Data Export FAQ

'Full Data Export' FAQ

1. Why is my Data Export taking a long time?

Large exports can take a long time to complete. This is expected behavior. Completion time depends on the size of your export and current traffic on the instance. Unfortunately, it is not possible for Salesforce to speed up this process.

Data Export is not optimized for speed. If this is not acceptable for your needs, please consider alternative options such as the data loader tool or explore third-party apps on AppExchange.

2. Why do I get an error when trying to download more than one file from the Weekly Export?

This is expected behavior. The system allows only one file download at a time, and there is a 60-second wait required between downloads. If you try to download multiple files too quickly, you’ll see the following error:

3. How often can I back up my data?

Your Salesforce organization can generate backup files of your data on a weekly or monthly basis, depending on your edition. You can generate backup files manually once every 7 days for weekly exports, or 29 days for monthly exports. Weekly exports are available in Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions. Monthly exports are available in All editions, except for Database.com.

4. How long are my export files available to download?'

Export files are available to download for 48 hours after completion.

5. Does weekly or monthly data export include the data which is in Recycle Bin?

No. Recycle Bin data is not included in the exported data.

6. Why are export files missing even though I am within the 48 hour window?

The export files are removed as soon as a new Data Export is queued up, even if you are within the 48 hour window. See 'Full Data Export' files not available after completing upload for more details.

7. If I wasn't able to download my export files is it possible to retrieve them?

No, once the files have been removed from the 'Setup' section, there is no way for either customers or support to recover or download them.

8. Is there a service level agreement (SLA) for Data Export completion?

There is no SLA for Data Exports. It may be expected for a request to take longer than a week to complete. Support does not have a means to expedite an export.

9. Why do I not receive exports every week?

As previously mentioned, heavy traffic can delay an export delivery. For example, assume that you schedule a weekly export to run until the end of the month, beginning April 1. The first export request enters the queue, but due to high volumes of requests, the export isn’t delivered until April 8. On April 7, when your second export request was scheduled to be processed, the first request is still in the queue. So, the second request isn’t processed and the new next scheduled export date will be updated to April 14.

10. If my scheduled export was skipped due to long queue or processing times, can I initiate an export prior to the next scheduled date/time?

Yes, if an export request is in progress or hasn't completed by the time the next scheduled export is supposed to start, the next scheduled export will be skipped in favor of the one in progress and the scheduled export's date will be automatically adjusted and set according to your export interval.

Once the in-progress export, which has superseded the next, completes, administrators can request an export manually via the 'Export Now' button. However, keep in mind that the export interval between requests will still apply. Requesting a manual export will automatically adjust your 'Next scheduled export' date to adhere to your organization's corresponding export interval.

11. Can I delete a scheduled data export?

Yes, see the Change date or delete scheduled data export article for more details. Deleting the job will also allow an Admin to change the 'running user' of a weekly Data Export.

12. Why do I have multiple .zip files for the Data Export?

If the size of data in the organization is large, multiple .zip archives are created. Each .zip archive file contains one or more .csv files and can be up to 512 MB (approximately). If the total size of the exported data is greater than 512 MB, the export generates multiple .zip files.

13. Why do I see fewer files than expected?

If you did not select all objects or select 'Include images, documents, and attachments' and 'Include Salesforce Files and Salesforce CRM Content document versions,' you may receive fewer files than with a complete data export.

14. Why are some of my .zip files larger than 512 MB?

The 'Files' feature in Salesforce allows you to upload files up to 2 GB. If your .zip files are substantially larger than 512 MB, it's likely that a User has uploaded a large file and it's being included in it's own .zip file. To identify potential large files, navigate to Setup, enter Storage Usage in the Quick Find box, then select Storage Usage. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click the Overall Top Files by Storage Utilization link.

15. What can I do if my export's CSV files are too large to open in Excel?

See  Data export CSV file is too big to open for more details.

16. Why are my selections for 'Schedule Export' not saving?

See Schedule Export option does not save  for more details.
 

17. Why is my data export not processing in Sandbox?

Although it is possible to schedule the data export in sandbox, it's expected behavior for it to never actually process. See the sandbox Product and Service Exclusions documentation for more details.

18. Why am I receiving notifications for 'Your Organization Data Export failed to complete'?

These alerts can originate from both production and sandbox organizations. Administrators may need to review scheduled export jobs in all environments. 

19. Is it possible to schedule an additional export?

Evaluate whether you can export required data via alternative means as outlined in our Export Data documentation. If this is not feasible, your request will need to be evaluated and approved on a one-off basis. Please log a case with Salesforce Support and be sure to include a detailed business impact and explanation, so that Salesforce Support may evaluate your request. Note: Creating multiple schedule export is currently not a Salesforce functionality yet. However, you can check and upvote for this Idea as a feature request Create multiple data export schedules.

20. How can I request a Data Export if my Salesforce organization is locked, put on hold, or suspended?

See Request data export when your organization is locked for more details.

21. Why are all of my object's fields not included in my export files?

Formula and roll-up summary fields are always excluded from exports.

22. Can I use the 'Data Export' Service when my organization is set up in 'Read-Only' mode?

Currently, Data Export is not supported in Read-Only Mode. You will get an error 'Updates can’t be made during maintenance.' or an Internal Server Error ending in '250729683.'
 

23. Are archived records also included in the Data Export results?

Yes, archived records are included when you perform an export using Data Export service.
 

24. Where is the CAPTCHA access check mentioned as being available in the Export Backup Data from Salesforce document?

This feature is now deprecated. We are working on updating the aforementioned document to remove the reference.

25. Does Daylight Saving Time impact scheduled exports?

A scheduled export won't be processed if the Preferred Start Time coincides with the time change. The subsequent expected export, either one week or one month later, depending on the edition, will be reflected in the 'Next scheduled export:' field on the respective Weekly Export Service or Monthly Export Service page under Setup. To avoid a similar situation during future Daylight Saving Time changes, please consider updating the Preferred Start Time value so it doesn't coincide with the time change.


26. Which user receives the email confirmation that the export is complete and ready to download?

The user who scheduled the export. The email address for this notification can’t be changed. To set a different user, the desired recipient will have to set up a new export schedule.

27. Is there any impact on users while Data Export is in progress?

No impact on users while the Data Export is running on the backend. The data that is being added into the system by users would not be included when the Data Export is already running.

28. Will making changes to the currently running user affect the Export?

You should not remove permission to run the weekly export or deactivate the user that started the export.  Their access is checked during the process and this can result in the process failing.