project has its own responses, question structure, embedded data and export settings, so the count of projects matters more than the size of any single survey. File uploads arrive as a ZIP per project and must be matched back to the right respondent records. License tier decides which formats and API access you have, which determines whether manual export is enough. Scripting adds setup work at the start but reduces repeated manual steps and leaves a repeatable record. Ask for an inventory of projects, response counts and upload volume before requesting a quote.

How long does a Qualtrics export take at different volumes?

The time depends on volume, and no duration has been established for your account, so treat any estimate as provisional until you have an inventory. Effort scales with the number of projects, total responses, the size of uploaded files and how many formats you need for each project. A few surveys with little upload data can usually be exported and checked in a short working session. Large accounts with many waves of longitudinal data, several languages and heavy uploads take longer, and most of that time goes to verification rather than downloading. Ask Qualtrics for any export limits or file size constraints that apply to your account, and ask any implementation partner for a timeline tied to a written inventory. Build verification into the plan by comparing record counts, question codes and file counts against the source.

What does the export work need from our team?

The work depends on three inputs from your side:

Administrator or project owner access to every survey in scope, plus API token rights if you plan to script the pulls.
A named data owner who decides which projects, fields and uploaded files must be kept, and who signs off on the verification results.
Retention decisions: how long exports will be held, where they will be stored, and who may access personal data contained in them.

Without these decisions in writing, the export may be complete but still create a compliance problem. Settle the owner, the retention rules and the storage location before the first export runs.

What should we archive for each project before the contract ends?

For each project, archive more than the response file. Keep the survey definition and question text, a codebook or data dictionary that maps question codes to meaning, the response data in every format you need, and the uploaded files with a key that links them to respondents. Also record the logic, quotas, embedded data and distribution history, because responses are hard to interpret later without them. Store the archive with an index listing each project, its export date and its checksums. Longitudinal studies depend on this record, so decide now which projects must remain readable for years and which can be retired. Confirm with your legal or records team how long that material must be kept.

Can a self-hosted target read the exported files?

Generally yes for the common formats, but the answer depends on the target. CSV, TSV, Excel and SPSS files are widely read, so a self-hosted LimeSurvey instance or an analysis tool can usually open them. LimeSurvey also offers plugins such as ExportR and ExportSTATAxml for analysis-ready output, though you should confirm their fit for your data. Formbricks is designed around product and customer feedback, so its data model may not match a research project's question structure. Test with one representative project before committing. Check that question codes, multi-select columns, dates and uploaded file references survive the import and that the codebook still lines up with the data.

Keeping exports readable after you leave

Before the contract ends, build an archive that someone can still open and interpret years later. A raw CSV on its own is not enough for a longitudinal study or an audit. Keep each export with a data dictionary that defines every column, the variable name, the question wording as it was shown to respondents, the answer codes and any recode or calculated field. Pair it with a codebook for each survey version, because a question edited mid-field changes what a column means. Record the export settings you used, including the file format, the choice of coded or label values, and whether question IDs or question text were used as headers, since those choices change how the file reads. Confirm these settings with Qualtrics support or in your own export dialog before you run the final pull, because the exact options depend on your license and survey type.

Keep a copy of the survey structure alongside each export. That means the survey definition, question logic, display conditions, quotas, embedded data fields and the language versions of the text. Without it, branching and skipped questions look like missing data. Store the structure in a format you control, such as a PDF of the survey flow plus the export of the question list, and name each file with the survey ID, the export date and a version number. For uploaded respondent files, keep the ZIP archive together with a manifest that maps each file to its response ID, so the files stay linked to the right rows. If you plan to move to LimeSurvey or Formbricks later, the structure copy is also the blueprint for rebuilding the survey. Test the archive before you rely on it. Open the CSV, TSV, Excel and SPSS files in the exact tools your team will use in three to five years, and check that column counts, date formats, multi-select fields and character encoding survive the trip. Compare row counts and a sample of responses against the Qualtrics dashboard, and record the result in a short test log with the tool version used. Re-run the test whenever you copy the archive to new storage. Ask your analysis team and records officer which format they will accept for audit or grant reporting, since that decision is cheaper now than after the subscription has lapsed.

Choosing where the exported data goes next

This sequence turns the Qualtrics export into a decision for each project: archive it, or move the survey work to a self-hosted platform. The output is a written record of where each project's data lives, under which license, and how a reader can open it later.

Inventory every survey and owner
Export a list of every survey in the Qualtrics account, with owner, status, creation date, response count and whether the survey still collects responses. Ask each project lead to confirm their entries, because surveys from past studies are often forgotten. Keep the inventory in a file your organization controls so it survives the contract. Done when every survey has one named owner and one status, and the sponsor has signed off the list.
Confirm export formats your license allows
Check which formats your Qualtrics license allows for each project: CSV, TSV, Excel, XML and SPSS for response data, and ZIP for respondent file uploads. Ask your account team whether JSON access through the API is included, since that depends on your contract and the API features it covers. Record the answer per project in the inventory. Done when the contract owner holds written confirmation of each format, so the export plan does not depend on memory of a sales call.
Decide archive or continue for each project
For each project, choose one path. Archive-only projects keep their exports, metadata and uploaded files in storage your organization controls. Projects that still need data collection move to a self-hosted platform, and the survey is rebuilt there, with questions, logic and quotas defined again. Done when each project has a named decision, a responsible owner and a reason recorded in the inventory.
Test LimeSurvey for continuing projects
For survey work that continues, LimeSurvey Community Edition is free to download and self-host, licensed under GPL v2.0 with the option of any later GPL version. Before committing, check the server requirements: PHP 8.1.29 or later with mbstring and PDO drivers, and a supported database such as MySQL 8.0, PostgreSQL 14, MariaDB 10.3.38 or MSSQL 2019 or later. Install a test instance, rebuild one exported project, and confirm that question types, languages and logic behave as expected. Done when your team has a written test result for each survey type it plans to run.
Test Formbricks for feedback surveys
For link, website, in-app or email feedback surveys, Formbricks is the other option. Its core is licensed under AGPLv3, and the Community Edition includes unlimited surveys, responses and users with full API access, but only one workspace. OIDC and SAML SSO, teams and access roles, audit logs and contact segments need an Enterprise License Key, so confirm which of those features your program needs before choosing it. Done when your team knows which features require the key and has the vendor's written terms for it.
Compare hosting regions before choosing
If your team does not want to run servers, a hosted tier is the fallback. LimeSurvey Cloud lists hosting regions in Germany, Finland, the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia, with Germany or Finland recommended for EU customers. When a LimeSurvey Cloud subscription expires, the account falls back to the Free package and keeps access to collected responses. Formbricks Cloud lists a free Hobby tier hosted in Frankfurt. Ask each vendor where backups are stored and who can access them. Done when the residency requirement is matched to a named region in writing.
Store the archive with a data dictionary
Write the archive for a reader who joins the team later. Include the response exports in each format, uploaded files as ZIP with original file names, question wording, the codebook, logic and quota definitions, export settings and the inventory. Store the archive encrypted at rest in your own storage, with a checksum for each file and a restricted access list. Done when a second person can list the contents and match each checksum to the manifest.
Verify exports open in target tools
Open a sample of each export in the tools analysts use, such as SPSS, Excel or R, and compare row counts and a few values against the Qualtrics project. Confirm that uploaded file ZIPs open and match their response IDs. Record differences such as character encoding or value labels, and decide how each one will be handled. Done when counts match for every sampled project, differences are documented, and a reviewer signs off before the Qualtrics account closes.

How DeployOpen scopes and delivers a Qualtrics data export

DeployOpen treats a Qualtrics data export as a written, fixed-scope piece of work, starting from an inventory of your projects and the formats your license allows. The deliverable is an archive your team can open and verify without depending on Qualtrics access, with the documentation needed to keep it readable for years.

How we scope

We list the surveys, projects and response sets in scope before any export begins.
We confirm with you which export formats your Qualtrics license allows for each project.
We record which respondent file uploads, metadata and API-accessible data must be included.
Engagements are fixed-scope, with deliverables and timelines agreed in writing before work starts.

How we build

We run the agreed exports in CSV, TSV, Excel, XML or SPSS and retrieve uploaded files as ZIP archives.
We pull data through the Qualtrics API where a bulk export is not enough, and check the results against the source.
We reconcile response counts and field labels per project so gaps are found before the contract ends.
We store the archive in your own infrastructure, with access controls set to your data handling rules.

How we hand over

We deliver a per-project index covering formats, export dates, response counts and file locations.
We provide a data dictionary that maps question IDs and answer codes to their original wording.
We document the checks performed, so your compliance or research team can review the export independently.
We walk your team through opening the files and confirm handover in writing.

How we support

Ongoing support, upgrades and continuous testing are available as a retainer after handover.
Ask us to confirm the export scope again if new projects or responses are added before termination.
Ask whether your Qualtrics license includes API access and which export formats apply to your account.
Confirm with your legal or records team how long archived responses must be kept in your environment.