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# Export issues to CSV **(FREE)**

> Moved to GitLab Free in 12.10.

You can export issues as CSV files from GitLab, which are sent to your default
notification email address as an attachment.

**Export Issues to CSV** enables you and your team to export all the data
collected from issues into a **[comma-separated values](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma-separated_values)** (CSV)
file, which stores tabular data in plain text.

> _CSVs are a handy way of getting data from one program to another where one
program cannot read the other ones normal output._ [Ref](https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-CSV-file-and-its-uses)

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CSV files can be used with any plotter or spreadsheet-based program, such as
Microsoft Excel, Open Office Calc, or Google Sheets.

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Here are some of the uses of exporting issues as CSV files:

- Make a snapshot of issues for offline analysis or to communicate with other
  teams who may not be in GitLab.
- Create diagrams, graphs, and charts from the CSV data.
- Present the data in any other format for auditing or sharing reasons.
- Import the issues elsewhere to a system outside of GitLab.
- Long-term issues' data analysis with multiple snapshots created along the
  time.
- Use the long-term data to gather relevant feedback given in the issues, and
  improve your product based on real metrics.

## Choosing which issues to include

After selecting a project, from the issues page you can narrow down which
issues to export using the search bar, along with the All/Open/Closed tabs. All
issues returned are exported, including those not shown on the first page.

![CSV export button](img/csv_export_button_v12_9.png)

GitLab asks you to confirm the number of issues and email address for the
export, after which the email is prepared.

![CSV export modal dialog](img/csv_export_modal.png)

## Sorting

Exported issues are always sorted by `Issue ID`.

## Format

Data is encoded with a comma as the column delimiter, with `"` used to quote
fields if needed, and newlines to separate rows. The first row contains the
headers, which are listed in the following table along with a description of
the values:

| Column            | Description |
|-------------------|-------------|
| Issue ID          | Issue `iid` |
| URL               | A link to the issue on GitLab |
| Title             | Issue `title` |
| State             | `Open` or `Closed` |
| Description       | Issue `description` |
| Author            | Full name of the issue author |
| Author Username   | Username of the author, with the `@` symbol omitted |
| Assignee          | Full name of the issue assignee |
| Assignee Username | Username of the author, with the `@` symbol omitted |
| Confidential      | `Yes` or `No` |
| Locked            | `Yes` or `No` |
| Due Date          | Formatted as `YYYY-MM-DD` |
| Created At (UTC)  | Formatted as `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` |
| Updated At (UTC)  | Formatted as `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS` |
| Milestone         | Title of the issue milestone |
| Weight            | Issue weight |
| Labels            | Title of any labels joined with a `,` |
| Time Estimate     | [Time estimate](../time_tracking.md#estimates) in seconds |
| Time Spent        | [Time spent](../time_tracking.md#time-spent) in seconds |
| Epic ID           | ID of the parent epic **(ULTIMATE)**, introduced in 12.7 |
| Epic Title        | Title of the parent epic **(ULTIMATE)**, introduced in 12.7 |

## Limitations

- Export Issues to CSV is not available at the Group's Issues List.
- Issues are sent as an email attachment, with a 15 MB export limit to ensure
  successful delivery across a range of email providers. If you reach the limit,
  we suggest narrowing the search before export, perhaps by exporting open and
  closed issues separately.
- CSV files are plain text files. This means that the exported CSV file doesn't
  contain any issue attachments.
