Export Results to CSV
Download all your survey responses as a CSV file in seconds. Available on every plan, with full data including timestamps and respondent metadata.
Step-by-Step Export
Open the survey you want to export
Navigate to your dashboard and click on the survey whose responses you want to download. You need at least one response before the export option becomes available.
Click the "Results" tab
Once inside the survey editor, click the Results tab in the top navigation bar. This view shows all collected responses in a table format with summary statistics at the top.
Click "Export CSV" button
In the Results toolbar, locate the Export CSV button (marked with a download icon). Click it to open the export options dialog where you can customize what data is included.
Choose export options (all responses or filtered)
Select whether you want to export all responses or only the currently filtered subset. If you have applied date range filters or status filters in the Results view, those filters carry over to the export. You can also choose which columns to include or exclude.
Download starts automatically
The CSV file is generated server-side and your browser automatically downloads it. Check your Downloads folder for a file named with your survey title and the export date. Large exports (10,000+ responses) may take a few seconds to prepare.
What's Included in the Export
Every CSV export contains the following data columns by default:
- All question responses , Each question becomes a column, and each row represents one respondent's answers. Multiple-choice answers are comma-separated within the cell.
- Submission timestamps , The date and time each response was submitted, formatted in ISO 8601 (UTC). Useful for tracking response velocity and time-based analysis.
- Respondent metadata , Includes the respondent's browser, operating system, and language when available. Personally identifiable information is only included if you configured the survey to collect it.
- Completion status , Shows whether the response is complete or partial. Partial responses are included by default but you can filter them out before exporting.
Tips for Working with CSV Exports
- Opening in Microsoft Excel: Double-click the downloaded file to open it in Excel. If special characters look garbled, use Excel's "Get Data from Text/CSV" import wizard and select UTF-8 encoding.
- Opening in Google Sheets: Upload the CSV file to Google Drive, then right-click and choose "Open with Google Sheets." Google Sheets handles UTF-8 encoding automatically.
- Filtering before export: Use the date range picker and status filters in the Results view to narrow down responses before exporting. This saves time when you only need data from a specific period.
- Automating exports: On Pro and Enterprise plans, use the SurveyFill API to programmatically export responses on a schedule. This is useful for feeding data into business intelligence tools or data warehouses.
What's in Your CSV File
Each row in the CSV is one survey response. Each column is one question or one piece of metadata.
Standard columns
- Response ID , a unique number for the response.
- Submitted at , the date and time of the response (UTC).
- Time spent , how long the respondent took, in seconds.
- Status , complete or partial.
- Source , web link, email, embed, QR code, or API.
Question columns
- Single choice: the chosen option.
- Multiple choice: chosen options separated by a pipe (
|). - Text: the raw text. Newlines are kept as
\n. - Rating: a number, like 4 out of 5.
- Matrix: one column per row of the matrix.
- File upload: a public link to the file.
Optional columns
Turn these on under Export Options:
- Respondent email and name (if collected).
- UTM tags from the survey link.
- IP address and country (if you enabled this).
- Custom fields from your CRM or ERP.
How to Open Your CSV
Microsoft Excel
- Open Excel.
- Go to File → Open and pick the CSV file.
- If columns look wrong, use Data → Text to Columns. Pick comma as the separator.
- Save as .xlsx if you want to keep formatting.
Google Sheets
- Open Google Sheets.
- Click File → Import.
- Upload the CSV.
- Pick Comma as the separator. Click Import.
Apple Numbers
- Double-click the CSV file in Finder.
- Numbers opens it as a new spreadsheet.
- Save as .numbers to keep changes.
Export Tips
Filter before you export
Big files take longer to open. Trim the export to what you need:
- Filter by date range.
- Filter by survey status (complete or partial).
- Filter by source or campaign tag.
- Hide columns you do not need.
Handle special characters
- Our exports use UTF-8. This handles emojis and non-English text.
- If Excel shows odd characters, open the file with Data → From Text/CSV. Pick UTF-8.
- Long numbers (like phone numbers) may lose leading zeros. Format the column as text first.
Big exports
- Files over 100,000 rows can be slow in Excel. Use Google Sheets or a database tool.
- For very large data sets, export as JSON or Parquet instead.
- Pro and Business plans can schedule daily exports to email or cloud storage.
Common Issues
My export button is greyed out
You need at least one response. The button stays disabled until the first response comes in.
My CSV is empty
Check your filters. A date range that does not match any responses will return an empty file.
Excel shows everything in one column
Your locale uses a semicolon as the list separator. Use Data → Text to Columns and pick comma.
Names with commas break my columns
They should not. Our exports wrap text fields in double quotes. If you still see issues, re-import the file as UTF-8.
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