---
title: How to export contacts
description: Download your contacts as a CSV file, filtered by status, list or tag, and use the History tab to find or delete past imports and exports.
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/hive-mail-export-contacts/"
updated: "2026-10-28"
category: Hive Mail
---

# How to export contacts

Export contacts to a CSV file for a backup, a spreadsheet or another tool.

## Export

1. Go to **Audience** > **Import / Export** and open the **Export** tab.
2. In **Which contacts do you want?**, set filters. Leave them empty to export everyone.
   - **Status**: Any status, Pending, Subscribed, Unsubscribed, Transactional, Bounced or Complained.
   - **Search**: a name, email or company.
   - **In this list** and **With this tag**. **Clear list and tag** resets them.
   - **Only contacts in the trash**.
3. Press **Export as CSV**. A bar shows "Building your export…" (you can press **Cancel the export**).
4. The file downloads by itself and a green box says "Your export is ready: N contacts". **Download again** gets it once more.

![The Export tab with the filter card, the "What is in the file" box and the Export as CSV button.](https://hiveplugins.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hivemail-audience-export-form-01.webp)

There is no segment or custom-field filter on this form. To export such a group, give those people a tag first and export by tag.

## The file

Named `hivemail-contacts-YYYY-MM-DD.csv`, UTF-8, comma separated, newest first. Columns: `email`, `first_name`, `last_name`, `phone`, `country`, `company`, `status`, `source`, `subscribed_at`, `unsubscribed_at`, `consent_source`, `consent_at`, `created_at`, `lists`, `tags`, then one column per custom field, headed by its label.

- Dates are UTC, ISO format.
- `lists` and `tags` hold names separated by "; ". Only lists the person is subscribed to appear.
- Checkboxes read "yes" or "no"; multi-selects read like "a; b".
- Text starting with `=`, `+`, `-` or `@` gets an apostrophe in front so a spreadsheet never runs it as a formula.

The file can be imported again with the [CSV import](/docs/hive-mail-import-contacts-from-csv/).

## The History tab

**Audience** > **Import / Export** > **History** lists every recent job (imports, exports, and other background jobs such as campaign sending) with its **Status** (Waiting, Running, Finished, Failed, Cancelled), **Result** and **When**.

![The History tab with finished, failed and cancelled jobs.](https://hiveplugins.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hivemail-audience-history-02.webp)

On a row: **Download** (an export) or **Download errors** (rows not imported); **Cancel** while waiting or running (what is done is kept); **Delete**, which removes the job and its files but not imported contacts. Finished and failed jobs are deleted after 30 days; cancelled jobs after 1 day.

Files are stored in a locked folder under random names, and downloads need you to be signed in.

> **Warning:** The file holds personal data. Store it safely and delete it when you no longer need it.

For one person's data request, use [Privacy tools](/docs/hive-mail-privacy-tools-export-and-erase/).

Next: [Contacts](/docs/hive-mail-contacts/), [Segments](/docs/hive-mail-segments/).