Test your data exit before signing a contract
A downloaded file is only the beginning of a usable export.
Choose connected records
Create a fictional customer with two contacts, an order, a credit note and an attachment. Use accented characters and a date near a month boundary. These cases expose encoding, relationship and date-format problems that a single contact row will miss. Avoid using live personal data for this exercise.
Reconstruct the story elsewhere
Export the records, then open them in an independent viewer or a small local database. Check whether identifiers stay stable and whether relationships can be reconstructed. Count records by type. Inspect attachments separately; a spreadsheet containing expired download links is not a lasting copy of the files.
Record what the export cannot do
List missing fields, flattened relationships and permissions that are not included. Some exports are designed for reporting rather than migration. Ask whether a full migration export has a different process, fee or retention window. Store the answer with the contract review, not in one employee’s inbox.
Make the result repeatable
Save the test inputs, export settings and validation steps. Assign a review date after major product changes. Do not store passwords or access tokens in this bundle. The practical result should be a short procedure another member of the team can run, plus a clear list of information that needs a separate extraction route.
References provide background. The working methods and fictional examples here are our editorial guidance, not an endorsement by the referenced organisations.
Put this into practice: open the worksheet →