Data export & portability

Your data, yours to take — any time

We think you should judge HR software by how it treats you on the way out. HollyHR lets you export your data — including your uploaded document files, within the export size limits — in one action, yourself, with no exit process and no fee.

Can you export all your data from HR software?

Good HR software lets you export your full people data — records, time off, documents and the actual uploaded files — yourself, any time, with no exit process and no fee. HollyHR exports your whole organisation in one action as a set of CSV files bundled with your document files and a manifest, so switching HR software is as easy as joining. Your export is yours before, during and after your time with us.

That openness runs deeper than the export button. A documented public REST API, a subject-access export for GDPR requests, and a clean payroll handoff mean your data works in whatever tool you need — not just inside HollyHR.

Leaving is as easy as joining

One click exports your entire organisation: people records, employment and compensation history, time off, departments, bank details, and your uploaded document files, with a manifest describing the bundle. There's no ticket to raise, no waiting period and no fee. If HollyHR isn't right for you, we'd rather earn you back than trap you.

The files come too, not just a spreadsheet

A lot of HR tools export a list of documents but make you download the files one at a time. HollyHR includes the actual uploaded document binaries in the export, organised by person, alongside a manifest that lists every file — including any too large for a single export — so nothing goes missing quietly.

Answer a subject access request without a fire drill

When someone asks for their personal data under GDPR, you can produce a complete per-person bundle from their profile in one action. Encrypted fields are decrypted server-side for the record, and every export is written to your audit trail so you can show who exported whose data and when.

Hand payroll a clean file

Run a payroll-readiness export for your bureau or payroll software — Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, BrightPay and more. It carries the operational and working-time fields payroll needs and deliberately leaves out sensitive data like bank details and tax identifiers, with clear gap signals where information is missing. HollyHR exports to payroll; it never runs it.

Automate it with the API

Beyond the export button, HollyHR ships a documented public REST API with an OpenAPI spec and a TypeScript SDK, so your people, time off and documents can flow into whatever tools you use. API read access is included on every plan, even Free.

What you get today

  • One-action organisation export: a bundle of CSV files covering people, employment and compensation history, departments, bank details, time off, documents and more.
  • Uploaded document files included in the export, organised by person, with a manifest listing every file and the reason for any that could not be included.
  • Per-person subject-access export for GDPR Article 15, with encrypted fields decrypted server-side for the record.
  • Payroll-readiness export for UK bureaus and software (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, BrightPay and others), with sensitive fields deliberately left out and missing-data signals included.
  • Public REST API with an OpenAPI spec and a TypeScript SDK; API read access on every plan, including Free.
  • Native webhooks for real events, such as people joining, changing or leaving and time off booked, changed or cancelled.
  • CSV and Excel import with smart field mapping when you arrive, including BreatheHR export files.
  • Every export recorded in your audit trail, naming who exported what and when.

On the roadmap coming soon

  • Built-in report viewsHeadcount, time off, turnover and compensation report views inside the app. Today you export to CSV or the API and report in your tool of choice.
  • Scheduled exportsSet an export to run and deliver on a schedule, rather than starting each one by hand.
  • Named payroll and accounting integrationsDirect connections to specific payroll and accounting providers, building on today's payroll-readiness export.

Questions people ask

Can I export my data from HollyHR if I leave?

Yes — everything, in one action, yourself. The export includes your people records, employment and compensation history, time off and the actual uploaded document files with a manifest, not just metadata. There's no exit process to go through and no fee.

Does the export include my uploaded documents?

It does. HollyHR includes the actual document files in the export, organised by person, alongside a manifest that lists every document. Any file too large for a single export is still recorded in the manifest so you know exactly what's there and what to retrieve separately.

What format is the HollyHR data export?

Your organisation export is a set of CSV files — one per data area such as people, time off, documents and compensation — bundled together with your document files and a manifest. CSV opens in any spreadsheet tool and imports cleanly into other HR systems.

How do I handle a subject access request in HollyHR?

Open the person's profile and run their subject-access export. HollyHR assembles their complete personal-data bundle across every record type, decrypts protected fields for the record, and logs the export in your audit trail. It's built for the UK one-month GDPR deadline.

Can HollyHR export data to my payroll software?

Yes. HollyHR produces a payroll-readiness export for UK bureaus and payroll software such as Xero, Sage, QuickBooks and BrightPay. It carries the operational and working-time fields payroll needs and flags anything missing. HollyHR exports to payroll; it does not run payroll itself.

Does HollyHR have an API for getting my data out?

Yes. HollyHR ships a documented public REST API with an OpenAPI spec and a TypeScript SDK, plus native webhooks for real events. API read access is included on every plan, including Free, so your people and time-off data can flow into other tools automatically.

How do I move my data into HollyHR when I switch?

Export your people data from your current system as CSV — HollyHR reads standard spreadsheets and BreatheHR export files — then use the importer, which suggests field mappings for you and shows a preview before anything is saved. Most teams are set up in an afternoon.

Is there a fee or a waiting period to export my data?

No. Your export is always available in the app, runs on demand, and costs nothing. There's no lock-in and no offboarding process — the point is that your data is yours whether you stay or go.

Free for your first 10 people

The whole core product, no card, no trial clock — and everything exports if you ever want to leave.

Related: Documents · People records · Onboarding