Download saved answers as Excel or CSV
Give people a spreadsheet of their saved answers for review, sign-off or record keeping, before or after submission. Configure the file in Service settings → Excel export, then add a download link to a task page, answer summary or completion page.
Add the download link
{{ "Download your answers" | excel_download_link }}This Liquid filter creates a link and generates the file when someone follows it. No page action is needed. The person must still have read access to the response. Save any changes on the current page before downloading: unsaved browser input is not included.
Choose the file and layout
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| File format | Excel workbook (XLSX, the default) or CSV. |
| Layout | One question per row, or questions across columns with one row of answers. |
| Repeated groups | Readable numbered entries on the main sheet, separate XLSX worksheets with one entry per row, or compact pipe-separated values. CSV uses inline entries when separate worksheets are selected. |
| Unanswered questions, title and column headings | Included by default; each can be switched off. |
| Title and filename | Optional Liquid templates. Defaults use the service name for the title and the service ID and submission reference for the filename. The extension is added automatically. |
The default question-row layout has Section, Group, Entry, Question and Answer columns. Separate repeated-group worksheets link to and from the Answers sheet. Omitting unanswered questions keeps zero and false values because they are answers.
Understand what is included
The download follows the saved current conditional journey and Check Answers visibility rules, including exclusions, revealed questions and internal-page access. Saved action results appear only when Show on applicant answers is enabled.
Uploads and bulk datasets appear as filenames, summaries and authorised download links. Embedded forms appear as entry summaries. The spreadsheet does not expand child-form answers or bulk dataset rows, attach files or include historical response versions. Downloading does not validate answers, run actions or save the journey.
For staff exports across responses and retained versions, use Response Hub exports. Analytics and results-table exports keep their own settings.
Save, test and deploy
- Save the Excel export settings and add the Liquid link to the appropriate content.
- Test a saved draft and a submitted response, including repeated groups, hidden questions, uploads and missing optional answers.
- Open the spreadsheet and check the layout, labels and access to linked files.
- Deploy the saved service through Environments. For a managed Collection form, apply the saved form through its Collection programme.
If an answer exceeds Excel's cell-size limit, use CSV. Oversized XLSX values are not silently truncated.
See Write Liquid templates and Service environments and deployments.