How to Export Contacts from HubSpot (2026 Guide)
Exporting contacts out of HubSpot is a few-clicks job once you know where the Export button lives, but the choices you make about properties, associations, and activities decide whether the file is actually useful when it lands in your inbox. The defaults only export what’s visible in your current view, which catches most people off guard.
Here’s how to export contacts the right way, plus the tier limits and gotchas to know in 2026.
1. Export from the Contacts Index Page
This is the most common path: open the contacts list, filter to what you want, and download.
- In your HubSpot account, go to CRM > Contacts.
- Apply any filters at the top of the page, or click All views and open a saved view to narrow the list.
- Click the Export button above the table.
- In the Export contacts dialog, choose:
- Properties to include: Current view properties (only the columns showing) or All properties on selected records.
- File format: CSV, XLS, or XLSX.
- Language: sets the language for column headers.
- Optionally expand Include associated records to add associated companies, deals, tickets, or activities.
- Click Export.
HubSpot processes the file in the background and emails a download link to the user who started the export. The link expires after 30 days.
Note: “Current view properties” is the default, and it’s a frequent mistake. If you want phone, lifecycle stage, custom properties, or anything not visible in your table, switch to All properties before clicking Export.
2. Export a Saved Segment or List
If you’ve built a segment (formerly “list”) for a campaign, export the segment directly so the file matches the saved criteria.
- Go to CRM > Segments.
- Click the segment name to open it.
- Click the Export button in the top right.
- Pick your properties, file format, and any associated objects, then click Export.
Active segments export the membership at the moment you click Export. Static segments export the snapshot saved when the segment was created.
3. Include Activities and Associated Records
Contact records carry a lot of context that doesn’t live in properties, calls, emails, meetings, notes, tasks, and associated companies/deals/tickets. You can include any of it in the export.
In the Export contacts dialog, expand Include associated records and check what you need:
- Activities: calls, emails, meetings, notes, tasks. Exported as a separate file.
- Companies: associated companies and their properties.
- Deals: associated deals.
- Tickets: associated tickets.
By default, HubSpot includes up to 1,000 associated records per column. For CSV exports you can choose to include all associated records, which is the right pick for migrations.
4. Export Limits, Permissions, and File Formats
| Item | Limit / Detail |
|---|---|
| Exports per 24 hours | 300 per portal |
| Simultaneous exports | 3 |
| Download link expiry | 30 days |
| Export history retention | 3 years (visible in Settings) |
| CSV row limit | 1,000,000 per file (splits into multiple files above) |
| XLSX row limit | 1,000,000 per file |
| XLS row limit | 65,535 per file |
| CSV column limit | None |
| XLSX column limit | 16,384 |
| XLS column limit | 256 |
Permissions: Your user role needs the Export permission enabled. Admins can toggle it under Settings > Users & Teams. Free portals can export, but very large exports will queue and may take hours.
File format pick:
- CSV for migrations, BI tools, or anything over 1M rows or with special characters.
- XLSX for opening directly in Excel or Google Sheets without import steps.
- XLS is legacy, only use it if a downstream tool requires it.
5. GDPR, Privacy, and Re-downloading
Exporting contact data triggers privacy obligations under GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws. A few things to keep in mind:
- The export contains personal data. Treat the file like any other PII, don’t email it to personal accounts, store it in shared drives without access control, or keep it longer than you need.
- Audit trail. Every export is logged in Settings > Imports & Exports > Exports with the user, date, and row count for 3 years.
- Subject access requests. To export a single contact’s full data for a SAR, open the contact record, click Actions > Export contact data. This produces a focused archive rather than a bulk file.
- Re-download. Original download links expire after 30 days, but you can re-trigger the download from the Exports history as long as the export is within the 3-year retention window.
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More on HubSpot: How to import contacts into HubSpot · How to merge contacts in HubSpot · How to create a list in HubSpot · How to connect HubSpot to an AI agent · Best AI CRM tools
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