Export Your Data
Converge Team
Part of the Freshdesk migration guide
Learn how to export your customer data, conversation history, and contacts from Freshdesk before migrating to a new platform.
How to Export Your Data from Freshdesk
Freshdesk provides two main export paths: a CSV/Excel export for ticket metadata and a full XML account export that includes conversations. Your export strategy depends on whether you need just ticket fields or complete conversation history with replies and notes.
Step 1: Export Ticket Metadata (CSV/Excel)
Go to the Tickets tab, select All Tickets, and click Export. Freshdesk generates a CSV or Excel file with ticket metadata: subject, status, priority, requester, assignee, group, tags, created/updated timestamps, and custom fields. Enable "Show multiline text fields" in the export options to include the ticket description body. Important limitation: this export does NOT include conversation replies, agent notes, or forwards — only the initial ticket description. This export is available on all plans including Free.
Step 2: Export Full Account Data with Conversations (XML)
For a complete data dump including ticket conversations, go to Admin > Account > Account Details > Export data. Freshdesk generates an XML archive containing: tickets with all conversation replies and notes, solution articles (knowledge base), forum posts, and customer lists. The export is emailed to the account admin once ready. For large accounts with thousands of tickets, the XML generation can take several hours. This is the only built-in way to export full conversation threads without using the API.
Step 3: Export Contacts and Companies
Contacts are exported separately from tickets. Go to People > Contacts > Export — Freshdesk generates a CSV and emails it to you. The export includes name, email, phone, company, language, timezone, and any custom contact fields you've defined. For company data, go to People > Companies > Export. You can filter contacts by segment before exporting if you only need a subset.
Step 4: Use the API for Granular Conversation Export
The Freshdesk REST API v2 gives you programmatic access to individual ticket conversations. Authenticate with Basic Auth using your API key (found in Profile Settings > Your API Key). Key endpoints: GET /api/v2/tickets (paginated ticket list), GET /api/v2/tickets/{id}/conversations (full conversation thread for a specific ticket including replies, notes, and forwards), GET /api/v2/contacts, and GET /api/v2/companies. Rate limits vary by plan: Free has no API access (0 calls/min), Growth allows 200 calls/min, Pro allows 400 calls/min, and Enterprise allows 700 calls/min.
Step 5: Document What Doesn't Export
Several Freshdesk configurations cannot be exported in any format and must be documented manually: automation rules (dispatch rules, observer rules, time-triggered automations), canned responses (copy each template's text and placeholder variables), SLA policy configurations (response and resolution targets per priority), marketplace app configurations (Shopify, Slack, etc.), and Omni messaging configurations (WhatsApp templates, chatbot flows, routing rules). Screenshot or copy these before canceling your account.
Tip: Start the XML account export early — it runs in the background and can take hours for accounts with thousands of tickets. Run the CSV ticket export and contacts export in parallel while the XML generates.
Need the full migration guide?
This page covers export your data specifically. For the complete step-by-step migration process:
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