Exporting Contact Records for a Specific Group

Exporting contact groups lets you download the contacts from one or more groups as a file for reporting, backups, or sharing, by selecting the group in Contacts, using the Export option from the group menu, and then downloading the generated file from Notifications once it’s ready.
Reading time
6–7 min read
Category
Contacts
Updated on
Updated on: 23/12/2025

Export a contact group in a few steps

If you just need the essentials, follow this:

  1. Open Contacts and select the group under Groups
  2. Open the ☰ menu on the group page and click Export
  3. Choose the group(s) to export and start the export
  4. Open Notifications and download the file when it’s ready
  5. If something looks wrong, confirm permissions and group membership

You’re done. Your export file will contain the contacts from the selected group(s).

Step-by-Step Process

1
Select the group you want to export

  1. Go to the Contacts tab.
  2. In the left sidebar, scroll to Groups and click the group you want to export.

[CAPTURE: Contacts tab with the Groups list on the left, and a group selected.]

2
Start the export from the group menu

  1. Click the ☰ menu in the upper-right corner.
  2. Select Export.

[CAPTURE: Contact group page with the ☰ menu open and “Export” highlighted.]

3
Choose group(s) and run the export

  1. In the export dialog, click the group selection field.
  2. Choose the group (or multiple groups) you want to export from the dropdown.
  3. Click Export to start.

[CAPTURE: Export dialog with the group dropdown open and multiple groups selected.]

💡
Tip: Export multiple groups at once by selecting several cohorts in the same export.

4
Download the file from Notifications

  1. When the export is ready, open Notifications (bottom-left of the workspace).
  2. Click the export file to download it.

[CAPTURE: Notifications area showing an export ready to download.]

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Note: Exports may take time. Large groups can take longer to prepare before the download appears in Notifications.

5
Validate results and rerun if needed

  1. If the file is empty, confirm the group has members.
  2. If the file is missing contacts, confirm you selected the correct group(s) in the export dialog.
  3. If you don’t see Export, confirm you are viewing a group page and that your role has permission to export.
  4. If the export doesn’t appear, check Notifications again and allow downloads/pop-ups for your RapidPro domain.

Common Issues & Quick Fixes

Problem: I don’t see the Export option.

Fix: Make sure you clicked the group name first (left sidebar) so you’re viewing the group page, then open the ☰ menu again. If it’s still missing, ask an admin to confirm your workspace permissions.

Problem: The export doesn’t appear in Notifications.

Fix: The export may still be processing—wait a moment and recheck Notifications. If downloads don’t start, allow downloads/pop-ups for your RapidPro domain and try again.

Problem: The downloaded file is empty or missing contacts.

Fix: Re-run the export and confirm the selected group(s). Also open the group first to confirm it contains contacts.

Related Resources
Searching and Filtering Contacts with Advanced Queries
Bulk Import Contacts using an XLS File (Excel)
Exporting Contact Records for a Specific Group