Exporting Query Results

Export query results to JSON or CSV formats for analysis, reporting, and data integration. Learn how to copy results, share queries, and leverage query history.

Export Formats

Salesforce Navigator supports two export formats optimized for different use cases.

JSON Format

JavaScript Object Notation - ideal for programmatic access and API integration.

Characteristics:

Preserves data types (strings, numbers, booleans, null)
Maintains nested structure (related objects)
Machine-readable
Compact file size

Best For:

API integrations
Import into other systems
Developer workflows
Preserving data structure

Example Output:

json

[
  {
    "Id": "001xx000003DH1QAAW",
    "Name": "Acme Corporation",
    "Type": "Customer",
    "AnnualRevenue": 5000000,
    "Industry": "Technology",
    "Phone": "555-1234",
    "CreatedDate": "2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
  },
  {
    "Id": "001xx000003DH1RBAW",
    "Name": "Global Industries",
    "Type": "Partner",
    "AnnualRevenue": 12000000,
    "Industry": "Manufacturing",
    "Phone": "555-5678",
    "CreatedDate": "2025-02-20T14:45:00.000Z"
  }
]

CSV Format

Comma-Separated Values - ideal for spreadsheets and data analysis.

Characteristics:

Flat structure (no nesting)
Readable in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers
Human-readable
Universal compatibility

Best For:

Spreadsheet analysis
Data visualization
Sharing with non-technical users
Business reports

Example Output:

csv

Id,Name,Type,AnnualRevenue,Industry,Phone,CreatedDate
001xx000003DH1QAAW,Acme Corporation,Customer,5000000,Technology,555-1234,2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z
001xx000003DH1RBAW,Global Industries,Partner,12000000,Manufacturing,555-5678,2025-02-20T14:45:00.000Z

Exporting as JSON

Export query results in JSON format.

Export Method

Command:

:exportjson

Steps:

Execute a query (Ctrl+Enter)
Wait for results to load
Type :exportjson
Press Enter
File downloads to Downloads/salesforce-query-results.json

Button Method:

1. Execute query
2. Click "Export as JSON" button below results
3. File downloads automatically

JSON Structure

Flat Query:

json

[
  {
    "Id": "003xx000003DH1QAAW",
    "FirstName": "John",
    "LastName": "Doe",
    "Email": "john@example.com",
    "Phone": "555-1234"
  }
]

Query with Relationships:

json

[
  {
    "Id": "003xx000003DH1QAAW",
    "FirstName": "John",
    "LastName": "Doe",
    "Account": {
      "Id": "001xx000003DH1QAAW",
      "Name": "Acme Corporation"
    }
  }
]

Query with Child Relationships:

json

[
  {
    "Id": "001xx000003DH1QAAW",
    "Name": "Acme Corporation",
    "Contacts": {
      "records": [
        {
          "Id": "003xx000003DH1QAAW",
          "FirstName": "John",
          "LastName": "Doe"
        },
        {
          "Id": "003xx000003DH1RBAW",
          "FirstName": "Jane",
          "LastName": "Smith"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
]

JSON Features

Data Type Preservation:

json

{
  "Id": "001xxx",               // String
  "Name": "Acme",              // String
  "AnnualRevenue": 1000000,    // Number
  "IsActive": true,            // Boolean
  "Description": null,         // Null
  "CreatedDate": "2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"  // ISO Date String
}

Null Handling:

Missing values exported as null
Empty strings exported as ""
Zero values exported as 0

Special Characters:

Escaped properly (", \, newlines)
UTF-8 encoding for international characters
Preserves whitespace

Using Exported JSON

Import into JavaScript:

javascript

const data = require('./salesforce-query-results.json');
console.log(data[0].Name); // "Acme Corporation"

Parse in Python:

python

import json

with open('salesforce-query-results.json', 'r') as f:
    data = json.load(f)

for record in data:
    print(record['Name'])

Load in Node.js:

javascript

const fs = require('fs');
const data = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('salesforce-query-results.json', 'utf8'));

Exporting as CSV

Export query results in CSV format for spreadsheet applications.

Export Method

Command:

:exportcsv

Steps:

Execute a query (Ctrl+Enter)
Wait for results to load
Type :exportcsv
Press Enter
File downloads to Downloads/salesforce-query-results.csv

Button Method:

1. Execute query
2. Click "Export as CSV" button below results
3. File downloads automatically

CSV Structure

Header Row:

csv

Id,Name,Email,Phone,CreatedDate

First row contains field names
Comma-separated
No spaces around commas

Data Rows:

csv

003xx000003DH1QAAW,John Doe,john@example.com,555-1234,2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z
003xx000003DH1RBAW,Jane Smith,jane@example.com,555-5678,2025-02-20T14:45:00.000Z

Handling Special Characters:

Character	Handling	Example
Comma `,`	Quoted field	`"Doe, John"`
Quote `"`	Escaped `""`	`"Say ""Hi"""` → Say "Hi"
Newline `\n`	Quoted field	`"Line 1\nLine 2"`
Leading/trailing spaces	Quoted field	`" Trimmed "`

CSV Features

Flat Structure:

Parent relationships flattened:

csv

Id,Name,Account.Name,Account.Type
003xxx,John Doe,Acme Corp,Customer

Child relationships omitted (use JSON for nested data)

Data Type Handling:

csv

Id,Name,Amount,IsActive,CreatedDate
001xxx,Acme,1000000,true,2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z

All values treated as text
No type information preserved
Import tools infer types

Empty Values:

csv

Id,Name,Email,Phone
003xxx,John Doe,,555-1234
       ↑ Empty email (no value between commas)

Opening in Spreadsheet Apps

Excel:

Open Excel
File > Open
Select salesforce-query-results.csv
Data imports automatically

Google Sheets:

Open Google Sheets
File > Import
Upload salesforce-query-results.csv
Choose "Comma" as separator
Click "Import"

Apple Numbers:

Open Numbers
Drag and drop CSV file
Data imports automatically

Using Exported CSV

Filter and Sort:

1. Open in Excel
2. Select data range
3. Data > Filter
4. Sort by any column

Pivot Tables:

1. Open in Excel
2. Select data
3. Insert > PivotTable
4. Analyze data

Formulas:

excel

=SUMIF(Type,"Customer",AnnualRevenue)  // Sum revenue for customers
=COUNTIF(Industry,"Technology")        // Count tech companies
=AVERAGE(Amount)                       // Average opportunity amount

Copying Query Results

Copy selected data to clipboard for quick sharing.

Copying Entire Results

Method:

1. Execute query
2. Select all results (Ctrl+A in results area)
3. Copy (Ctrl+C)
4. Paste into document, email, or chat

Format:

Tab-separated values
Preserves rows and columns
Pastes cleanly into Excel, Google Docs, Slack

Example Copied Data:

Id                  Name            Email
003xx000003DH1QAAW  John Doe        john@example.com
003xx000003DH1RBAW  Jane Smith      jane@example.com

Copying Individual Cells

Method:

1. Navigate to cell with j/k/h/l
2. Press y (yank/copy)
3. Paste into query or document (Ctrl+V)

What Gets Copied:

Raw cell value
No formatting
Suitable for reuse in queries

Example:

Cell: Email = "john@example.com"
Press y
Paste: john@example.com (no quotes)

Copying Column Values

Method:

1. Click column header
2. Press Ctrl+C
3. Paste into document

Format:

john@example.com
jane@example.com
bob@example.com
alice@example.com

One value per line
No header
Easy to paste into another tool

Share queries with teammates for collaboration.

Method 1: Copy from Editor

1. Select query text in editor (Ctrl+A)
2. Copy (Ctrl+C)
3. Paste into email, Slack, documentation

Method 2: Save as Template

1. Write query
2. :savequery [Shared Query Name]
3. Share query name with team
4. Team members can :loadquery [Shared Query Name]

Example Shared Query:

sql

-- Team Query: High Value Accounts
-- Purpose: Identify accounts with >$1M revenue for Q4 campaign
-- Owner: John Doe
-- Last Updated: 2025-11-02

SELECT Id, Name, Type, AnnualRevenue, Industry, Owner.Name
FROM Account
WHERE AnnualRevenue > 1000000
  AND Type = 'Customer'
ORDER BY AnnualRevenue DESC
LIMIT 100

Method 1: Export and Share File

1. Execute query
2. :exportcsv (or :exportjson)
3. Share file via email, Slack, Google Drive

Method 2: Screenshot

1. Execute query
2. Take screenshot of results (OS screenshot tool)
3. Share image

Method 3: Copy and Paste

1. Execute query
2. Select all results (Ctrl+A)
3. Copy (Ctrl+C)
4. Paste into shared document

Query Documentation

Document queries for team reference:

Template:

markdown

## Query: Active Opportunities by Stage

**Purpose:**
Weekly report of all open opportunities grouped by stage

**Query:**
```sql
SELECT Id, Name, Amount, StageName, CloseDate, Owner.Name
FROM Opportunity
WHERE IsClosed = false
ORDER BY StageName, Amount DESC

Frequency: Weekly (Mondays)

Recipients: Sales team

Output: CSV export to shared drive

Notes: Filter out opportunities < $5,000


## Query History and Reuse

Access and reuse previously executed queries.

### Accessing Query History

**Method 1: Arrow Keys**

Focus query editor
Press ↑ (up arrow)
Previous query appears
Press ↑ again for earlier queries
Press ↓ to go forward


**Method 2: History Command**

:history → Shows list of recent queries


**History Display:**

Query History (last 50):

2 minutes ago SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 10
5 minutes ago SELECT Id, Email FROM Contact WHERE LastName = 'Doe'
10 minutes ago SELECT COUNT() FROM Opportunity WHERE StageName = 'Closed Won'

Navigate: j/k Select: Enter Close: Esc


### Reusing Queries

**Workflow:**

Type :history
Navigate to query with j/k
Press Enter
Query loads into editor
Modify if needed
Execute with Ctrl+Enter


**Quick Reuse:**

Press ↑ in query editor
Last query appears
Press Ctrl+Enter immediately to re-execute


### History Limits

**Capacity:**
- Stores last 50 queries
- Oldest queries removed automatically
- Persists across browser sessions

**Storage:**
- Saved to Chrome local storage
- Survives browser restart
- Cleared on extension uninstall

**Privacy:**
- History is per-browser profile
- Not shared across devices
- Not synced to cloud

### Modifying Historical Queries

**Process:**

Load query from history (↑ or :history)
Modify query text
- Change fields
- Update filters
- Adjust LIMIT
Execute modified query
New query added to history
Original query remains in history


**Example:**

Original: SELECT Id, Name FROM Account LIMIT 10

Modified: SELECT Id, Name, Type, Industry FROM Account WHERE Type = 'Customer' LIMIT 50

Both stored in history


## Export Best Practices

### Choose the Right Format

**Use JSON When:**
- Integrating with APIs
- Preserving data types
- Working with nested data (relationships)
- Need programmatic access

**Use CSV When:**
- Analyzing in Excel or Google Sheets
- Creating reports for non-technical users
- Need human-readable format
- Working with flat data

### Filter Before Exporting

**Bad:**
```sql
SELECT Id, Name, Email, Phone, Address, Description, ...
FROM Contact  -- Exports all 50,000 records

Good:

sql

SELECT Id, Name, Email, Phone
FROM Contact
WHERE CreatedDate = THIS_MONTH
  AND Email != null
LIMIT 1000  -- Exports relevant 1,000 records

Benefits:

Smaller file size
Faster export
More manageable dataset
Focused analysis

Hide Unnecessary Columns

Before exporting, hide columns you don't need:

1. Execute query
2. Type :columns
3. Uncheck columns to hide
4. Press Esc
5. Export with :exportcsv or :exportjson
6. Only visible columns included

Example:

Query: SELECT Id, Name, Email, Phone, CreatedDate, LastModifiedDate, SystemModstamp FROM Contact

Hide: SystemModstamp, CreatedDate (not needed for report)

Export: Only Id, Name, Email, Phone, LastModifiedDate included

Add Meaningful File Names

After export, rename file immediately:

Default:

salesforce-query-results.json

Renamed:

high-value-accounts-2025-11-02.json
active-contacts-q4-report.csv
opportunities-by-stage-november.csv

Benefits:

Easy to find later
Clear purpose
Versioned (date included)

Document Export Queries

Save query with export for reproducibility:

File: active-contacts-q4-report.csv

Query:
SELECT Id, Name, Email, Phone, Title, Account.Name
FROM Contact
WHERE IsActive = true
  AND CreatedDate >= 2025-10-01
ORDER BY Account.Name, LastName

Exported: 2025-11-02
Records: 1,250

Troubleshooting

Export Button Disabled

Cause: No query results loaded

Solution:

1. Execute a query first (Ctrl+Enter)
2. Wait for results to load
3. Export button becomes enabled

File Not Downloading

Cause: Browser blocking download

Solution:

1. Check browser popup blocker
2. Allow downloads from extension
3. Check Downloads folder permissions
4. Try different browser

CSV Opens Incorrectly in Excel

Cause: Excel not recognizing CSV format

Solution:

1. Open Excel first
2. File > Import > CSV
3. Choose "Comma" as delimiter
4. Select UTF-8 encoding
5. Import data

JSON Parse Error

Cause: Invalid JSON syntax

Solution:

1. Open JSON in text editor (VS Code, Notepad++)
2. Use JSON validator (jsonlint.com)
3. Check for trailing commas, unclosed brackets
4. Re-export from query tool

Large Export Slow

Cause: Too many records

Solution:

1. Add LIMIT clause (e.g., LIMIT 1000)
2. Filter with WHERE clause
3. Export in batches
4. Use smaller date ranges

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Shortcut	Action
`:exportjson`	Export results as JSON
`:exportcsv`	Export results as CSV
`:history`	View query history
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate query history
`y`	Copy cell value (yank)
`Ctrl+A`	Select all results
`Ctrl+C`	Copy selection
`:columns`	Show/hide columns before export

Next Steps

Query Basics - Learn SOQL fundamentals
Query Results - Navigate and edit results
Variables - Dynamic queries with variables
Workflows - Real-world export workflows

Export Workflow

Develop a routine: Execute query → Hide unnecessary columns → Export → Rename file → Document query. This ensures clean, reproducible exports every time.

Exporting Query Results ​

Export Formats ​

JSON Format ​

CSV Format ​

Exporting as JSON ​

Export Method ​

JSON Structure ​

JSON Features ​

Using Exported JSON ​

Exporting as CSV ​

Export Method ​

CSV Structure ​

CSV Features ​

Opening in Spreadsheet Apps ​

Using Exported CSV ​

Copying Query Results ​

Copying Entire Results ​

Copying Individual Cells ​

Copying Column Values ​

Sharing Queries ​

Sharing Query Text ​

Sharing Query Results ​

Query Documentation ​

Hide Unnecessary Columns ​

Add Meaningful File Names ​

Document Export Queries ​

Troubleshooting ​

Export Button Disabled ​

File Not Downloading ​

CSV Opens Incorrectly in Excel ​

JSON Parse Error ​

Large Export Slow ​

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference ​

Next Steps ​

Exporting Query Results

Export Formats

JSON Format

CSV Format

Exporting as JSON

Export Method

JSON Structure

JSON Features

Using Exported JSON

Exporting as CSV

Export Method

CSV Structure

CSV Features

Opening in Spreadsheet Apps

Using Exported CSV

Copying Query Results

Copying Entire Results

Copying Individual Cells

Copying Column Values

Sharing Queries

Sharing Query Text

Sharing Query Results

Query Documentation

Hide Unnecessary Columns

Add Meaningful File Names

Document Export Queries

Troubleshooting

Export Button Disabled

File Not Downloading

CSV Opens Incorrectly in Excel

JSON Parse Error

Large Export Slow

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Next Steps