Introduction: Exporting flow data lets you analyze responses outside RapidPro.app (for reporting, cleaning datasets, sharing with stakeholders, or auditing). You can export results from a single flow or from multiple flows at once, then download the file from your workspace notifications.
Export results cleanly (single flow or many flows)
If you just need the essentials, follow this quick path:
- Export from one flow (Results → Export → Notifications)
- Export from multiple flows (Flows list → select → export icon)
- Know how column order works (flow result order can change)
Exports are delivered via Notifications, so you can download them once the job finishes.
Step-by-Step Process
- Go to Flows and open the flow you want.
- In the flow editor, click the ☰ menu (top-right).
- Select Results to open the results page.
- On the results page, open the Export option (usually in the top-right menu/dropdown).
- Select what you want to export (results, contacts, fields, etc. depending on available options).
- Click Export to start the job.
- Open Notifications (bottom-left area of your workspace) and download the export when it appears.
[CAPTURE: Flow editor showing ☰ menu → Results.]
[CAPTURE: Results page showing the Export option in the top-right and the export selection modal.]
[CAPTURE: Workspace footer/left sidebar showing Notifications and an export item ready to download.]
- Go to the Flows list view.
- Select multiple flows from the list (checkbox selection).
- Click the download/export icon at the top of the list.
- Choose what to include in the export. Common options include:
- Group memberships
- Contact fields
- Extra URNs
- Only contacts who responded (if supported)
- Click Export.
- Open Notifications and download the file when it’s ready.
[CAPTURE: Flows list view with multiple flows selected and a download/export icon in the list toolbar.]
[CAPTURE: Multi-flow export dialog showing options like group memberships, contact fields, extra URNs, and “only export contacts who responded”.]
[CAPTURE: Notifications panel showing a completed multi-flow export item.]
Your exported results columns typically follow the same order as your flow’s collected results—top to bottom as they appear in the flow.
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
My export isn’t downloading right away
Problem: You clicked Export but don’t see a file immediately.
Fix: Exports run in the background. Open Notifications and wait for the export item to appear, then download it from there.
The export file is huge and hard to use
Problem: Too many flows or extra fields make the dataset messy.
Fix: Export only what you need (skip extra URNs/fields unless required). For multi-flow exports, limit scope to the specific flows and time period you’re analyzing.
My dashboard broke because columns moved
Problem: A report expects a column in a specific position, but exports changed.
Fix: Avoid relying on column positions. Use column headers in your analysis tool, and be aware that reordering results in the flow can change export column order.