Smart Form Builder provides an export workflow on the Entries screen. You can export selected rows or export entries matching the current form and search filters. Exported files can contain personal information, so choose the intended records carefully and store the downloaded file securely.
Prepare the entries to export
- Open Smart Forms → Entries.
- Use the form dropdown to choose All Forms or a specific form.
- If you want to export a filtered set, enter a term in Search IP or Data and select Search.
- To export specific entries, select their row checkboxes on the current page. If you need entries from different pages, export each page’s selection separately because the current selection is based on the rows currently displayed.
- Select Export beside the page title to open the Export Entries dialog.
Choose an export format
- Excel (.xls): generates an XML Spreadsheet file with an .xls extension. It is not an .xlsx workbook.
- CSV (.csv): creates comma-separated text that can be opened by spreadsheet applications or imported into other tools.
- JSON (.json): creates a structured data file suitable for tools that can read JSON.
- XML (.xml): creates an XML document containing the exported entry data.
Export selected entries or filtered results
In the Export Entries dialog, select a format and click Export. When one or more rows are selected, the plugin requests those entry IDs. When no rows are selected, the dialog warns that the export will include all entries matching the current form and search filters. The implementation retrieves the filtered data in batches, then builds the download in the browser.
The export interface does not provide a date-range selector or a field-by-field selection control. The generated file includes entry identifiers, form identifiers, submitted field values, status and date, with IP address and user-agent columns in the output structure.
Important limitations in version 1.3.6
- Unread entries in an unselected bulk export: the Entries list includes records with Unread and read statuses. The current filter-based export query falls back to the database method’s default status of publish, so exporting all filtered results without selecting rows can omit unread entries. Selecting an unread row explicitly uses its ID and can include that record.
- IP address and user-agent columns: the current submission schema stores visitor information inside extra_data. The Entries list unpacks the IP address for display, but the export endpoint returns the stored row without unpacking these fields into the top-level properties expected by the file builder. As a result, the IP Address and User Agent columns may be blank in exported files.
- Exported data is sensitive: the file may contain names, email addresses, messages, campaign information, or other personal data submitted through the form. Store it in an access-controlled location and remove local copies when no longer required.
Verify the downloaded file
- Open the downloaded file with an application that supports the selected format.
- Check the number of rows and confirm that the expected forms and submissions are present.
- For a filtered export, compare the results with the form and search filters used before exporting.
- If unread records or visitor metadata are missing, use the limitations above when deciding whether the export is complete.
For help finding individual submissions before exporting, see Review Form Entries.
Screenshot to add: Export Entries dialog showing Excel (.xls), CSV, JSON, and XML format choices