Workable gives you three ways to get candidate data out: a self-serve CSV from the Candidate details report, a full data export with resumes that you request from Workable support, and the API. Which one you need depends on whether you just want the data or you're migrating everything — resumes included — to a new system.
- Self-serve CSV (any plan): Reports → Candidate details report → Download CSV, delivered by email. No resumes included.
- Full data export (paid accounts, Admin only): not self-serve — you request it from Workable support, or your Account Manager on an Advanced Annual plan. Ships as a ZIP with one CSV per data area and resumes sorted into per-job folders.
- API export: generate an access token and script a pull — see the Workable API guide for a working script and the rate limit you'll hit.
- Archive your open jobs before requesting the full export, so it doesn't land mid-hire and miss late activity.
The fastest export path — the Candidate details report CSV — never includes a resume; getting resumes out in bulk means either the support-requested full export or the API.
Disclosure: Reqcore is our product, and this guide covers the export step the same way whichever ATS you're headed to next.
1. Self-serve: the Candidate details report
This is the export most teams reach for first, and Workable makes it available regardless of plan.
- Open the Candidate details report from Reports.
- Click Columns (it appears when you hover inside the report table) to add any extra fields you want — including custom-field answers, which export into their own columns.
- Click Download CSV. The file is emailed to you rather than downloaded instantly.
- Multiple tags or multi-answer fields land in a single CSV column; Workable's own docs note you can split them into separate columns using
|as the delimiter.
What it does not include: resumes or any other attached files. For those, you need one of the two paths below.
Source: Workable's own help article on exporting candidate data, checked 25 July 2026.
2. Full data export (the one with resumes)
If you need resumes and job data together as files, not just a candidate CSV, this is the path — and it's not something you trigger yourself in the UI.
- It's a request, not a button: contact Workable support, or your Account Manager if you're on an Advanced Annual plan.
- It's restricted to paid accounts, and only an account Admin can request it. If you're still on the 15-day free trial, this path isn't available to you.
- Best timing is after you've archived your open jobs, so no new candidate activity or draft jobs are missing from the export — draft jobs are included by default.
- What comes back: a
.zipfile containing a separate CSV for each data area, with resumes broken out into folders by job.
Source: Workable's help center coverage of the full data export request and bulk resume download options (How do I export candidate data?, Is there a way to download resumes in bulk?), checked 25 July 2026.
3. API export (for a repeatable or automated pull)
If you'd rather script the export than file a support request — or you need to re-run it on a schedule — generate an access token from your account and pull the data through Workable's API.
Workable's token guide covers generating and scoping the token. From there, the Workable API guide has a tested script that walks every job, pages through its candidates, and writes the result to CSV — plus the constraint the self-serve report doesn't have to worry about: a 10-requests-per-10-second rate limit that returns a 429 if you go over it.
Which export you actually need
| Path | Includes resumes | Who can trigger it | Plan requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate details report (CSV) | No | Any user with report access | Any plan, including trial |
| Full data export (ZIP) | Yes, sorted by job | Account Admin, via a support request | Paid account only |
| API | Yes, if you fetch resume URLs in your script | Anyone with an access token | Not published by Workable; check your account's Integrations settings |
Workable doesn't publish a plan-by-plan breakdown of API access, so if that matters for your account, check your own Integrations settings rather than assuming.
Before you export: two things people get wrong mid-migration
Don't cancel before you've verified the export. A cancelled Workable account loses access to its export tools, so confirm the data landed and looks complete before you close the subscription.
Don't assume field coverage matches your account. Workable doesn't publish a field-level export specification of its own. Third-party migration documentation lists the common set — candidate email, name, resume, tags, pipeline stage, phone; job title, location, department, description, status — as representative, not exhaustive. Check your own CSV against what your next ATS expects before you rely on it.
If you're exporting because you're switching ATS
Exporting is the easy half of a migration — the switching guide covers the export-and-import path end to end, including why an unmetered import matters more once your pipeline lands somewhere new. If the reason you're leaving is that your bill grew with headcount rather than hiring activity, Reqcore vs Workable covers that pricing-model difference directly — Reqcore doesn't meter applicants on import, on any plan.
Haven't picked where you're going yet? See the full list of Workable alternatives.
FAQ
Does Workable limit how many candidates I can export at once?
Workable doesn't publish a hard cap on the Candidate details report CSV. For very large accounts, the full data export or a paginated API pull is the more reliable path since neither depends on one report render finishing in a browser session.
Can I export resumes without contacting Workable support?
Yes, through the API — pull each candidate's resume URL from the API response and download it in your script. The Workable API guide has a working example. Outside of that, bulk resume export is the support-requested full data export; there's no self-serve UI button for it.
Do I need a developer to export via the API?
You need someone comfortable running a script and handling an access token — no vendor account or paid middleman required. If that's not available in-house, the self-serve CSV or the support-requested full export cover most migration needs without writing any code.
Is exporting from Workable free?
The Candidate details report CSV works on every plan, including the free trial. The full data export is limited to paid accounts.
How long does a full data export take?
Workable doesn't publish a turnaround time for support-requested exports. Because it's a support request rather than a self-serve download, treat it as days rather than minutes and file it well before your subscription ends — not on the last day.