When you try to export a Notion database as CSV, Markdown, or HTML, you may see an error message that says “Database cannot be exported.” This error appears because certain property types in your database are not supported for export. Notion restricts export for properties like Relation, Rollup, Formula, and File & Media because their data cannot be converted into a flat file format without losing structure or links. This article explains which property types trigger the error, why Notion blocks the export, and how to remove or replace those properties so you can successfully export your database.
Key Takeaways: Fixing Notion Export Errors for Databases
- Settings & Members > Settings > Export: The export menu where you choose format and scope for a database export.
- Database property types Relation, Rollup, Formula, and File & Media: These four property types cause the “Database cannot be exported” error and must be removed or converted before export.
- Duplicate the database and delete offending property columns: The fastest workaround is to duplicate the database, delete the unsupported property columns from the copy, and then export the cleaned copy.
Why Notion Blocks Export for Certain Property Types
Notion databases store data in a flexible, relational structure that does not map cleanly to flat file formats like CSV or Markdown. The export feature converts each database row into a row in a CSV file or a Markdown block. Property types that reference other databases, compute values, or store binary files cannot be represented in these formats without breaking the data integrity.
The four property types that trigger the export block are:
- Relation: Links rows in one database to rows in another database. In a flat export, the linked row IDs and titles have no meaning outside Notion.
- Rollup: Aggregates values from a related database. The rollup result depends on the relation, which itself cannot be exported.
- Formula: Computes a value based on other properties in the same row. Formulas can reference relations and rollups, which are not exportable.
- File & Media: Stores uploaded files or embedded images. File paths and binary data cannot be serialized into a CSV cell.
When Notion detects any of these property types in the database, it prevents the entire export to avoid producing incomplete or broken data. The error message does not specify which property is the culprit, so you must inspect the database schema manually.
Steps to Identify and Remove Unsupported Property Types
- Open the database view
Navigate to the page that contains the database you want to export. Make sure you are viewing the database in table layout so you can see all property columns. - Check the property list
Click the + button in the top-right corner of the database table to open the property list. Look for property types labeled Relation, Rollup, Formula, or Files & Media. Note the name of each offending column. - Duplicate the database
Hover over the database title at the top of the page. Click the ⋮⋮ icon and select Duplicate. A copy of the database appears on the same page. This step preserves your original data. - Delete unsupported property columns from the duplicate
In the duplicated database, click the property name header for each unsupported type. From the dropdown menu, select Delete. Confirm the deletion. Repeat for all offending columns. - Export the duplicate database
Click the ⋮⋮ icon in the top-right corner of the page. Go to Export. Choose your preferred format (CSV, Markdown, or HTML). Click Export. The export should complete without the error.
Alternative: Convert Formula and Rollup Values to Plain Text
If you need to preserve the computed values from Formula or Rollup properties, you can convert them to plain text columns before exporting. Create a new Text property. Write a formula that converts the original formula or rollup value to text using the format() function. Then delete the original Formula or Rollup column. The text column will be exportable.
If Notion Still Shows the Export Error After Removing Properties
Hidden properties still block the export
Even if you hide a Relation, Rollup, Formula, or File & Media column from the table view, the property still exists in the database schema. Notion checks all properties, not just visible ones. You must delete the property entirely, not just hide it.
Database templates contain unsupported properties
If your database uses templates that include Relation, Rollup, Formula, or File & Media properties, those properties may be inherited by new rows. Check the template settings by clicking the ⋮⋮ icon and selecting Database templates. Edit each template and delete the unsupported property blocks.
Linked database views cause export failure
If you are trying to export a linked database view (a database that references a source database), the source database may contain unsupported properties. You must delete the offending properties from the source database, not just from the view. Open the source database directly and repeat the deletion steps.
Notion Property Types: Exportable vs Non-Exportable
| Property Type | Exportable to CSV | Exportable to Markdown |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Number | Yes | Yes |
| Select | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-select | Yes | Yes |
| Date | Yes | Yes |
| Person | Yes | Yes |
| Checkbox | Yes | Yes |
| URL | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Relation | No | No |
| Rollup | No | No |
| Formula | No | No |
| Files & Media | No | No |
You can now export any Notion database by removing Relation, Rollup, Formula, and File & Media properties from a duplicate copy. To preserve computed values, convert Formula and Rollup results to plain text using the format() function before deleting the original columns. For databases that rely heavily on relations, consider exporting the parent database separately and re-linking the data manually in a spreadsheet.