How to export your data from Buffer

Buffer's only self-service export is for Insights/analytics: on paid plans you can export the current Insights view as a CSV (zipped summary/posts/timeseries files), a Markdown file, or a branded PDF, or download chart images as PNG snapshots on any plan. Buffer has no built-in export for your queue, drafts, or full post history; for a complete copy of your account data you must submit a GDPR access/portability request to Buffer's privacy team.

Formats: CSV, Markdown (.md), PDF, PNG (snapshots)Plan: CSV, Markdown, and PDF exports require a paid plan (not available on Buffer Free). Downloading chart snapshots as images is available on all plans, including Free.Role: Any channel member with export access can export; members with view-only access to a channel can see its Insights but cannot export it, and mixed-permission All Channels exports only include the channels they have export access to.

✓ Verified against Buffer's official documentation, September 2026

Step by step

1Open Insights in the left side panel, either for a specific channel or the All Channels view
2Set the page up the way you want it before exporting: choose your date range, tag filters, and (in All Channels) channel filters, plus any column selection or sort order you want reflected in the file
3Click the Export button at the top of the page, near the date range and filter controls
4Choose a format: Export to CSV (downloads a .zip with summary.csv, posts.csv, and timeseries.csv), Export to Markdown (single .md file with all three sections), Export as PDF (opens a configuration step for report name, cover logo, and sections), or Download Snapshots (ZIP of chart images)
5If exporting as PDF, set a report name, optionally upload a cover logo, and choose which sections to include, then confirm
6Wait for the file to generate in the background; small exports download almost immediately, larger ones (long date ranges or high post counts) can take a few minutes, so keep the tab open until the download starts
7Repeat for each channel or date range you need, since each export only reflects the filters active at the time you clicked Export
8For data outside Insights (posting queue, drafts, sent post history, account/profile data), submit an access/portability request to Buffer under its GDPR policy to receive a full export of your personal data

What the export includes

✓Summary: each metric's current value and percentage change vs. the previous period
✓Performance per Post: one row per post with Post ID, published date/time, post excerpt, post type, post URL, applied Buffer tags, and all available metrics for that channel (impressions, reach, reactions, comments, shares, saves, engagement rate, etc.)
✓Metrics Over Time: daily followers, posts published, and post views for the selected period
✓PDF exports additionally include a cover page and, for All Channels, an aggregated summary and per-channel detail sections
✓Snapshot downloads: the Insights charts as image files

What it doesn't include

✗Your posting queue, saved drafts, or scheduled/sent post content and media itself (no bulk CSV/JSON export of posts exists in the product)
✗Metrics that don't exist for a given channel (empty columns aren't included)
✗Data for channels you only have view-only access to
✗Team/collaboration settings, integrations, connected-channel configuration, or billing history
✗On CSV/Markdown/PDF exports: metrics beyond the current on-screen filters, date range, and column selection at export time

Before you start

⚠CSV, Markdown, and PDF exports of Insights are paid-plan only; Free plan users can only download PNG chart snapshots
⚠Exports capture exactly what's currently on screen (active date range, tags, channel filters, sort order, and selected columns) — set the view up first
⚠View-only channel members cannot export; mixed-permission All Channels exports silently drop channels the requester can't export
⚠PDF exports show a maximum of 6 metric columns at once; extra selected columns are noted but truncated in the report
⚠Large exports (long date ranges, high post counts) generate in the background and can take a few minutes — don't close the tab early
⚠There is no native export of your content queue/drafts/sent-post text, so migrating scheduling content to another tool means manually recreating it or requesting a full GDPR data export from Buffer's privacy team

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a Buffer export. See all Buffer alternatives →

Later

Later's free plan has its own post composer and calendar; there's no bulk import of Buffer's Insights CSV/PDF, so recreate your posting queue manually and use the Buffer export only as a historical performance record.

Typefully

Alternatives Buffer vs Typefully

Typefully doesn't accept Buffer's analytics export as an import file; use it to reference past post performance while you re-draft and re-schedule your content directly in Typefully.

Hypefury

Hypefury has no import for Buffer's CSV/PDF Insights export; treat the Buffer file as a backup report and rebuild your queue and evergreen content inside Hypefury.

Exporting from Buffer: common questions

Can I export my Buffer posting queue or drafts before I cancel?+

Not through a built-in export button. Buffer's documented export feature only covers Insights/analytics data (CSV, Markdown, PDF, or chart snapshots). To get queue or draft content out, copy it manually or request a full data export from Buffer under GDPR.

Do I need a paid Buffer plan to export anything?+

No for chart snapshots, which are downloadable as PNGs on any plan including Free. Yes for CSV, Markdown, or PDF exports of your Insights data, which require a paid plan.

What file do I get when I export Insights to CSV?+

A .zip file containing three files: summary.csv, posts.csv, and timeseries.csv, covering your summary metrics, per-post performance, and metrics over time.

Can view-only team members export data?+

No. Members with view-only access to a channel can see its Insights but cannot export it, and All Channels exports only include the channels the exporting member actually has export access to.

How do I get a full copy of my Buffer account data, not just analytics?+

Submit an access/portability request to Buffer as outlined in its GDPR policy on the Legal page; Buffer processes requests to export and send your information for review.

Will my exported data include social media metrics Buffer can't access?+

No. Insights only includes metrics each platform's API actually reports for a channel, so exports won't contain columns for metrics that don't exist for that channel.