Export module data with more security and flexibility

Exporting data from Zoho CRM now comes with enhanced security and formatting options, along with a cleaner, more organized Export Data page.

What's new

1. Password-protected ZIP exports — add a password to your exported ZIP files for an extra layer of security.
   
2. Rich text as plain text — strip HTML tags from exported rich text fields for cleaner, simpler output.
   
3. Reorganized Export Data page — settings are now grouped into two clear sections: Configure and Preferences.
   

Under the new Preferences section, you can set a password for your exported ZIP files. This adds a layer of protection that helps prevent unintended access to your data during download, storage, or sharing.

Once a password is set, anyone trying to unzip the file will be prompted by their system's file archiver to enter it before the contents can be accessed.

Note: The password protects the ZIP file as a whole — it does not individually encrypt the files inside it.

Why this matters

During bulk transfers, backups, and archiving, exported files can end up exposed to:

1. External users who were only meant to have limited or one-time access to the file
   
2. External individuals who come across the file unintentionally

Password protection helps you:

1. Prevent unauthorized access
   
2. Reduce the risk of data exposure from unsecured exports

Export rich text as plain text

By default, exporting data from CRM preserves any HTML formatting in rich text fields — such as notes or multi-line fields — so the full context is retained in your CSV or XLSX file.

With this update, you can now choose to export that same content as plain text instead, removing the HTML tags for a cleaner, easier-to-use file. This option is also available under the new Preferences section.

Good to know

1. The Preferences section appears anywhere you export module data — from the list view, the Export Data page, or for a selection of records within the list view.
   
2. The Rich Text as Plain Text toggle only appears when at least one record in the module contains rich text formatting.