Exporting data: which export do I want?
HousingSurvey Pro offers five different ways to get data out, each built for a different purpose — this is the decision table for which one you actually want.
What it is
| I want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Prove one specific record’s integrity to a third party | Evidence bundle — the full ZIP with re-verified chain data |
| Feed a nightly batch import in my case-management system | The nightly EDI export — a flat CSV, appended-column, back-compat safe |
| Build or automate against live data on demand | The REST API (or the MCP server, for an AI agent) |
| Get a full copy of everything my organisation holds, for GDPR or a records request | Export organisation data — a signed ZIP of the whole organisation |
| Query my own data directly from a BI tool | BigQuery warehouse access |
Before you start
Exporting a single evidence bundle needs evidence permission at Export level. A full organisation data export needs audit module-admin access, a higher bar than opening Settings itself. The nightly EDI export, the REST API and BigQuery warehouse access are all Platform-plan features.
How to do it
- For one record’s proof, open it in Evidence and export its evidence bundle.
- For a recurring batch feed, turn on the nightly EDI export under Settings → Data & exports, or run it on demand for a date range.
- For an on-demand or automated integration, use the REST API with a scoped key — see The REST API.
- For a full copy of everything your organisation holds, use Export organisation data (GDPR) under Settings → Data & exports — this builds a ZIP covering your whole organisation, not one record.
- For direct BI querying, enable BigQuery warehouse access.
How it integrates
None of these exports ever alters or removes the underlying sealed evidence — every one of them is a read-only copy, whatever form it takes. They differ mainly in shape and cadence: a bundle is one record, deeply verified; EDI is many records, flattened for batch import; the REST API is on-demand and structured; a GDPR export is everything, unstructured for machine reading but complete; BigQuery is queryable directly. A revised report’s lineageId/versionNo/supersedes fields appear consistently across the bundle, EDI, the REST API and webhooks, so whichever export you choose, you can key stored records the same way.
Common problems
- I need proof for a single dispute or claim. An evidence bundle is the right tool — it’s the only export that re-verifies and includes the chain result for that specific record.
- I need everything, not one record. Export organisation data (GDPR) — it covers your whole organisation, not a targeted subset.
- I want this to happen automatically every night with no one clicking anything. The nightly EDI export is the only one of these that runs unattended on a schedule.
- The export I want is greyed out. The nightly EDI export, the REST API and BigQuery warehouse access are all Platform-plan features — evidence bundles and the GDPR export are available on every plan.
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