> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abbyy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Data export formats

> Reference for export formats and options available on the Output activity — field values, document text, document images, and error output.

Vantage provides the following export options for document fields, text, and images.

## Export field values (Fields tab)

| Format   | Export Option                                               | Description                                                                                                           | File Name                          |
| :------- | :---------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------- |
| **JSON** | **Values, metadata, and field structure for each document** | Full data extraction results. See [JSON Schema](/vantage/developer/output/json/json-schema) for the output structure. | `<Applied_skill_name>.json`        |
| **JSON** | **Values only**                                             | Field values and rule errors. See [JSON Schema](/vantage/developer/output/json/json-schema) for the output structure. | `<Applied_skill_name>_fields.json` |
| **CSV**  | **Values only**                                             | Field values.                                                                                                         | `<Applied_skill_name>.csv`\*       |

<Note>
  When exporting **image fields** to CSV, their values in the CSV file are empty. If a repeating structure is nested within a group, its name appears as `New Group/New Table`, but in the child filename the slash is replaced with an underscore (for example, `New Group_New Table_055fe8c.csv`).
</Note>

\* If a document contains repeating objects (repeating fields, repeating groups of fields, tables), they are exported as separate files. The following naming scheme is used:

* Parent CSV file: `<Applied_skill_name>.csv`
* Child CSV files for repeating objects: `<Field_path>_<random 7-character identifier>.csv`
* If the child CSV filename would exceed 250 characters, the alternate scheme is used: `<Field_ID>_<random 7-character identifier>.csv`

When exporting to a shared folder, the parent CSV file is saved in the transaction folder. If there are multiple documents of the same type in the transaction, and a separate CSV file is generated for each document:

* A numeric postfix starting from 2 is added to the CSV filename.
* A subfolder is created in the transaction folder for child CSV files, named `<Applied_skill_name>_<N>` or `<Applied_skill_name>_fields_<N>` (if JSON export — **Values only** is enabled), where N is the sequential document number in the transaction (starting from 2 when there's more than one document).
* For repeating objects, the name of the child CSV file is specified in the parent CSV file's field value.

The CSV file is formatted as follows:

* The field names are written into the first row.
* Columns are comma-separated.
* Encoding is UTF-8 with BOM.
* Empty instances of repeating fields or groups, and empty table rows, are not exported — the resulting CSV has no empty rows.

## Export document text (Text tab)

| Format      | Export Option                   | Description                                                                                      | File Name                        |
| :---------- | :------------------------------ | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------- |
| **JSON**    | **Text only**                   | A JSON file containing only recognized text; document layout is not preserved.                   | `<Applied_skill_name>_text.json` |
| **JSON**    | **Preserve document structure** | A JSON file containing recognized text with the document layout preserved.                       | `<Applied_skill_name>_text.json` |
| **XML**     | **Text only**                   | An XML file containing only recognized text; document layout is not preserved.                   | `<Applied_skill_name>.xml`       |
| **XML**     | **Preserve document structure** | An XML file containing recognized text with the document layout preserved.                       | `<Applied_skill_name>.xml`       |
| **ALTOXML** | **Text only**                   | An ALTO XML file (schema 4.2) containing only recognized text; document layout is not preserved. | `<Applied_skill_name>.xml`       |
| **ALTOXML** | **Preserve document structure** | An ALTO XML file (schema 4.2) containing recognized text with the document layout preserved.     | `<Applied_skill_name>.xml`       |
| **TXT**     |                                 | A plain text document. The original document structure is preserved using whitespace.            | `<Applied_skill_name>.txt`       |
| **DOCX**    | **Editable**                    | An editable Word document which may not look exactly like the original.                          | `<Applied_skill_name>.docx`      |
| **DOCX**    | **Exact**                       | A non-editable Word document. The original document structure is fully preserved.                | `<Applied_skill_name>.docx`      |
| **XLSX**    |                                 | An editable Excel document. The original document structure is preserved.                        | `<Applied_skill_name>.xlsx`      |
| **PPTX**    |                                 | An editable PowerPoint document. The original document structure is preserved.                   | `<Applied_skill_name>.pptx`      |
| **HTML**    |                                 | An HTML document that preserves the original document structure.                                 | `<Applied_skill_name>.html`      |

<Note>
  Selecting **Text only** for JSON, XML, or ALTOXML makes export to DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX unavailable.
</Note>

<Note>
  Export options (**Text only** and **Preserve document structure**) for JSON, XML, and ALTOXML cannot differ. Setting one of these formats updates the same option for the others.
</Note>

<Note>
  Exported text reflects any field-value changes made by the Manual Review operator during manual review.
</Note>

When exporting to a shared folder, all files are saved in the transaction folder. Numeric postfixes starting from 2 are added to filenames when there's more than one document of the same type in the transaction.

## Export document images (Image tab)

| Format   | Export Option         | Description                                                                           | File Name                   |
| :------- | :-------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :-------------------------- |
| **PDF**  | **PDF/A-3a**          | A PDF file with a text layer over the document image. Reflects Manual Review changes. | `<Applied_skill_name>.pdf`  |
| **PDF**  | **PDF/A-3b**          | A PDF file with a text layer over the document image. Reflects Manual Review changes. | `<Applied_skill_name>.pdf`  |
| **PDF**  | **Image-only**        | A non-editable PDF in PDF/A-3b standard without a text layer.                         | `<Applied_skill_name>.pdf`  |
| **TIFF** |                       | An enhanced image in TIFF format.                                                     | `<Applied_skill_name>.tiff` |
| **JPEG** | **Maximum quality**   | An enhanced JPEG image at 95% quality.                                                | `pages/page_<N>.jpg`        |
| **JPEG** | **Smaller file size** | An enhanced JPEG image at 75% quality — readable while reducing file size.            | `pages/page_<N>.jpg`        |

For each PDF export option, you can choose between **Smaller file size** (default) and **Maximum quality**. Smaller file size uses Mixed Raster Content (MRC) compression, which picks optimal compression separately for text, pictures, and background.

When exporting to a shared folder, a subfolder is created for each document in the transaction:

* The subfolder name is `<Applied_skill_name>_<N>`, or `<Applied_skill_name>_fields_<N>` if JSON export — **Values only** is enabled. N is the sequential number of the document in the transaction (starting from 2 when there's more than one document).
* Within the subfolder, a `Pages` subfolder stores the JPG files, named `page_<N>.jpg`, where N is the page number.
* PDF and TIFF files are saved in the transaction folder.
* Numeric postfixes starting from 2 are added to filenames when there's more than one document of the same type.

## General naming scheme

Most exported files contain `<Applied_skill_name>` in their names, which is one of:

* The name of the last **Document** skill applied to the document.
* The name of the last **Classification** skill applied, if no Document skill was applied.
* `Unknown` if no Document or Classification skills were applied, even though at least one exists in the Process skill flow.

If there are multiple output files and export to a shared folder is configured, incrementing numbers are appended to filenames to keep each name unique.

## Error output

If a transaction does not complete successfully, Vantage generates an `Error.json` file containing:

* Transaction identifier
* Transaction status (`Failed`)
* Error message
* Array of all source file identifiers and names in the transaction

<Note>
  Exported data is stored for 2 weeks by default, per the retention policy.
</Note>

## Related topics

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Output activity" icon="file-export" href="/vantage/documentation/skill-designer/process/output-activity/output-activity">
    Overview of the Output activity and the destinations it supports.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Export to a shared folder" icon="folder-tree" href="/vantage/documentation/skill-designer/process/output-activity/export-shared-folder">
    Send processing results to an SFTP-accessible shared folder.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Export to an external system" icon="cloud-arrow-up" href="/vantage/documentation/skill-designer/process/output-activity/export-external-system">
    Export results to a third-party system using a custom script.
  </Card>

  <Card title="JSON Schema" icon="code" href="/vantage/developer/output/json/json-schema">
    Structure of the JSON output produced for each transaction.
  </Card>

  <Card title="XML Schema" icon="code" href="/vantage/developer/output/xml/xml-schema">
    Structure of the XML output produced for each transaction.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>