How to Export a SQL Server Table to CSV

How do I export a SQL Server table to CSV with bcp?

Exporting a SQL Server table to CSV writes row data to a delimited text file that can be opened in spreadsheets or loaded into other systems.

Welcome to the Galaxy, Guardian!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Description

Why export a table to CSV?

CSV is portable, human-readable, and supported by Excel, BI tools, and other databases. Exporting makes ad-hoc analysis, data exchange, and backups simple.

What are the main export options?

Use bcp (command-line), sqlcmd with -o, SSMS Export Wizard, or PowerShell. bcp is fastest and script-friendly, so this guide focuses on it.

How do I export a single table?

Run bcp dbo.Customers out C:\exports\customers.csv -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T.The switch -c outputs char data, -t , sets the comma delimiter, and -T enables trusted Windows auth.

Can I export filtered rows?

Supply a queryout: bcp "SELECT * FROM dbo.Orders WHERE order_date >= '2024-01-01'" queryout C:\exports\recent_orders.csv -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T.

What about headers?

bcp does not add headers.Prefix them by piping PowerShell: "id,name,email" | Out-File -Encoding ascii C:\exports\customers.csv; bcp "SELECT id,name,email FROM dbo.Customers" queryout C:\exports\customers.csv -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T -a 32768 -C ACP -Append.

How do I schedule exports?

Create a SQL Agent job or Windows Task Scheduler entry that runs the .bat or PowerShell script containing your bcp command.

Best practices

Write to a staging folder with write permissions.
Quote paths with spaces.
Use trusted auth (-T) or securely store credentials (-U/-P).
Validate file size and record count post-export.

Why How to Export a SQL Server Table to CSV is important

How to Export a SQL Server Table to CSV Example Usage


REM Export all paid Orders in 2024 to CSV
bcp "SELECT o.id,o.order_date,o.total_amount,c.name,c.email FROM dbo.Orders o JOIN dbo.Customers c ON c.id=o.customer_id WHERE YEAR(o.order_date)=2024" queryout "C:\exports\orders_2024.csv" -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T

How to Export a SQL Server Table to CSV Syntax


bcp {[[database_name].schema].table_name | "query"} {out | queryout} data_file
  [-S server_name[\instance]]      -- SQL Server instance
  [-d database_name]               -- Target database
  [-T | -U username -P password]   -- Authentication
  [-c]                             -- Character data, no format file
  [-t field_term]                  -- Field delimiter (comma)
  [-r row_term]                    -- Row delimiter (\n)
  [-C {ACP | OEM | RAW | code_page}]-- Code page
Example (full table):
bcp dbo.Customers out "C:\exports\customers.csv" -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T
Example (query with join):
bcp "SELECT c.id,c.name,p.name,p.price FROM dbo.Customers c JOIN dbo.Orders o ON o.customer_id=c.id JOIN dbo.OrderItems oi ON oi.order_id=o.id JOIN dbo.Products p ON p.id=oi.product_id" queryout "C:\exports\customer_products.csv" -c -t , -S localhost -d EcommerceDB -T

Common Mistakes

Omitting the -t switch and relying on defaults. Default delimiter is TAB, so opening in Excel shows single-column data. Always add <code>-t ,</code> (or \t) to control delimiters.
Running bcp without database context (-d). If the login’s default DB differs, you may export from the wrong database or get "object not found" errors. Add <code>-d EcommerceDB</code>.