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Exporting Requirements

Learn how to export your requirements, acceptance criteria, and tasks from Glossa to CSV format for use in spreadsheets, documentation, or other tools.

Written by Ali
Updated over a month ago

Overview

Glossa allows you to export project requirements to CSV (comma-separated values) format, which can be opened in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. You can choose to export requirements only, or include acceptance criteria and tasks in the same export.

CSV exports provide a snapshot of your requirements at a specific point in time and are useful for sharing with stakeholders, creating documentation, archiving project data, or performing custom analysis in spreadsheet tools.

What Can Be Exported

Export Options

You can choose from four export options:

1. Requirements Only

  • Exports all requirement data

  • No acceptance criteria or tasks included

  • File name: requirements-[date].csv

2. Requirements + Acceptance Criteria

  • Exports requirements and their associated acceptance criteria

  • Tasks not included

  • File name: requirements-ac-[date].csv

3. Requirements + Tasks

  • Exports requirements and their associated implementation tasks

  • Acceptance criteria not included

  • File name: requirements-tasks-[date].csv

4. Requirements + Acceptance Criteria + Tasks

  • Exports requirements, acceptance criteria, and implementation tasks

  • Complete project export

  • File name: requirements-ac-tasks-[date].csv

Export Scope

All requirements exported:

  • Export includes all requirements in the project

  • Does not respect current filters or views

  • Cannot selectively export specific requirements

  • To export a subset, filter first then manually copy from the table

How to Export Requirements

Step 1: Navigate to Requirements Table

  1. Open the project you want to export

  2. Go to the Requirements tab

  3. You'll see the requirements table

Step 2: Click Export

  1. Look for the Export button in the top right of the requirements table

  2. Click Export

  3. A dropdown or dialog appears with export options

Step 3: Choose Export Type

Select whether to include ACs and/or Tasks:

  • Requirements

  • + Acceptance Criteria

  • + Tasks

Step 4: Download File

  1. The CSV file downloads immediately to your browser's default download location

  2. File naming:

    • Requirements only: requirements-2026-03-02.csv

    • Requirements + ACs: requirements-ac-2026-03-02.csv

    • Requirements + ACs + Tasks: requirements-ac-tasks-2026-03-02.csv

Processing time: Instant for small projects (< 100 requirements), may take a few seconds for very large projects (500+ requirements).

CSV File Structure

Three-Table Format

CSV exports use a three-table structure:

  1. REQUIREMENTS table at the top

  2. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA table in the middle (if included)

  3. TASKS table at the bottom (if included)

Each section is labeled with a header row (e.g., "REQUIREMENTS") followed by column headers and data rows.

Requirements Table Columns

Columns included:

  • ID - Requirement ID (e.g., PAW-TEST-0001)

  • Title - Requirement title

  • Slug - URL-friendly version of title

  • Description - Full requirement description

  • Category - Assigned category (if any)

  • Priority - Priority level (critical, high, medium, low)

  • Status - Current status (draft, approved, etc.)

  • Origin - How requirement was created

  • Created - Date requirement was created

Example row:

PAW-TEST-0001,Data Migration from Raiser's Edge,data-migration-from-raisers-edge,Migrate all existing constituent data...,functional,critical,draft,Created by an AI pipeline,2026-02-27

Acceptance Criteria Table Columns

Columns included:

  • Requirement Title - Parent requirement title

  • Requirement Slug - Parent requirement slug

  • Slug - AC's unique slug

  • Format - AC type (gherkin, user_story, checklist, freeform)

  • Content - Full AC text

  • Priority - AC priority

  • Status - AC status

  • Origin - How AC was created

  • Created - Date AC was created

Example row:

System Integration and Data Synchronization,system-integration-and-data-synchronization,user-story-data-access,user-story,As a System Administrator, I want to monitor the data synchronization status so I can identify and resolve any issues.,medium,draft,Created by an AI pipeline,2026-02-27

Tasks Table Columns

Columns included:

  • Requirement Title - Parent requirement title

  • Requirement Slug - Parent requirement slug

  • Task Title - Task name

  • Description - Full task description

  • Priority - Task priority

  • Status - Task status (todo, in progress, done)

  • Complexity - Size estimate (xs, s, m, l, xl)

  • Created - Date task was created

Example row:

Project Plan Development,project-plan-development,Define Project Scope and Objectives,Clearly define the scope...,critical,todo,s,2026-03-02

What's NOT Included in Exports

Citations

Not exported:

  • Citations linking requirements to source files

  • File references

  • Timestamps from recordings

  • Document highlights

Why: Citations are complex rich data that doesn't translate well to CSV format.

Workaround: Citations remain accessible in Glossa. Reference the Glossa requirement for citation details.

Custom Field Selections

Cannot customize:

  • Which columns are exported

  • Column order

  • Field formatting

All fields always exported: You get all available columns in the export.

Workaround: Use spreadsheet tools to hide or delete unwanted columns after export.

File Attachments

Not exported:

  • Uploaded files

  • Meeting recordings

  • Documents

  • Images

Why: CSV is a text-only format.

Workaround: Download files separately from the Files tab if needed.

Requirement Relationships

Not exported:

  • Linked requirements

  • Conflict relationships

  • Merged requirement history

Workaround: This data remains in Glossa and cannot be easily exported to flat CSV format.

Export Frequency

Manual Only

No automated exports:

  • Exports must be manually triggered

  • No scheduled exports (daily, weekly, etc.)

  • No automatic backups to external storage

Best practices:

  • Export at key project milestones

  • Export before major changes

  • Export weekly or monthly for active projects

  • Store in version control or document management

Version Control

Managing multiple exports:

  • CSV filenames include date (e.g., requirements-2026-03-02.csv)

  • Store exports in dated folders

  • Use clear naming conventions if editing exports

  • Document what changed between versions

Data Accuracy and Timing

Point-in-Time Snapshot

Exports reflect data at export time:

  • Changes made after export are not reflected

  • Export immediately becomes out of date

  • Re-export to get current data

Example:

  • Export on Monday shows 100 requirements

  • Add 10 more requirements on Tuesday

  • Monday's export still shows 100 (not 110)

  • Export again on Tuesday to see all 110

No Live Connection

CSV exports are static:

  • Not connected to Glossa

  • Editing CSV doesn't update Glossa

  • Changes in Glossa don't update CSV

  • One-way data transfer only

Workflow:

  • Export from Glossa → CSV

  • Edit in spreadsheet (if needed)

  • Manually update Glossa based on spreadsheet edits

  • No automatic sync between systems

Troubleshooting

Export Button Not Visible

Possible causes:

  • You're not on the Requirements tab

  • Browser window too narrow (button off-screen)

  • Permission issue (shouldn't happen for logged-in users)

Solutions:

  1. Confirm you're on Requirements tab (not Dashboard, Files, etc.)

  2. Maximize browser window or scroll right

  3. Try different browser

  4. Refresh the page

  5. Log out and back in

Export File Won't Download

Possible causes:

  • Browser blocking downloads

  • Pop-up blocker preventing download

  • Browser download settings

  • Very large export timing out

Solutions:

  1. Check browser's download settings

  2. Allow pop-ups/downloads from glossapro.ai

  3. Try different browser

  4. For large exports (500+ requirements), wait longer

  5. Contact support if issue persists

CSV Opens with Garbled Characters

Possible causes:

  • Encoding issue (special characters, non-English text)

  • CSV not opening with correct program

  • Corrupted download

Solutions:

  1. Re-download the export

  2. Open with different program (Excel, Google Sheets)

  3. In Excel: Data → From Text → Choose UTF-8 encoding

  4. In Google Sheets: Import with UTF-8 encoding

  5. Contact support if special characters consistently cause issues

Data Missing or Incomplete

Possible causes:

  • Export completed before data fully loaded

  • Network interruption during export

  • Very large export truncated

Solutions:

  1. Verify requirements exist in Glossa (check Requirements tab)

  2. Re-export to get fresh copy

  3. Check that all three sections (Requirements, ACs, Tasks) are present

  4. Contact support if data consistently missing

Cannot Open CSV File

Possible causes:

  • No spreadsheet application installed

  • File association not set

  • File downloaded as .txt instead of .csv

Solutions:

  1. Install Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet tool

  2. Right-click file → Open With → Choose spreadsheet application

  3. Rename file to ensure .csv extension (not .txt)

  4. Upload to Google Sheets via Import function

Export Takes Too Long

Possible causes:

  • Very large project (1000+ requirements)

  • Slow internet connection

  • Server processing delay

Solutions:

  1. Wait for export to complete (may take 30-60 seconds for large projects)

  2. Don't close browser during export

  3. Try during off-peak hours

  4. Contact support if exports consistently time out

Best Practices

Store Exports Safely

Where to store:

  • Company document management system (SharePoint, Google Drive)

  • Version control (if treating as documentation)

  • Project folder with clear naming

  • Backup storage

Don't:

  • Leave only on local Downloads folder

  • Store without version/date tracking

  • Rely solely on exports without Glossa backup

Use Exports for Specific Purposes

Good uses:

  • Stakeholder reviews and approvals

  • Creating formal documentation

  • Analysis and reporting

  • Archiving completed projects

  • Migration to other systems

Avoid:

  • Using CSV as primary requirements management (use Glossa)

  • Making edits in CSV and losing Glossa citations

  • Distributing many versions that cause confusion

Limitations

  • No selective export - Exports all requirements, cannot filter

  • CSV format only - No PDF, Word, or Excel exports

  • No scheduled exports - Must manually trigger each export

  • No citations included - Source links not in CSV

  • Cannot customize fields - All columns always exported

  • Static snapshot - No live connection to Glossa

  • Three-table structure - Requirements, ACs, Tasks in one file (cannot separate)

  • No formatting - Plain text only, no rich formatting preserved

Alternative Export Options

Jira Integration

For ongoing delivery management:

  • Use Jira integration to send requirements directly to Jira

  • Enables two-way tracking (though sync is one-way)

  • Better for active development work

  • See Jira Integration article for details

Screenshots

For presentations:

  • Take screenshots of Requirements table or individual requirements

  • Use in slide decks or documentation

  • Good for visual presentations

  • Shows Glossa UI context

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