Jira Export, Asana and Procore: Preserving Project-Software Data

Project-management platforms hold some of the richest operational data a business creates. Jira tracks issues and software work. Asana organises tasks and projects across teams. Procore manages construction projects, from RFIs and submittals to change orders and daily logs. When a business closes, these cloud accounts are usually cancelled and their histories deleted. This guide explains how to carry out a Jira export, and how to preserve Asana and Procore data, so the records survive with their structure intact.

Why project-software data is valuable

Project software records work as it happened. It shows tasks created, assigned, discussed, blocked, changed and completed, with timestamps at every step. Unlike a folder of documents, it shows the order of events and the decisions in between. That is exactly what AI developers want when they build systems that plan, track and carry out work. Read how to sell data to AI companies.

Jira export

Options

Jira Cloud admins can export issues to CSV from search results, or use the full site backup to export all data and attachments. Jira Data Center has XML backup options. Check Atlassian's current documentation, because features and limits change.

What to include

• issues with all fields, including custom fields
• comments and the full change history
• attachments
• links between issues, epics and sprints
• workflow and status definitions
• related Confluence spaces, if used

Tips

CSV exports from search results may be capped and may drop history, so use the full backup for completeness. Record the project keys and the meaning of custom fields.

Asana export

Options

Asana allows project exports in CSV and JSON. Admins on some plans can export organisation data. Check Asana's current guidance.

What to include

Tasks, subtasks, assignees, due dates, comments, attachments, custom fields, dependencies and project status updates. JSON keeps more structure than CSV.

Procore export

Options

Procore offers exports from individual tools, such as RFIs, submittals, drawings, change events and daily logs, along with reporting and API access. Procore can also provide project archives. Check with Procore and your account terms.

What to include

• drawings and revisions
• specifications
• RFIs and their responses
• submittals
• change events and change orders
• budgets and commitments
• daily logs, inspections, punch lists and observations

These link a construction project's design, cost and site events. See the construction archive guide.

Keep the links

The most common loss when exporting project software is the relationships between records. Make sure exports keep:

• unique identifiers for each item
• parent and child relationships, such as epic to story, task to subtask or change event to change order
• references to documents and drawings
• user identifiers, kept consistent across exports
• complete status and change history with timestamps

Store a data dictionary that explains the custom fields and statuses.

Personal data and confidentiality

Project tools hold names, comments, sometimes HR-related tasks, and client information. Before any licensing, remove or pseudonymise identities, exclude HR and personal projects, and check client confidentiality. Read anonymising data before a sale.

Linking to other systems

Project histories become more valuable when they connect to other records: Slack or Teams discussions (see exporting Slack data and Teams archives), CAD revisions (see CAD data and BIM archives), email, and accounting. Shared job numbers or issue keys make these connections possible.

Checklist before cancelling a subscription

1. Confirm admin access.
2. Check plan export limits.
3. Run full backups, not just CSV extracts.
4. Download attachments.
5. Verify the exports open and are complete.
6. Document custom fields and workflows.
7. Store securely and log access.

Where project data fits by sector

• Software and technology firms: see the software and technology records guide.
• Construction: see construction business types.
• Professional services: see the professional services records guide.

How McKays can help

McKays assesses whether preserved project-software data could be licensed responsibly. A description is enough to begin: the platform, number of projects, date range and how records link. See for advisers.

Common mistakes

• Relying on a CSV export from search results and assuming it is complete
• Deleting user accounts before exporting, which can orphan or anonymise their history in ways that break links
• Cancelling integrations that held part of the history, such as time tracking or code repositories linked to Jira issues
• Forgetting archived projects, which may be excluded from default exports

Code repositories

For software businesses, Jira issues often link to commits and pull requests in GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket. Preserving the repositories, with full history and the issue keys in commit messages, keeps the connection between what was planned and what was built.

Verify before cancelling

Open the exports and check a sample of issues, tasks or RFIs against the live system. Confirm that comments, history, attachments and links are all present.

FAQ

Does a Jira CSV export include history?

CSV exports from search usually contain current field values and may leave out the full change history. A full backup is more complete.

Can I export Asana to JSON?

Asana supports JSON export for projects. Check current plan features.

Can Procore data be archived?

Procore provides exports from its tools and project archive options. Ask Procore about your account.

What is the most important thing to keep?

Identifiers and links between records, along with timestamps and change history.

Is project data personal data?

Parts of it are, including names, comments and assignments. These can usually be pseudonymised.