# Export topics to Excel
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 26, 2021, 4:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481 "2021-03-26T04:45:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2021, 4:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/1 "2021-03-26T04:45:02Z")
Hi Team,
I have a requirement where user can export all the topics/based on search result all the topics, who created, when created, email address and location to be exported in to excel file. i have searched in the tool report section but haven’t find anything specific to this requirement, all are giving graphical representation of topics and export option.
Regards,
Sundaram
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2021, 10:43am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/2 "2021-03-26T10:43:44Z")
See [Data Explorer Plugin](https://meta.discourse.org/t/data-explorer-plugin/32566). You cask allow group members to run a query. You might be able to write a query that will allow users to add search terms.
Discourse tries pretty hard not to allow users to get email addresses.
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2021, 12:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/3 "2021-03-26T12:16:52Z")
Thank you Jay but I am looking for something from the Discourse app some report where end users can see the report in tabular format in the forum and can also download it as excel.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/4 "2021-03-26T14:03:27Z")
You’ll need a custom plugin, then. And I’d think that it would look a lot like how [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) works.
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 8:39am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/5 "2021-03-29T08:39:16Z")
thank you all for sharing your thought. let me explore [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) and see how it works. also, is there any possibility down the line provide export button in search result screen like users tab, where user click on export down load the search result as tabular format with Category, Topic, Who Created, When Created, how many likes and views? if discourse team can incorporate this it will be a great help to all the consumers.
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 11:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/6 "2021-03-29T11:06:34Z")
Can you please provide the [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) plugin details? if I have tried the link above but no luck, I don’t see [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) in the plugin section.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/7 "2021-03-29T12:07:43Z")
If you are self hosted, you can use the instructions in the link above. If you are using a hosted service you’ll need to contact the provider to get the plugin added (cdck hosting includes [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) on business hosting).
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/8 "2021-03-29T12:31:35Z")
I’m using azure VM linux ubuntu server. i am using ssh script to open app.yml file using nano caontainers/app.yml and i cna see the details also. but when i add the git clone discourse-spoiler-alert.git as per the info shared in above link. I don’t see the [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) plugin in plugin section. is it the correct plugin name i am using?
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/9 "2021-03-29T13:54:19Z")
No. The [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) plugin is not named spoiler-alert. That was an example for how to install a plugin. You’ll need to substitute the url for the [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) plugin.
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/10 "2021-03-29T14:26:48Z")
I am not able to find [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) plugin url, if you can provide me that details it will be great help.
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 29, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/11 "2021-03-29T14:28:23Z")
is it [GitHub - discourse/discourse-data-explorer: SQL Queries for admins in Discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-data-explorer)?
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2021, 3:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/12 "2021-03-30T03:56:24Z")
I am using Azure VM (Linum Ubuntu server) using command line i am able to open the app.yml file and added the line of code git pull and while saving ctrl+s i am getting error you don’t have permission to write. but this is my root user and using this i have updated discourse and installed also. how can i give permission to that file as i can’t login to the VM only i have ssh command line.
Error writing containers/app.yml: Permission denied
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### Author:  [@Sundaram\_Das](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Sundaram_Das)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/export-topics-to-excel/184481/13 "2021-03-30T12:49:43Z")
Thank you all, for your help. I am able to enable [data explorer](https://meta.discourse.org/t/32566?silent=true) and do the querying on live DB and Export as well.