> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.dashsocial.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Download dashboard as Excel

> Download Dash Social dashboard data as XLSX files using the API for automated reporting and offline analysis.

This guide shows you how to download dashboard data as Excel files using the Dash Social API. You'll get the same data you see in the Dashboards UI exported in XLSX format for offline analysis, automated reporting, or sharing with stakeholders.

<Info>
  **Same format as UI downloads:** The Excel file format matches what you get when downloading from the Dash Social UI. The API automates the process and gives you control over custom date ranges.

  For how to download dashboards from the UI, see this [Help Center article](https://help.dashsocial.com/hc/en-us/articles/4411712032397-Introduction-to-Dashboards#h_01JHRPX0AJZ821P2WNGQT5D8Q2).
</Info>

***

## Use cases

The Dash Social UI lets you schedule dashboard emails, but the API goes further. Generate Excel exports with any date range on demand. This makes it ideal for automating reporting workflows and ingesting dashboard data directly into your data pipeline, eliminating manual downloads.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Custom Date Ranges">
    Generate reports with dynamic ranges like "last Saturday to Sunday" that scheduled emails can't handle.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automated Reporting">
    Pull dashboard data programmatically for executive reports, pipelines, or offline analysis. No manual exports required.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Before you start

Make sure you have:

* **Dashboard ID** - The unique identifier for the dashboard you want to download
* **API Key** - Your authentication token from Dash Social

If you need help getting your API key, check out our [API Quickstart](https://developer.dashsocial.com/guides/get-started/quickstart).

<Info>
  **Finding your dashboard ID:** There's currently a limitation with the API. You cannot retrieve dashboard IDs programmatically. As a workaround, open the dashboard you want to download in the Dash Social app and look at the URL in your browser. The dashboard ID is the number immediately after `/dashboards/`.

  Examples:

  * `https://app.dashsocial.com/dashboards/33710/another-test-dashboard` → Dashboard ID is `33710`
  * `https://app.dashsocial.com/dashboards/62443` → Dashboard ID is `62443`
</Info>

***

## Implementation

### Step 1: Generate the Excel export

Send a GET request to generate the Excel file. The API creates a downloadable export with your specified date range and time breakdown.

<Info>
  **Generation time:** This request may take a few seconds or longer depending on dashboard complexity and data volume. The API needs time to compile all metrics, graphs, and content data into the Excel file.
</Info>

```http theme={null}
GET https://dashboard.dashsocial.com/dashboards/33710?start_date=2025-11-01&end_date=2025-11-30&context_start_date=2025-11-01&context_end_date=2025-11-30&time_scale=DAILY&direct_download=true
```

#### Key query parameters

* `start_date` / `end_date`: Your reporting date range. This determines which posts and activity are included. You can set any custom date range, including dynamic ranges like "last Saturday to this Sunday" that are not available with scheduled emails.

* `context_start_date` / `context_end_date`: Your comparison period for trend analysis. Set these to match your reporting dates if you don't need comparison data.

* `time_scale`: The granularity of time-series data. Options:
  * `DAILY`: Break down metrics by day
  * `WEEKLY`: Group metrics by week
  * `MONTHLY`: Group metrics by month

* `direct_download=true`: Required. Always set this to `true` to generate an Excel file.

<Tip>
  **Dynamic date ranges:** Set date ranges programmatically in your code to create custom reporting periods. For example, calculate "last Saturday to this Sunday" dynamically and pass those dates to the API.
</Tip>

<Info>
  **Date format:** Use `YYYY-MM-DD` format for date parameters (e.g., `2025-11-01`). You can optionally include time: `2025-08-10T02:00:00`. If you omit the time, it defaults to midnight UTC.
</Info>

#### Sample response

The API returns a JSON object with a URL to download the Excel file:

```json theme={null}
{
    "url": "https://dashsocial-static.s3.amazonaws.com/exports/xlsx/another-test-dashboard-2025-11-01-to-2025-11-30-1768485589.0119486-5db9a8cd5220872fac439f904d350bfd.xlsx"
}
```

***

### Step 2: Download the Excel file

Use the URL from the response to download the Excel file. The file contains all dashboard data organized into sheets and tables.

The Excel file includes:

* **METRICS sheet**: Summary totals for the reporting period with comparison data
* **GRAPHS sheet**: Time-series data broken down by your chosen `time_scale`. Charts are exported as data tables with numeric values (not visual graphs).
* **Content sheets**: Post-level data organized by platform (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.)

The file includes data from all brands configured in your dashboard. If you set multiple brands in the Dashboards UI, the Excel export will contain metrics and content from all of them combined.

You can open this file in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application.

<Tip>
  **Programmatic downloads:** In your code, you'll need to:

  1. Make the GET request to the dashboard endpoint
  2. Parse the JSON response to extract the `url` field
  3. Download the file from that URL
  4. Save it to your local filesystem or send it where you need it

  Example in Python:

  ```python theme={null}
  import requests

  # Step 1: Request the dashboard export
  response = requests.get('https://dashboard.dashsocial.com/dashboards/33710?...')
  file_url = response.json()['url']

  # Step 2: Download the Excel file
  file_response = requests.get(file_url)
  with open('dashboard.xlsx', 'wb') as f:
      f.write(file_response.content)
  ```
</Tip>

***

## Next steps

* [Export Dashboard Report Data via API →](/guides/export-dashboard-data)
* [Fetch Metric Report Data via API →](/guides/metric-report)
* [Visualize Time-Series Metrics with Graph Report →](/guides/graph-report)
* [View the Full API Reference →](https://developers.dashsocial.com/reference/get_dashboards-id)