How to export your data from Fivetran

Fivetran is an ELT/reverse-ETL pipeline tool, not a data store — the records it moves already live in your own destination warehouse, lake, or app, so there's usually nothing to 'export' from Fivetran itself. The one export surface Fivetran documents is the Activations (reverse ETL) Records Export API, which returns pre-signed URLs to Parquet files containing every record processed in a completed sync run.

Formats: ParquetPlan: Fivetran Activations (reverse ETL) product access; endpoint is marked Public PreviewRole: API user with a valid Activations API key (HTTP Basic Auth)

✓ Verified against Fivetran's official documentation, September 2026

Step by step

1Recognize that this export path applies to Fivetran Activations (reverse ETL) syncs, not to core Fivetran connectors — data loaded by standard connectors is already sitting in your own destination warehouse/lake with nothing further to extract from Fivetran.
2Generate or locate your Activations API key/credentials for Basic Auth.
3Use the List syncs and List sync runs endpoints (in the same Activations REST API v2 reference) to find the sync_run_id for the run whose records you want.
4Confirm the sync run has finished processing — calling the export endpoint before completion returns an HTTP 425 error.
5Call GET https://app.getcensus.com/api/v2/sync_runs/{sync_run_id}/records_export with your Authorization header.
6Read the 'urls' array in the JSON response — each entry is a presigned link to a Parquet file.
7Download each Parquet file from its presigned URL before the link expires.
8Optionally wait for the 'status' and 'operation' query-parameter filters (upsert/delete, succeeded/rejected/invalid) — these are listed in the spec but marked 'Coming soon.'

What the export includes

✓All records synced during the specified sync run
✓The operation performed on each record (once the operation filter ships)
✓The sync status of each record (once the status filter ships)
✓Presigned URLs pointing to Parquet files with the record data

What it doesn't include

✗Data loaded by core Fivetran connectors — that data is already stored in your own destination, not held separately inside Fivetran
✗Filtering by status (succeeded/rejected/invalid) or operation (upsert/delete) — marked 'Coming soon' in the current spec
✗Connector configurations, schema/table selections, transformations, users, or roles — not covered by this endpoint
✗A direct file download stream — you get temporary presigned URLs, not an in-browser export

Before you start

⚠The endpoint returns HTTP 425 ('Too Early') if the sync run hasn't finished processing yet — exported records aren't available until then
⚠The feature is labeled Public Preview, so behavior and availability can change
⚠Authentication is HTTP Basic Auth with an Authorization header, tied to your Activations API key
⚠Response links are presigned URLs to files, which typically expire — download promptly rather than storing the link long-term

Where to take your data

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

Airbyte

Self-host the open-source Airbyte OSS edition for free and rebuild the same source-to-destination connections you had in Fivetran, pointing at the same warehouse/lake.

Meltano

Meltano is fully open source and free to run; define your extractors/loaders (Singer taps/targets) in code to replicate the same source-to-destination syncs.

dlt (data load tool)

Use the open-source dlt Python library to write lightweight pipelines that load the same sources into your existing destination, without a per-row pricing model.

Exporting from Fivetran: common questions

Does Fivetran store a copy of my data that I need to export before leaving?+

No. Fivetran's core product moves data from sources into your own destination (warehouse, lake, or database) — that destination already holds your data, so you don't need to extract it from Fivetran to keep it.

How do I export data from a Fivetran Activations (reverse ETL) sync?+

Call the Fetch Records Export API (GET /sync_runs/{sync_run_id}/records_export) after the sync run has completed; it returns presigned URLs to Parquet files containing the synced records.

What format does Fivetran export data in?+

The documented Activations export endpoint returns links to Parquet files, not CSV or JSON.

Why does the export API return a 425 error?+

A 425 ('Too Early') means the sync run hasn't finished processing yet — exported records aren't available until the run completes.

Can I export my Fivetran connector configurations to move to another ELT tool?+

This specific export endpoint only covers Activations sync records, not connector configs. You'd need to manually recreate source/destination connections in whatever tool you move to.

What are free or cheaper alternatives to Fivetran?+

Open-source options like Airbyte, Meltano, and dlt let you run the same kind of source-to-destination pipelines without Fivetran's per-row/MAR-based pricing.