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by Esma Calis · Last updated: 2026-07-02To export contacts from Klaviyo, open Audience, then Lists and segments, select a list or segment, use the Manage dropdown, and choose Export list to CSV or Export segment to CSV. You must hold an Owner, Admin, or Analyst role. To export every profile regardless of status, build an all-inclusive segment first.
That is the short version. The rest of this guide covers the details that trip people up: the 700-column ceiling, where your finished file actually lands, how to keep honoring unsubscribes after you move, and how to pull your campaign numbers so you do not lose your history.
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Key Takeaways
You can export the contents of any single list or segment to a CSV file, including the identity and consent data attached to each profile. What you cannot do is press one button and download the entire account, so plan around exporting the right list or segment.
A standard export includes the fields you would expect to migrate cleanly: the email address, phone number, profile and custom properties, channel consent status, predictive analytics where a profile qualifies, and the date the contact was added. That consent and date-added data matters more than anything else, because it is what keeps your next platform compliant.
The main constraint is the 700-column ceiling. Each export can carry a maximum of 700 columns of properties. Most senders never approach that, but if you have accumulated hundreds of custom properties over the years, you may need to pick specific properties instead of exporting all of them. On a large list, the export itself can also take several minutes to build, so it is not instant.
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Open Audience, then Lists and segments, open the list or segment you want, use the Manage list or Manage segment dropdown, and select Export list to CSV or Export segment to CSV. Then choose whether to include all properties or only specific ones. The file builds in the background and lands in your Downloads.
The exact button labels can shift slightly as the interface updates, so if a menu item is not where you expect, look for the export option inside the same Manage dropdown. The core path stays the same: pick a list or segment, open its management menu, and export to CSV.
One point worth repeating: exporting requires the right permissions. If the export option is greyed out or missing, your account role is likely the reason. Only Owner, Admin, or Analyst roles can export data, so ask an account owner to run it or to temporarily adjust your role.
Your finished CSV does not download straight to your browser. It is generated behind the scenes and stored under Settings, then Other, then Downloads. Open that page, wait for the file to finish processing if it is a large list, and download it from there. Files stay available for 30 days, so grab everything you need well inside that window and back it up locally.
Because there is no single account-wide export, the way to capture everyone is to build one all-inclusive segment that pulls in every profile regardless of subscription status, then export that segment to CSV. This is the reliable method for grabbing your full audience in one file.
Create a new segment with conditions broad enough to include every profile, whether subscribed, never subscribed, or otherwise. Once the segment finishes populating, open it, use the Manage segment dropdown, and choose Export segment to CSV exactly as you would for any other segment. The result is a complete snapshot of your database in a single file.
Export your suppressed and unsubscribed contacts as their own file, and treat that file as non-negotiable. Wherever you move next, you are legally obligated to keep honoring every unsubscribe a contact has ever made. Losing this list is one of the most expensive mistakes a sender can make during a migration.
The consent status that travels with a standard export tells your new platform who has opted out, but keeping a dedicated suppression file is the safest practice. Under laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, an unsubscribe is permanent. If you re-import an old contact and email them again because their opt-out did not carry over, you can face complaints, deliverability damage, and real legal exposure.
When you set up your next tool, the first thing to do after importing your active subscribers is to upload your suppression list so those addresses are blocked from receiving anything. A good platform will let you import suppressions directly, and a good support team will walk you through it. That safety check is one reason people value responsive Klaviyo alternatives with hands-on onboarding when they move.
Export campaign analytics from the campaigns list using the Options dropdown. This lets you download your send history and performance metrics so you keep a record of open rates, click rates, and revenue figures before you close the account. Your contacts are only half the story; your history is the other half.
Go to your campaigns list, find the Options dropdown associated with the campaign view, and export the analytics from there. Pulling this data gives you a benchmark to compare against once you are sending from a new platform, and it preserves the results of past work that you may want to reference for reporting or future strategy.
Do this before you cancel, not after. Once your subscription lapses, access to historical reporting can disappear, and rebuilding a year of performance data from memory is not realistic. Treat the campaign export as part of the same checklist as your contact export.
Once you have your contacts CSV, your suppression list, and your campaign history, you are free to move. If Klaviyo felt heavier and pricier than your sending actually justifies, a simpler tool with human support and predictable pricing is often the better fit, especially outside of high-volume e-commerce automation.
Mailsoftly imports the exact CSV you just created. The free plan includes 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month with no credit card, and the free hands-on migration means a real person helps you load your list and set your suppressions correctly. That last part matters, because a botched suppression import is how senders accidentally email people who opted out.
If your list outgrows the free tier, Mailsoftly’s paid plans start at $39 per month on annual billing for 5,000 contacts and 40,000 emails per month, with transparent tiers all the way up. You can review the full breakdown on the Mailsoftly pricing page and match a plan to the list size you just exported, rather than paying for automation depth you may never use.
When you are ready, importing is the reverse of everything above: upload your contacts CSV, upload your suppression file, and confirm your consent columns mapped correctly. Then send a small test to yourself before your first real campaign. That single test catches the vast majority of migration surprises.
For the broader picture on this topic, see our complete Email Platform Comparisons guide, which covers strategy, fundamentals, and advanced playbooks.
Not with a single account-wide button. To export every profile at once, first build an all-inclusive segment that captures every contact regardless of subscription status, then export that segment to CSV using the Manage segment dropdown. That produces one file containing your entire database.
The most common reason is your account role. Only Owner, Admin, or Analyst roles can export data, so if the export option is missing or disabled, ask an account owner to run the export or adjust your role. The 700-column limit can also block an export that tries to include too many properties at once.
Exports are generated in the background and stored under Settings, then Other, then Downloads. They do not download directly to your browser. Files remain available for 30 days, so download and back them up locally well before that window closes.
Yes. You are legally required to keep honoring every past unsubscribe wherever you send from next. Export your suppression list separately and import it into your new platform before your first campaign, so opted-out addresses stay blocked. Skipping this step risks complaints, deliverability damage, and legal exposure.
Upload the contacts CSV you exported, then upload your suppression file, and confirm your consent columns mapped correctly. Mailsoftly’s free hands-on migration means a real person helps you do this, and the free plan supports 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month with no credit card required.
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