# Scheduling an export

Instead of exporting an audience manually every time, you can schedule an export to run once in the future, or repeat on a daily, weekly, monthly, or other recurring basis.

> [!NOTE]
>
> To schedule an export, your organisation must have the [Analyser bundle or above](<https://www.apteco.com/products/pricing>).
>
> For **Public File Server Folder** or **Private File Server Folder** exports, an administrator must also enable the relevant setting in [Application Settings \> Audience Settings](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/reference/admin/application-settings/audience-settings/index.md>): **Allow Export to File Server (Public Folder)** or **Allow Export to File Server (Private Folder)**.
>
> You must also have permission to **Export** the data you're exporting, plus access to the FTP site or file server folder you export to.

Scheduling is available when you export to an FTP site or file server folder.

## Set up a scheduled export

1. In your audience, select **\+ New Page**.
2. Under **Export Data**, select **Add**.

   > **Note**
   >
   > You can also create a data grid to export using the [Browse data solution](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/audiences/audience-workbooks/solutions/browse-data-solution/index.md>). Both methods create the same kind of data grid.
3. Choose the **Resolve Table** and **Delivery Channel**, either **File Server** or **FTP**, then select **Next**.
4. Choose your columns from the data variables, then select **Add**.
5. Open the data grid page's **option menu**, then select **Export**.
6. In **Export Options**, set **Export Type** to **FTP**, **Public File Server Folder**, or **Private File Server Folder**.
7. Enter a **File Name**, choose a **File Format**, and set any CSV or ZIP options. See [Exporting an audience](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/audiences/exporting-an-audience/#export-a-data-grid>).
8. Next to **Publish**, select **Edit**.
9. In the Schedule Export dialogue, select **Specific Time** under Publish.

   - Choose a **Date**, **Time**, and **Timezone**.
   - Select **Repeat** to make the export recur, then set how often it repeats (for example, every 1 **Week**) and, for a weekly schedule, which days it **Repeats On**.
   - Under **End**, choose **Never** or **At Date**.
10. Select **Save**.
11. Optionally, set **Append to Filename** to **Run Date** or **System Load Date** and pick a **Date Format**. The default is **Nothing**.

    > **Note**
    >
    > The user-defined custom date format available for scheduled tasks in FastStats (see [User-defined appended date formatting](<https://help.apteco.com/en/faststats/utilities/scheduled-tasks/#user-defined-appended-date-formatting>)) isn't available for Orbit scheduled exports yet.
12. Select **Export**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Scheduling for **Now** runs the export once and doesn't create a scheduled task. Choosing **Specific Time** creates a scheduled task that stays in place until you delete it. It recurs if you select **Repeat**, or runs once in the future otherwise.

## View schedule status

Once you've set up a scheduled export, a **Scheduled Export** indicator appears in the data grid page header, with an edit (pencil) icon beside it.

Hover over the indicator to see the next scheduled run or whether the last run succeeded or failed.

You can only have one scheduled export per audience. If a scheduled export already exists, select the edit (pencil) icon next to it to change it, rather than trying to set up a new one.

> [!TIP]
>
> Audiences with a scheduled export are also flagged in the main [Audiences list](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/audiences/using-audiences/index.md>), so you can spot them without opening each one.

> [!NOTE]
>
> A scheduled export doesn't run against a frozen copy of the audience. Each run always uses the latest saved version, so save any changes before the next scheduled run to make sure they're picked up.

## Edit a scheduled export

To change a scheduled export:

1. Select the edit (pencil) icon next to the **Scheduled Export** indicator.
2. Update the file name, file type, schedule, or other export options as required.
3. Select **Update**.

## Run a one-off export without changing your schedule

If an audience already has a recurring scheduled export configured, open the data grid page's **option menu** and select **Export** to run a one-off copy. This always runs immediately, with no schedule option, and doesn't overwrite or cancel the existing recurring schedule.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Don't use the edit (pencil) icon next to the **Scheduled Export** indicator to run a one-off copy. Selecting **Edit** next to **Schedule** there and choosing **Now** reschedules the recurring export's next run instead of creating a separate one-off.

## Delete a scheduled export

1. Select the edit (pencil) icon next to the **Scheduled Export** indicator.
2. Select **Delete**.
3. Confirm the deletion.

Once deleted, the scheduled task stops running and can't be recovered. Set up a new schedule if you need one again.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Deleting the audience itself also deletes any scheduled export associated with it.

## URN files

In addition to choosing **URN** as your output type, you can tick a checkbox to output a separate URN file alongside your main scheduled File Server export (for example, alongside a CSV).

> [!NOTE]
>
> This option isn't currently available for scheduled FTP exports. Support is planned for a future release.