What is Export?
Export downloads your questions and answers as CSV files for backup, migration, or analysis.
Availability
Available on Pro and Ultra plans. The Free plan does not include this feature.
Exporting Questions
What gets exported
All questions from your store, including:
- Question text and metadata
- Product information (ID, type, category, tags)
- Customer information (name, email)
- Publication status
- Vote counts
- Creation and update timestamps
File details
- Format: CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
- File name: questions-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv (e.g., questions-export-2024-01-15.csv)
- Encoding: UTF-8
- Delimiter: Comma (,)
CSV columns (in order)
votes — Number of votes
question_export_id — Unique identifier (q1, q2, q3…)
productId — Shopify product ID
productType — Product type from Shopify
productCategory — Product category
productTags — Product tags (comma-separated)
customerName — Customer name (if provided)
customerEmail — Customer email (if provided)
question — Question text
isPublished — Published status (true/false)
createdAt — Creation timestamp (ISO 8601 format)
Example CSV
outputquestion_export_id,productId,productType,productCategory,productTags,customerName,customerEmail,question,isPublished,createdAt,votes”q1″,”123456789″,”T-Shirt”,”T-shirt”,”summer,cotton”,”John Doe”,”john@example.com”,”What size should I order?”,”true”,”2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z”,5″q2″,”987654321″,”Jeans”,”Jeans”,”denim,blue”,”Jane Smith”,”jane@example.com”,”Are these true to size?”,”false”,”2024-01-16T14:20:00.000Z”,0
How to export questions
- Go to Import & Export in the app admin
- Find the “Export Data” section
- Click “Export Questions”
- The CSV file downloads automatically
- Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor
Notes
- question_export_id is auto-generated (q1, q2, q3…)
- All questions are exported, regardless of publication status
- Product details are fetched from Shopify at export time
- Empty fields are exported as empty strings or null
Exporting Answers
What gets exported
All answers from your store, including:
- Answer text and metadata
- Linked question information (for reference)
- Author information (name, email)
- Publication status
- Creation timestamps
File details
- Format: CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
- File name: answers-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv (e.g., answers-export-2024-01-15.csv)
- Encoding: UTF-8
- Delimiter: Comma (,)
CSV columns (in order)
- question_export_id — Links to the question (q1, q2, q3…)
- productId — Shopify product ID (for reference)
- question — Question text (for reference)
- authorName — Answer author name
- authorEmail — Answer author email (if provided)
- answer — Answer text
- isPublished — Published status (true/false)
- createdAt — Creation timestamp (ISO 8601 format)
Example CSV
outputquestion_export_id,productId,question,authorName,authorEmail,answer,isPublished,createdAt”q1″,”123456789″,”What size should I order?”,”Admin”,”admin@store.com”,”I recommend size M for most customers.”,”true”,”2024-01-15T11:00:00.000Z””q1″,”123456789″,”What size should I order?”,”Customer”,”customer@example.com”,”I ordered size L and it fits perfectly.”,”true”,”2024-01-15T12:00:00.000Z””q2″,”987654321″,”Are these true to size?”,”Shop Owner”,”owner@store.com”,”Yes, they run true to size.”,”true”,”2024-01-16T15:00:00.000Z”
How to export answers
- Go to Import & Export in the app admin
- Find the “Export Data” section
- Click “Export Answers”
- The CSV file downloads automatically
- Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, or a text editor
Important notes
- question_export_id matches the ID from the questions export
- Multiple answers can link to the same question
- Product ID and question text are included for reference
- Empty fields are exported as empty strings
Understanding export IDs
Question export ID
- Format: q1, q2, q3, etc.
- Auto-generated during export
- Used to link answers to questions
- Sequential numbering based on export order
Linking answers to questions
- Answers use the same question_export_id as their question
- Example: If a question has ID q1, all its answers will have question_export_id = q1
CSV formatting details
Text fields
- Wrapped in double quotes: “John Doe”
- Double quotes inside text are escaped: “He said “”Hello”””
- Empty fields: “” or empty
Boolean fields
- Values: “true” or “false”
- Always lowercase
Date fields
- Format: ISO 8601 UTC
- Example: “2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z”
- Always includes timezone (Z = UTC)
Number fields
- Plain numbers: 5, 10, 0
- No quotes around numbers
Best practices
1. Regular backups
- Export data regularly
- Store exports in a safe location
- Keep multiple versions if needed
2. Before major changes
- Export before bulk edits
- Export before importing new data
- Export before app updates
3. File management
- Use descriptive file names
- Keep exports organized by date
- Archive old exports
4. Data verification
- Open CSV files to verify content
- Check that all expected data is present
- Verify product IDs are correct
Frequently asked questions
Can I export only published questions?
No. The export includes all questions regardless of publication status. Filter in Excel/Sheets if needed.
What if I have thousands of questions?
Large exports work, but may take longer to download. The file size depends on your data.
Can I export questions and answers together?
No. They are exported separately. Use question_export_id to link them.
What encoding should I use?
Exports use UTF-8. Open files in UTF-8-compatible editors.
Can I edit the exported CSV and re-import?
Yes. Ensure you follow the import format requirements (see Import FAQ).
What happens to question_export_id if I export multiple times?
IDs are regenerated each time. They are sequential (q1, q2, q3…) based on the current export order.
Are product details always included?
Yes. Product type, category, and tags are fetched from Shopify at export time.
Can I export to other formats?
Currently only CSV is supported. Convert to other formats using Excel/Sheets if needed.
What if a product was deleted from Shopify?
The product ID is still exported, but product details may be missing or outdated.
Do exports include deleted questions/answers?
No. Only active questions and answers are exported.
Troubleshooting
Export button doesn’t work
- Check your plan (Pro or Ultra required)
- Refresh the page
- Check browser download settings
CSV file is empty
- Verify you have questions/answers in the app
- Check file encoding (should be UTF-8)
- Try exporting again
Special characters appear incorrectly
- Ensure your editor/viewer supports UTF-8
- Open in Excel/Google Sheets with UTF-8 encoding
- Check file encoding settings
File downloads but won’t open
- Verify file extension is .csv
- Try opening in a different program
- Check file isn’t corrupted
Quick reference
| Feature | Questions Export | Answers Export |
|---|---|---|
| File name | questions-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv | answers-export-YYYY-MM-DD.csv |
| Columns | 11 | 8 |
| Unique ID | question_export_id (q1, q2…) | question_export_id (links to question) |
| Includes | Product info, customer info, votes | Author info, linked question info |
| Format | CSV (UTF-8) | CSV (UTF-8) |