Export data in bulk export via REST API
Usage Insights data export is a store app that enables you to programmatically export Usage Insights (UXA) usage data from your ServiceNow® instance for integration with your enterprise analytics platform.
Overview of Usage Insights data export with REST API
Usage Insights data export delivers an asynchronous REST API endpoint that processes export requests in the background and streams results as JSON batches to a dedicated Kafka topic. Unlike manual export from the Usage Insights dashboard, data export is designed for programmatic, large-volume, recurring data movement scenarios.
The data export process follows a request-and-response model:
- You submit an export request to the API, specifying the data source, columns, and optional filters.
- The instance validates the request and returns a job ID immediately—the data itself is not returned in the API response.
- The export is processed asynchronously. As results are produced, they are published in batches to a dedicated Kafka topic provisioned for your instance.
You consume result batches from the topic using a standard Kafka client, secured with SSL certificates.
Note: Usage Insights data export supports events data source.
Data export compared to Usage Insights dashboard export
The Usage Insights dashboard provides a built-in export function for quick and small-volume data downloads. Data export is a different capability designed for different use cases:
| Feature | Usage Insights Dashboard Export | Data Export Store App |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Suitable for small-volume, quick exports | Handles large volumes on a recurring schedule (up to 100 GB per account per month) |
| Frequency | Manual export triggered by dashboard user | Programmatic export driven by automated API calls and scheduled jobs |
| Result format | Downloaded as CSV or JSON file | Streamed as JSON batches to a Kafka topic |
| Integration | User downloads and transfers file manually | Results flow directly into your Kafka consumer environment for real-time ingestion |
| Asynchronous processing | Synchronous response; export completes before download | Asynchronous; results arrive on the topic as processing completes |
When to use data export
Use data export to:
- Integrate with analytics platforms: Bring ServiceNow® usage data into tools like Power BI, Tableau, or your enterprise data warehouse so you can analyze it alongside data from other sources.
- Build cross-platform user journeys: Create end-to-end views of user behavior that spans ServiceNow and other platforms in your technology stack.
- Move large volumes on a recurring schedule: Export large amounts of usage data daily, weekly, or on another recurring cadence without the manual overhead of dashboard export.
- Automate data pipelines: Embed export requests into scheduled workflows so data flows directly to your analytics infrastructure without manual intervention.
Rate and usage limits
| Limit | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requests per hour | 60 per instance | Shared across all users and applications on the instance. Additional requests are throttled. |
| Result retention | 36 hours | Results remain on the topic for 36 hours. Consume them before they expire. |
| Date range per request | Up to 90 days | A single request can't span more than 90 days. |
| Monthly export volume | 100 GB per account/ month | Applies per customer account, aggregated across instances, on a calendar-month basis (Base tier). |
Note: Select the columns you need and apply filters to keep export volume within the rate and usage limits.
- Setting up data export via REST API
Submit an export request to the Usage Insights data export API to extract UXA usage data asynchronously and consume results from a Kafka topic. - Setting up a secure connection to Hermes
Configure SSL encryption for your Kafka consumers by generating an instance-signed certificate and configuring your Kafka client with SSL to securely connect to the managed Hermes cluster and consume data export results.
Parent Topic:Using Usage Insights