Software
Define what you need to recover
An export button is a starting point. Your exit plan should explain what a teammate must be able to do with the downloaded information after the original workspace is unavailable. Reading a finished brief, finding the attachment behind a decision and continuing an open task are three different recovery needs.
Create an inventory with five columns: record type, essential fields, related records, files, and intended destination. For a project task, essential fields might include its name, owner, status and due date. Relationships might include the project or another dependent task. Treat this inventory as your acceptance criteria rather than assuming that a downloadable file is a complete backup.
Match the format to the recovery task
Notion documents HTML and Markdown exports, with CSV for databases. Its guidance also says an exported workspace cannot simply be uploaded to instantly recreate the original workspace. That distinction matters when choosing between a readable archive and a working replacement. Check the documentation for the specific content and access settings you intend to use.
Asana documents project exports in JSON or CSV. A CSV can be convenient for inspecting task records in a spreadsheet; JSON may be useful when another process needs structured data. Neither format name establishes that every relationship, attachment or account setting required by your team is preserved. Compare the downloaded contents with your inventory instead of inferring completeness from the file extension.
Build a small representative sample
Use a test workspace with permission to export, and avoid using confidential records just to evaluate the process. Include a completed item, an open item, a multiline note, an attachment and a relationship between two records. Add an accented name or another character your team regularly uses. These cases help reveal practical issues without turning the pilot into a full migration.
Record who performed the export, which scope they selected, when it ran and which account permissions they had. Export scope and access restrictions can affect what is included. Keep the original test records available while you inspect the result, so each mismatch has a clear reference. This guide proposes a test method; it does not report results from testing these products.
Inspect content and relationships separately
Open the exported records and check them against the sample. Count the records you expected to receive, inspect a few long notes and locate the attachment. Then check relationships separately: can you tell which project a task belonged to, which record a link referred to and where the latest supporting file is stored? A record count alone cannot answer those questions.
Write each result as pass, missing or needs conversion. Keep conversion work explicit. For example, a relationship preserved as a text label may still require a mapping step before another system can use it. If your evaluation depends on a particular importer, test that importer with the sample rather than assuming an export and import menu use matching conventions.
Keep this checklist
- Expected record count matches the sample.
- Long notes and special characters remain readable.
- Attachments can be located and opened.
- Relationships can be interpreted or mapped.
- Missing items have an owner and an agreed recovery approach.
Rehearse recovery before approving the move
Give the archive and your worksheet to a teammate who did not set up the test. Ask them to locate one decision, identify the next owner of an open item and reconstruct enough context to continue work. Record the time and any explanations they need. This is an original acceptance exercise, not a promise that the archive will reproduce the provider’s interface.
Approve the migration only when the sample supports the recovery tasks you defined. Keep the export files in an access-controlled location, document the final cutover date and decide who checks later exports. Recheck provider documentation when account permissions, content types or plan settings change. A usable exit plan is a process your team can repeat, with known gaps and named owners.
Sources & verification
Source review: 2026-10-04. AI-assisted desk research using official documentation, with an original export evaluation worksheet. No hands-on testing was performed.
