Export data in bulk export via REST API

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated July 9, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read

    • Usage Insights data export is a store app that enables you to programmatically export Usage Insights (UXA) usage data from your ServiceNow® instance for integration with your enterprise analytics platform.

    Overview of Usage Insights data export with REST API

    Usage Insights data export delivers an asynchronous REST API endpoint that processes export requests in the background and streams results as JSON batches to a dedicated Kafka topic. Unlike manual export from the Usage Insights dashboard, data export is designed for programmatic, large-volume, recurring data movement scenarios.

    The data export process follows a request-and-response model:

    1. You submit an export request to the API, specifying the data source, columns, and optional filters.
    2. The instance validates the request and returns a job ID immediately—the data itself is not returned in the API response.
    3. The export is processed asynchronously. As results are produced, they are published in batches to a dedicated Kafka topic provisioned for your instance.
    4. You consume result batches from the topic using a standard Kafka client, secured with SSL certificates.
      Note:
      Usage Insights data export supports events data source.

    Data export compared to Usage Insights dashboard export

    The Usage Insights dashboard provides a built-in export function for quick and small-volume data downloads. Data export is a different capability designed for different use cases:

    Feature Usage Insights Dashboard Export Data Export Store App
    Volume Suitable for small-volume, quick exports Handles large volumes on a recurring schedule (up to 100 GB per account per month)
    Frequency Manual export triggered by dashboard user Programmatic export driven by automated API calls and scheduled jobs
    Result format Downloaded as CSV or JSON file Streamed as JSON batches to a Kafka topic
    Integration User downloads and transfers file manually Results flow directly into your Kafka consumer environment for real-time ingestion
    Asynchronous processing Synchronous response; export completes before download Asynchronous; results arrive on the topic as processing completes

    When to use data export

    Use data export to:

    • Integrate with analytics platforms: Bring ServiceNow® usage data into tools like Power BI, Tableau, or your enterprise data warehouse so you can analyze it alongside data from other sources.
    • Build cross-platform user journeys: Create end-to-end views of user behavior that spans ServiceNow and other platforms in your technology stack.
    • Move large volumes on a recurring schedule: Export large amounts of usage data daily, weekly, or on another recurring cadence without the manual overhead of dashboard export.
    • Automate data pipelines: Embed export requests into scheduled workflows so data flows directly to your analytics infrastructure without manual intervention.

    Rate and usage limits

    Table 1. Rate and usage limits
    Limit Value Notes
    Requests per hour 60 per instance Shared across all users and applications on the instance. Additional requests are throttled.
    Result retention 36 hours Results remain on the topic for 36 hours. Consume them before they expire.
    Date range per request Up to 90 days A single request can't span more than 90 days.
    Monthly export volume 100 GB per account/ month Applies per customer account, aggregated across instances, on a calendar-month basis (Base tier).
    Note:
    Select the columns you need and apply filters to keep export volume within the rate and usage limits.