---
title: Export and import database
slug: dxp/docs/export-database
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-30T20:33:07.109Z
---

You can export the Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) or Optimizely Customized Commerce database to a `bacpac` file using the API or using the PaaS portal.

When you export a database, it triggers an export job for the requested database. The export job copies the requested database from the requested environment to a database in the Integration environment to avoid performance issues in the production environment when the export runs. It then exports to a `bacpac` file from the copied database and stores it on BLOB storage.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
The export or import database process can take from a few hours to several days (in extreme cases). You can export only one database at a time.
:::

The following sections describe operations to export the database to a `.bacpac` file using the API.

## Export database

### Request

`POST api/v1.0/projects/{projectId}/environments/{environment}/databases/{databaseName}/exports`

### Parameters

| Name         | Type   | Description                                                         |
| ------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| databaseName | string | The name of the requested database Valid names: epicms, epicommerce |
| environment  | string | The name of the environment of the requested database               |
| projectId    | Guid   | The identifier of the project of the requested database             |

### Body

```csharp
{
  retentionHours : 12             
}
```

| Name           | Type | Description                                                                                |
| -------------- | ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| retentionHours | int  | Total hours that the \`bacpac\` is retained in the \`bacpacs\` container Default value: 24 |

### Response

```csharp
{
  Id           : guid,
  projectId    : guid,
  environment  : string,
  databaseName : string,
  status       : string,
  downloadLink : string                                                         
}
```

## Get export database

This API gets the information about the export job triggered by an export database operation.

### Request

`GET api/v1.0/projects/{projectId}/environments/{environment}/databases/{databaseName}/exports/id`

### Parameter

| Name | Type | Description                      |
| ---- | ---- | -------------------------------- |
| id   | Guid | The identifier of the export job |

### Response

(Same as a response for Export database operation.)

```csharp
{
  Id           : guid,
  projectId    : guid,
  environment  : string,
  databaseName : string,
  status       : string,
  downloadLink : string                                                         
}
```

## Import database

Importing a database is considered a deployment and is only available for integration and additional environments.

### Database package naming convention

```text
<app name>.<package type>.sqldb.<version>.bacpac
```

- `App name` – Optional. Must not contain spaces or special characters.
- `Package types` – Valid package types are:
  - cms (primary web app)
  - commerce (commerce manager)
- `Version` – You can specify it differently, using a date format or a version number.

The SQL DB packages should be the `bacpac` file for the database because this is already a compressed file (zip file with a `bacpac` extension). Nothing more is needed.

Example: `myapp.commerce.sqldb.1.0.0.bacpac`

### Import database with Deployment API

Add credentials to the PowerShell scope; see [Deploy using PowerShell](docId\:gdAi6HCsKQ6a79_xuvErE).

```powershell
Connect-EpiCloud -ClientKey <ClientKey> -ClientSecret <ClientSecret> -ProjectId <ProjectId>
```

To upload a database package to your DXP project, run `Get-EpiDeploymentPackageLocation` to get the SAS link where the package should be uploaded and `Add-EpiDeploymentPackage` to upload that package.

```powershell
$saslink = Get-EpiDeploymentPackageLocation  
Add-EpiDeploymentPackage -SasUrl $saslink -Path C:\\MyDeploymentPackages\\myapp.commerce.sqldb.1.0.0.bacpac
```

The `bacpac` file is now available to be imported to a target environment.

To import databases to a target environment, use the following command:

```powershell
Start-EpiDeployment -DeploymentPackage @('myapp.commerce.sqldb.1.0.0.bacpac') -TargetEnvironment Integration -DirectDeploy
```

This  replaces an existing database.

`Start-EpiDeployment` returns details of the deployment, including the deployment ID. To get the details of a specific import database deployment, specify the ID of that deployment. It returns the same type of object as `Start-EpiDeployment`.

```powershell
PS> Get-EpiDeployment -Id 2a52c873-b39c-4f44-b842-aab5009c3060
 
id                 : 2a52c873-b39c-4f44-b842-aab5009c3060
projectId          : 2a561398-d517-4634-9bc4-aab5008a8e1a
status             : InProgress
startTime          : 2019-08-26T09:28:39.479Z
endTime            :
percentComplete    : 2
validationLinks    : {}
deploymentErrors   : {}
deploymentWarnings : {}
parameters         : @{targetEnvironment=Integration; packages=System.Object[]; maintenancePage=False}
```

### Test tools

- Postman
- Epicloud
  - Start-EpiDatabaseExport
  - Get-EpiDatabaseExport
  - Get-EpiDeploymentPackageLocation
  - Add-EpiDeploymentPackage
  - Start-EpiDeployment
- Swagger
  - swagger/ui/index