Troubleshooting: Export issues
Problems with exporting your data and how to fix them.
Troubleshooting: Export issues
Problems with exporting your data and how to fix them.
Quick reference
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Export stuck on “Processing” | Large dataset or peak-hour load | Wait 5 minutes. If still stuck, cancel and retry with a smaller date range. |
| “Export failed” with no details | Transient warehouse timeout | Retry the export. If it fails again, split the date range in half. |
| Download link doesn’t work | Link expired (valid for 24 hours) | Request a new export or use the Download button in Export history. |
| CSV shows garbled characters | Encoding issue with non-ASCII data | Open the CSV in a text editor and save as UTF-8. Or use JSON format. |
| Scheduled export didn’t arrive | Schedule deleted or delivery misconfigured | Check Settings → Exports for active schedules. Verify delivery method. |
Common issues
Export stuck on “Processing” for more than 10 minutes
Why it happens: Large exports (> 5M rows) or exports during peak hours (14:00–16:00 UTC) can take longer than usual. The system retries automatically on transient failures, which adds time.
Solution:
- Check the export status in Data → Export history.
- If it’s been “Processing” for more than 10 minutes — cancel it.
- Create a new export with a narrower date range (e.g., 3 months instead of 12).
- If it still stalls, split into multiple exports.
Export fails with “Query timeout”
Error: The query took too long to complete. Try narrowing your filters.
Why it happens: The query against your account data exceeded the 60-second timeout. This usually happens with very broad filters or heavily filtered datasets.
Solution:
- Narrow the date range. Try 3 months instead of 12.
- Remove unnecessary filters.
- If you need the full dataset, split it into monthly exports.
Download link expired
Why it happens: Download links are valid for 24 hours after the export completes. This is a security measure.
Solution:
- Go to Data → Export history.
- Find the export and click Download (generates a fresh link).
- If the export is older than 30 days, it has been deleted (retention policy). Create a new export.
CSV has garbled or misaligned columns
Why it happens: Some cells contain commas, newlines, or special characters that confuse basic CSV parsers.
Solution:
- Open the CSV in a text editor (not Excel) to confirm the raw data is correct.
- Try the JSON format instead — it handles special characters reliably.
- If you must use CSV, ensure your importing tool is configured for UTF-8 and quoted fields.
Scheduled export missed a run
Why it happens: The schedule may have been deleted, or the delivery method is misconfigured. Schedules do not run on empty datasets (no data for the range = skipped delivery).
Solution:
- Go to Settings → Exports and confirm the schedule is Active.
- Check the delivery method. If using webhook, verify your endpoint is responding.
- If using email, check spam and verify the email address on the schedule.
- If the dataset had no new data, that run is intentionally skipped. Check the schedule history for details.
Known limitations
| Limitation | Workaround |
|---|---|
| Max 10M rows per export | Split into multiple exports by date range |
| 4 concurrent exports per org | Wait for one to complete, or cancel a running export |
| 30-day export history | Download and archive exports you need long-term |
| No custom SQL exports | Use the API to filter by available parameters |
| Webhook timeout (5s) | Respond with 200 immediately, then process asynchronously |
Getting help
If these steps don’t resolve your issue:
- Search our status page for ongoing incidents
- Contact support at support@acme.io with:
- The export job ID (from Export history)
- The date range and format you used
- Whether this is a new export or a recurring schedule
- Steps you already tried