How to export your data from Sage

Sage Accounting lets you export your business data as CSV or PDF files, one data type at a time (Sales, Purchases, Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, Bank transactions, Chart of Accounts, Reports, and Business files), directly from each module's screen. There is no single "export everything" button, and journals cannot be exported at all.

Formats: CSV, PDFPlan: Not restricted by plan in Sage's documentation - export options are shown on the standard Sage Accounting screens regardless of tierRole: Not explicitly stated in Sage's docs; any user with access to the relevant module (Banking, Sales, Contacts, Products and Services, etc.) can export from that screen

✓ Verified against Sage's official documentation, October 2026

Step by step

1Sage Accounting exports are done per data type, not as one combined download - repeat the process below for each area you need (Sales, Purchases, Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, Bank transactions, Chart of Accounts, Business files/attachments, Reports).
2Example - exporting bank transactions: go to Banking and open the relevant bank account.
3Use the From and To boxes to set the date range you want, then select Search (optionally use More to filter by transaction type).
4Select the checkbox for each transaction you want to export, or use the header checkbox to select all visible records.
5From the action toolbar that appears, select the CSV or PDF icon.
6The file downloads automatically to your browser - no processing wait or email delivery.
7For other areas (e.g. Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, Chart of Accounts), open that module and use its equivalent export/CSV option.
8Note: journals cannot be exported from Sage Accounting under any plan.

What the export includes

✓Sales (invoices, quotes, estimates)
✓Purchases
✓Quick entries
✓Customer records
✓Supplier records
✓Products and Services
✓Bank feed transactions
✓Bank account transactions
✓Reports
✓Chart of Accounts
✓Business files (attachments)

What it doesn't include

✗Journals - Sage explicitly states these cannot be exported
✗A single combined/full-account backup file - each data type must be exported separately
✗Records beyond the page size/date range you've filtered - you must select and export records in batches

Before you start

⚠No one-click full export: you must visit each module (Banking, Sales, Contacts, Products and Services, etc.) and export its CSV/PDF separately.
⚠Journals cannot be exported in any format.
⚠For bank transactions, export is limited to the records currently selected on screen - use the records-per-page setting and date filters to make sure you capture everything before exporting.
⚠Files download directly to the browser rather than being emailed or queued, so there's no waiting period, but also no single downloadable archive of the whole account.

Where to take your data

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

Wave

Alternatives

Use Sage's per-area CSV exports (Customers, Products and Services, Chart of Accounts, Bank account transactions) and import them into the matching Wave sections (Customers, Products & Services, Chart of Accounts, Transactions) via Wave's CSV import tools.

Xero

Alternatives

Export Contacts (Customers/Suppliers), Chart of Accounts, and Bank account transactions from Sage as CSV, then use Xero's CSV import for Contacts, Chart of Accounts, and bank statement lines, mapping columns to Xero's required templates.

QuickBooks Simple Start

Alternatives

Export Customers, Products and Services, and Bank account transactions as CSV from Sage, then import them using QuickBooks Online's CSV import for customers/vendors, products/services, and bank transactions.

Exporting from Sage: common questions

Can I export all my Sage Accounting data in one go?+

No. Sage's documentation lists separate export steps for each data type (Sales, Purchases, Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, Bank transactions, Chart of Accounts, Reports, Business files) - there's no single full-account export.

Can I export journal entries from Sage Accounting?+

No. Sage's own export overview states that journals can't be exported.

What file formats does Sage Accounting export to?+

Exports are delivered as CSV or PDF files, depending on the screen and option you choose.

Do I need a specific Sage Accounting plan to export data?+

Sage's documentation doesn't mention a plan restriction for exporting - the export controls appear on the standard module screens (Banking, Sales, Contacts, etc.).

Does exporting from Sage take time to process?+

For bank transactions, no - the CSV/PDF file downloads automatically to your browser as soon as you select it, with no email or waiting period mentioned in Sage's guide.

How do I export attachments/documents stored in Sage Accounting?+

Sage lists 'Business files (attachments)' as one of the exportable data types in its export overview, separate from transaction and contact data - check that specific guide in Sage's Accounting help for the exact steps.