Export file formats: CSV, Excel, JSON, SQL and Markdown

Updated Markdown

Every file format in the export wizard's column step lets you check or uncheck columns, search, drag to reorder, rename a column just for this export, and edit the file name before downloading — see "Exporting your list" for that shared step. This article covers what's specific to each format. CSV, Excel and JSON download right after the column step; SQL and Markdown have one more settings screen first.

CSV#

Comma-separated, UTF-8 encoded, with one header row using each column's export name (its renamed name if you changed it on the column step). A value that contains a comma or a quote is automatically wrapped in quotes. There's no delimiter or encoding choice — it's always a comma and UTF-8. There's no byte-order mark, so double-clicking the file in Excel set to German (or another semicolon locale) can put everything in one column and garble umlauts. Use the Excel (.xlsx) export instead, or open the CSV in Excel via Data → From Text/CSV and choose UTF-8 and comma. A multi-line value (like a multi-line address) can split into extra rows when a plain CSV reader doesn't respect the quoting — use Excel or JSON for data like that.

Excel (.xlsx)#

A single worksheet, always named "Data Export" internally regardless of your list's name — you can rename the sheet after opening the file. The header row is bold and columns are auto-fit to their content. If the Excel file can't be generated, ListPlus falls back to a CSV file with a ".xls" extension and shows a warning — the file is really a CSV, so Excel may warn you about the mismatch when you open it.

JSON#

A single array with one object per row, containing only the columns you selected. JSON keeps the original column names — a rename you make on the column step changes the headers in CSV, Excel, SQL and Markdown, but not the JSON property names. There's no option for line-delimited JSON or any other shape.

SQL#

An extra settings screen before download, with a live preview:

  • Table Name — must start with a letter or underscore, letters/numbers/ underscores only.
  • SQL Dialect — PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, or SQL Server, which changes how identifiers are quoted and how column types map (dates become TIMESTAMP in PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite, DATETIME in SQL Server).
  • Include CREATE TABLE statement and Include DROP TABLE IF EXISTS — both switches, so you can generate insert statements only if you prefer.
  • Wrap in transaction (BEGIN/COMMIT) — on by default.
  • Batch Size — how many rows go into each INSERT statement (1–5000, default 1000).

Click Show Preview to see sample SQL for the first rows before downloading.

Markdown#

Also has its own settings screen:

  • Column Alignment — Left, Center or Right aligned, applied to every column.
  • Include row numbers — adds a leading "#" column, off by default.

Show Preview displays both the raw Markdown table and a rendered preview, each built from a sample of your list; the downloaded file always has every row.

Related topics: export-overview · send-to-sequencers · export-to-hubspot-and-sheets · zapier-make-n8n.

FAQ#

What file formats can I export to?#

CSV, Excel (.xlsx), JSON, SQL and Markdown, all from the export wizard's "Download a file" section — CSV and Excel are shown first, and JSON, SQL and Markdown are under "More formats".

Can I change the CSV delimiter or encoding?#

No — CSV export always uses a comma as the delimiter and UTF-8 encoding; there's no setting to switch to semicolons, tabs or a different encoding. There's also no byte-order mark, so opening it by double-clicking in Excel set to a semicolon locale (like German) can put everything in one column and garble umlauts — use the Excel (.xlsx) export instead, or import the CSV via Data → From Text/CSV and choose UTF-8 and comma.

What sheet name does the Excel export use?#

The workbook always contains a single sheet named "Data Export" — there's no setting to choose the sheet name before download, though you can rename it after opening the file.

What does the JSON export look like?#

A single JSON array with one object per row, containing only your selected columns — there's no option for line-delimited JSON or a different structure.

If I rename a column for the export, does that change the JSON output too?#

No — JSON keeps the original column names. A rename you make on the column step changes the header shown in CSV, Excel, SQL and Markdown, but not the JSON property name.

What can I configure for a SQL export?#

Table name, SQL dialect (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite or SQL Server), whether to include CREATE TABLE and DROP TABLE statements, whether to wrap everything in a transaction, and how many rows go into each INSERT statement.

What can I configure for a Markdown export?#

Column alignment (left, center or right) and whether to include a row-number column, both applied to the whole table, plus a preview of the raw Markdown and a rendered version.

Do the SQL and Markdown previews show my whole export or just a sample?#

Both previews show a sample built from the first 10 rows of your list. The downloaded file always contains every exported row.