Kivo gives you two ways to get a bulk copy of your documents out of the system: Download and Export. Both produce a ZIP file of your documents, but they serve different purposes and are available to different users.
Download is available to any user with edit access on a folder. It produces a ZIP of your documents at either the current or newest approved version. Use it when you need a working copy of a folder's contents to share or work with offline.
Export is available to Workspace Managers and Product Module Managers in Manager Mode. It gives you full control over what goes into the ZIP: which versions to include, how files are named, whether to include metadata and audit trails, and whether to include a related content report. Use it when you need a complete, traceable record for an audit, a regulatory submission, archival, or migration.
Both paths are asynchronous. Kivo processes the export in the background and sends you an email when it is ready to download.
Who Can Export
Action | Who | Mode |
Download a folder | Any user with edit permission on the folder | Standard mode |
Export a folder or cabinet | Workspace Manager or Product Module Manager | Manager Mode only |
Export folder structure as CSV | Workspace Manager or Product Module Manager | Manager Mode only |
How to Download a Folder
Use Download when you need a quick copy of a folder's documents and do not need metadata, audit trails, or detailed control over which versions are included.
Hover over the folder you want to download and click the action menu (three dots or gear icon).
Click Download in the dropdown menu.
Choose which versions to include:Download current version of all documents - includes the version currently on each document record, regardless of approval status.
Download newest approved version of all documents - includes only the most recently approved version of each document. Documents with no approved version are excluded.
Choose how files should be named:
Name files based on file name - uses the original uploaded file name with the version number appended (for example,
protocol-1-0.docx).Name files based on document title - uses the document's title in Kivo, formatted as control number + title + version number (for example,
DOC-001-Study-Protocol-1-0.pdf).
Click Download Folder.
Kivo queues your download and sends you an email when it is ready. You can also check the status on the Cabinet and Folder Downloads page (see Checking Your Export Status below).
How to Export a Folder or Cabinet (Manager Mode)
Use Export when you need a complete, configurable record for audit preparation, regulatory submissions, archival, or any situation where you need precise control over which versions and supporting data are included.
Switch to Manager Mode using the toggle in the top navigation bar.
Navigate to the folder or cabinet you want to export, hover over it, and click the action menu.
Click Export in the dropdown menu.
The Export dialog opens. For cabinets, you will see two tabs: Export a Zip and Export as CSV. Select Export a Zip to export the document files. (See Export a Cabinet as CSV below for the other option.)
Configure your export options. Each option is described in detail in the Export Options section below.
Click Export Folder or Export Cabinet.
Kivo queues your export and sends you an email when it is ready. The email includes a link to the Cabinet and Folder Downloads page where you can retrieve the ZIP file.
Export Options
Export Versions
Controls which versions of each document are included in the ZIP.
Option | What it includes | When to use it |
All versions | Every version of every document in the folder | Full archival or migration where complete version history matters |
Approved versions only | All approved versions of each document | Audit packages where you need the complete approval history but not draft versions |
Newest approved version | Only the most recently approved version of each document | Regulatory submissions or sharing the current approved state of a cabinet |
Current version | The version currently on each document record, regardless of approval status | Working copies and in-progress reviews |
File Format
Controls whether source files, PDFs, or both are included for each version.
Option | What it includes | When to use it |
Download source only | The original source file (Word, Excel, etc.) | When you need editable copies of the documents |
Download PDF only | The PDF rendition of each version | Regulatory submissions, auditor packages, or any situation requiring consistent read-only files |
Download source and PDF (if available) | Both the source file and its PDF rendition | Full archival where you want both the editable original and the rendered copy |
File Naming
Controls how files inside the ZIP are named.
Option | Format | Example |
Name files based on file name | Original file name with version number appended |
|
Name files based on document title | Control number + document title + version number |
|
Use the document title option when the ZIP will be reviewed by people who need to identify documents by their controlled name rather than the original upload file name. This is particularly useful for auditors and regulatory reviewers who expect files to be named according to your organization's numbering system.
Metadata and Audit Trail
When checked, Kivo includes a metadata.xlsx file in the ZIP. This spreadsheet contains a row for each document in the export with all of its metadata fields and a record of the document's audit trail activity.
Include this when the export is for audit purposes or when you need a structured record of document metadata alongside the files themselves.
Related Content Report
When checked, Kivo includes a reports.xlsx file at the root of the ZIP. This spreadsheet contains three tabs:
Documents - lists all documents in the export along with any related documents linked to each one.
Activities - lists all quality activities linked to each document in the export.
Submissions - lists all regulatory submissions that include each document in the export.
Include this when you need to understand the relationships and traceability of the documents in your export. For example, during an audit where an inspector needs to see which activities or submissions a document belongs to.
Checking Your Export Status and Downloading
All ZIP exports are processed asynchronously. Kivo sends you an email notification when your export is ready. You can also check the status at any time on the Downloads page at https://app.kivo.io/files#folder-exports
The Downloads page shows all exports created in the past 90 days. For each completed export you can see:
The folder or cabinet name
The current status (Processing, Ready, or Error)
When the export was created
A summary of what is inside: total documents, approved documents, draft documents, total versions, and total file count
A Download button to retrieve the ZIP file
Click Download next to any ready export to open the ZIP file.
Limits and Considerations
Export size limit: Exports are limited to 10,000 documents. If the folder or cabinet you are exporting contains more than 10,000 documents based on your selected version mode, you will see an error in the export dialog. Export at the sub-folder level instead of at the cabinet level to work around this.
Processing time: Large exports can take several minutes to process. You do not need to leave the page open while it processes. Kivo sends an email when the export is ready.
Export history: The Downloads page shows exports from the past 90 days only. Download your ZIP files before this window closes.