How to export your data to CSV on Mac

To export data on a Mac, open Administration, then Data Export, and click + for a new session. Tick one record type under Entities, leave the mode on Data, click Generate, and when the session shows Finished, click Download to save the CSV file.

Each export session produces one CSV file you can open in any spreadsheet app, hand to your accountant or keep as a copy of your records. On iPhone or iPad? See how to export data on iPhone or iPad.

What you can export

Swiftly Workspace exports customers, their addresses and contacts, vendors and theirs, items, customer and vendor documents and their lines, customer and vendor payments, and projects with their phases, work packages and tasks. Each record type comes out as its own file.

Export a record type in six steps

1. Open Data Export. In the sidebar, click Administration, then Data Export. Your export sessions open in a window of their own.
2. Start a session. Click + (New Session). A New Export window opens.
3. Pick the record type. Under Entities, tick the record type you want, for example Customer. Generate stays unavailable until one is ticked. Tick one per session: Download saves the file of the record type you ticked.
4. Check format and mode. In the toolbar, the format is CSV. Leave the mode on Data to get your rows; Template gives you the header row alone.
5. Generate. Click Generate. The file is built on the server while the session shows Generating, then Finished.
6. Download. Click Download and choose where to save the file. It is named after the record type, such as customer_export.csv.

Need invoices as well as customers? Start a new session for each record type. Invoices and their lines come as separate record types, so export both and link them by the invoice's ID.

What is in the file

• A clean CSV. Comma-separated, in UTF-8 with a byte-order mark, so spreadsheet apps show accented names correctly.
• Readable headers. The top row uses names such as Business Name, and reference values such as a status or a type come out as their names, not internal codes.
• Your permissions apply. For customers, their addresses and contacts, and items, the file leaves out any field your role is not allowed to read.

What to do with the file once you have it, from opening it safely to making exports a monthly habit, is covered in exporting your data to CSV.

Tips

• Date your files. Rename each file with the date, such as customer_export_2026-08-05.csv, and keep them in one folder outside the tool.
• Use a template to plan an import. The Template mode gives you the column names alone, handy when you prepare data for the other direction. See how to use CSV import templates and how to import customers on Mac.
• Know your rights. Being able to take your data with you matters when you choose any business software. Data portability covers the questions worth asking.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export an XLSX file instead of CSV?

No. Export produces CSV, which every common spreadsheet app opens. Import is the other way round: it accepts CSV or XLSX. To keep leading zeros in codes or phone numbers, import the CSV into your spreadsheet and set those columns to text, rather than double-clicking it.

Why did my export contain one record type when I ticked two?

Download saves the file of the record type you ticked, so with two ticked you get one of them. Start a separate session for each record type you need.

Who can export data?

Exporting is controlled by its own permission in your role. If an export is refused, ask an admin to check your role.