By Alpit Patel and the aibrevo team · October 22, 2026 · 6 min read
How to Export Data from Insightly
Quick answer
Open the object, show the sidebar, click Export under Import/Export, and Insightly emails you a link to a zipped CSV that stays valid for 30 days. Admins can also email themselves an XML export of all account data from System Settings, Data Export.
Key takeaways
- To export an object, open it, click Show Sidebar, then Export under Import/Export. Insightly emails a CSV download link that expires 30 days after the export (Insightly Help Center, checked Oct 22, 2026).
- An administrator has to grant a user export permission first, under System Settings, Users. Users can export only the records they are allowed to see.
- CSV exports leave out file attachments, events, comments and emails saved to Insightly. The XML export adds comments and only the first 100 characters of each email, and cannot be imported back.
- Full email records can only be exported through Insightly's API. Insightly describes none of its export options as a complete backup.
- Reports have their own export: Actions, then Export to Excel or Export to CSV, with raw data only and a 30-day link.
To export data from Insightly, open the object, click Show Sidebar and click Export under Import/Export. Insightly emails you a link to a zipped CSV, valid for 30 days. A user needs export permission from an administrator first, and the CSV leaves out file attachments, events, comments and emails. An administrator can also email themselves an XML archive of all account data. All of this comes from Insightly’s help center, checked October 22, 2026.
How do you export data from Insightly to a CSV?
Two routes, both from Insightly’s “Exporting data from Insightly to a CSV file” article.
Every record of one object:
- Go to the object, for example Contacts or Opportunities.
- Click Show Sidebar, to the left of the New [Record] button.
- In the right sidebar, click Export in the Import/Export section.
- For some records you will be asked for a format.
- A CSV is emailed to you. Check spam if it does not arrive within a few minutes.
A filtered subset:
- Narrow the list with the Filter button (custom filters are available), a list view, a tag, or the link under Your Recent Imports.
- Tick the checkbox above the records. If there are more than 50 items, click the Select all… message to include every page.
- Click More, then Export.
- The CSV is emailed, and the file can also be downloaded from the bell icon in the upper right.
The link expires 30 days after the export. Insightly also shows your four most recent exports for the object in the right sidebar under Your Recent Exports.
Exportable objects: contacts, leads, organizations, opportunities, projects and tasks, with notes for contacts, organizations, opportunities and projects, plus custom object records, products, price books, price book entries, quotes, quote products, phone calls, prospects and tickets.
Who can export data from Insightly?
Only users an administrator has allowed. Go to System Settings, Users, click the person’s name, Edit User, tick Export Permissions and click Save User Details. Users are always limited to exporting records they can see, whether the account uses Simple or Advanced Permissions.
If someone says the export option is missing, check their permission before anything else. The same switch controls report exports, which also need an administrator to enable the option.
What does each Insightly export option include?
Insightly describes three ways to copy data out, and none is a complete backup.
| Option | Where | What it includes | What it leaves out | Can it be re-imported? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSV export | Object sidebar, or More, Export on a filtered list | Basic records (contacts, leads, organizations, opportunities, projects, tasks) and their notes, plus other listed objects | File attachments, many links between records, events, comments, system settings, user settings, emails | Yes, this is the only re-importable option |
| XML export | System Settings, Data Export (admins) | Comments, contacts, emails (first 100 characters each, with header information), leads, milestones, notes, opportunities, organizations, projects, tasks, users | Files and events | No, it needs conversion and only some data can be imported |
| API | Developer or integration tool | Full email records and more | Needs code | Depends on your script |
Source: Insightly Help Center, “Options for backing up your Insightly data”, “Exporting data to an XML file” and “Exporting data from Insightly to a CSV file”, checked Oct 22, 2026.
Insightly says its own databases are backed up daily to multiple off-site locations, but it does not offer to restore data a user deletes by accident. That is why it recommends regular exports. For a side-by-side view of what other CRMs let you take out, see our export guide for 8 CRMs.
Source: Insightly Help Center, export articles, checked Oct 22, 2026.
Why is my Insightly export missing data or not arriving?
Match the symptom to the documented cause.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No export email arrives | The email may have gone to spam | Check the spam folder, and look for the file under the bell icon in the upper right |
| No Export option | Your user lacks Export Permissions | An administrator ticks Export Permissions on your user |
| The download link does not work | The link expired after 30 days | Run the export again |
| Fewer records than expected | Lists show 50 items per page, and ticking the page checkbox selects only that page | Click the Select all… message before choosing Export |
| Attachments, comments or emails are missing | They are not part of the CSV export | Use the XML export for comments and the first 100 characters of emails, or the API for full emails |
| Dates look wrong in Excel | The CSV opens with the wrong date format | Follow Insightly’s article on opening a CSV in Excel to fix date formatting |
| The XML file will not import | Insightly cannot import XML | Convert to CSV, or export a CSV instead |
Source: Insightly Help Center, export and backup articles, checked Oct 22, 2026. The article on fixing dates in Excel is listed in Insightly’s Importing & Exporting section; we did not open it.
How do you export an Insightly report?
Run the report, click Actions and choose Export to Excel or Export to CSV. A message confirms the request and an email brings the link, valid for 30 days. Only the raw data is exported, with no groupings, summaries or charts, and your administrator must enable the option for you. Insightly says reports can also be emailed on a schedule or when conditions are met, a feature of paid subscriptions, which is useful if you want a recurring copy.
What should you do before leaving Insightly?
Export every object you need as CSV, then run the XML export for comments and email stubs, then plan for what neither carries: attachments, events and full emails. Two further points matter for the move. Insightly counts emails, events, notes and Recycle Bin items toward its record limits, so the record count in your export may differ from what you expect. And the Xero link, if you use it, will not travel in a file, so see how Insightly’s Xero integration works and rebuild it in the new system. If you are weighing a cheaper start, the Insightly free plan question covers what Insightly lists today. Our CRM data cleaning guide covers the cleanup that makes the destination import smoother, and the CRM import limits research shows the row caps you will meet next.
When to get help
A single-object CSV is a short job. A full account move is not: it means deciding what to keep, rebuilding custom fields and links, recovering attachments and emails through the API, and testing the result before the old subscription ends. aibrevo does not implement Insightly, so Insightly work is quoted per project. Migration into Salesforce, HubSpot, Dynamics 365, Zoho CRM, Pipedrive, monday.com, Airtable or GoHighLevel is the common request. Book a short call or send a message, and see the Salesforce and HubSpot service pages, or read our CRM migration guide.
Sources
- Insightly Help Center, Exporting data from Insightly to a CSV file, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Insightly Help Center, Exporting data to an XML file, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Insightly Help Center, Options for backing up your Insightly data, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Insightly Help Center, Granting or removing a user’s export permissions, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Insightly Help Center, How to export a custom report, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Insightly Help Center, CRM record and storage limits, checked Oct 22, 2026.
- Not verified and left out: export size limits (none stated on the pages we read) and the contents of the article on fixing dates in Excel.