Source: https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-export

# nylas audit export

Export audit logs to JSON or CSV for compliance, analysis, or backup.

Written by [Qasim Muhammad](https://cli.nylas.com/authors/qasim-muhammad) Staff SRE

Published February 13, 2026

Updated June 21, 2026

## What does nylas audit export do?

The nylas audit export command writes audit log entries to a JSON or CSV file for compliance reporting, external analysis, or backup before clearing logs. Filter by date range with --since and --until. Pipe to stdout by default, or save to a file with -o. Supports SOC 2 and internal audit workflows.

## Usage

```bash
nylas audit export [-o FILE] [--format json|csv] [--since DATE]
```

## Flags

| Flag | Description |
| --- | --- |
| --json | Output as JSON |
| --no-color | Disable color output |
| --verbose(-v) | Enable verbose output |
| --config | Custom config file path |
| --help(-h) | Show help for the command |
| --limit(-n) | Maximum number of entries to export |
| --yes(-y) | Skip confirmations |
| --output(-o) | Output file path (default: stdout) |
| --format | Export format: json or csv (default: json) |
| --since | Export entries after this date |
| --until | Export entries before this date |

## Examples

The nylas audit export command writes audit log entries to a JSON or CSV file for compliance reporting, external analysis, or backup before clearing logs.

### Export to JSON file

```bash
nylas audit export -o audit-logs.json
```

### Export as CSV

```bash
nylas audit export --format csv -o audit-logs.csv
```

### Export date range

```bash
nylas audit export --since "2024-01-01" --until "2024-02-01" -o january.json
```

### Pipe to jq for analysis

```bash
nylas audit export | jq '[.[] | .command] | group_by(.) | map({command: .[0], count: length})'
```

### Backup before clearing

```bash
nylas audit export -o backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).json
nylas audit logs clear --force
```

## Example output

```text
✓ Exported 142 entries to audit.json
  Format: json
  Range: 2024-01-01 to 2024-01-31
```

## Troubleshooting

### Export file is empty

Check that audit logs exist with `nylas audit logs show`. Verify the date range if using --since/--until.

### CSV formatting issues

Some fields contain commas. Use --format json for complex log data or a proper CSV parser.

## Related commands

[nylas audit config setSet an audit configuration value. Valid keys: retention_days, max_size_mb, rotate_daily, compress_old, log_request_id, log_api_details.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-config-set)

[nylas audit config showShow the current audit configuration, including log path, retention, rotation, and compression settings.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-config-show)

[nylas audit initInitialize audit logging for the Nylas CLI. Creates the log directory, default configuration, and optionally enables logging immediately.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-init)

[nylas audit logs clearClear all audit log entries. This is a destructive action — consider exporting logs first with `nylas audit export`.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-logs-clear)

[nylas audit logs disableDisable audit logging. Stops recording CLI activity to the audit log file.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-logs-disable)

[nylas audit logs enableEnable audit logging. Records all CLI activity to a local log file for compliance and debugging.](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands/audit-logs-enable)

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Run `nylas audit export --help` for full help output.