For SalesOps managers and other business users, exporting data from PostgreSQL is often a difficult process. SalesOps managers lack the SQL programming skills to facilitate data exports in PostgreSQL.
And even if they learn the necessary SQL commands, the process takes a lot of time. They must run the code, download CSV files, and manually copy and paste the data into their spreadsheets.
We hear this complaint about exporting database data frequently from our customers. That’s why we want to create a centralized blog that shows the main methods for exporting data from PostgreSQL.
Here are the top 3 methods for exporting PostgreSQL data, from manual SQL code to full automation with Coefficient.
Why export data from PostgreSQL?
With native CRM platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot, why would SalesOps managers want to pull data from PostgreSQL? A PostgreSQL database can enrich the sales data that SalesOps managers rely on every day.
PostgreSQL delivers data from many different systems in a centralized database. A PostgreSQL database also has important sales and customer metrics that have already been transformed by SQL. SalesOps managers can use this PostgreSQL data to augment their forecasts and dashboards.
Why export CSV files from PostgreSQL?
For SalesOps managers and other business users, extracting data from PostgreSQL isn’t usually easy. For starters, most business users don’t know SQL and can’t leverage PostgreSQL in any capacity.
That’s why business users often turn to the data team to access PostgreSQL data. But the data team operates on a long, crowded tail. And waiting in this queue slows down business users considerably. As a result, 63% of business users do not receive information about their required deadlines.
To top it off, many of the systems used by business users do not offer integrations with PostgreSQL. For business users, the best option is usually to memorize SQL fragments so they can export PostgreSQL data to a CSV file. Then, after all that, they need to copy and paste the data into their preferred data analytics platform: spreadsheets.
If the whole process sounds inefficient and convoluted, that’s because it is. Fortunately, there are other options that automate PostgreSQL data extractions. Read the next section to discover all the different ways to export data from PostgreSQL.
How to export data from
PostgreSQL: Top
Methods 3 Method 1: Coefficient
Extracting data from PostgreSQL often requires you to run numerous import, export, and synchronization tasks. Many of these steps involve coding in SQL. However, thanks to Coefficient, SalesOps managers can pull their data from PostgreSQL to Google Sheets without the hassle. Here’s why:
- Coefficient pulls data from the PostgreSQL database quickly. All that is required are the database connection details.
- Online coefficient data preview allows users to filter their PostgreSQL data tables to export only what they need. Users with programming skills can also run queries against the database.
- the same Google spreadsheet, allowing you to combine data from multiple sources to produce robust datasets that feed in-depth business analysis.
Coefficient allows you to connect to multiple databases in
Follow the steps below to export PostgreSQL data to Google Sheets
using Coefficient.
Step 1: Install the Coefficient plugin in Google Sheets by clicking on Extensions in the top menu. Then navigate to the Add-ons menu in the drop-down menu and click Get Add-ons.
Enter the coefficient in the Google Workspace Marketplace search bar. Click the Coefficient application and follow the steps to finish the installation.
Select your Google Account. Click Allow to authorize Coefficient access to the permissions required to complete the installation.
After
installation, launch the Coefficient application from the Google Sheets menu. Click Extensions>Coefficient: Salesforce, HubSpot Data Connector>Launch.
Coefficient will be released as a side panel in Google Sheets. You can now start extracting PostgreSQL data into your Google spreadsheet.
Step 2: ClickI mport on the side panel Coefficient on the right side of the screen.
Click PostgreSQL from the
Choose whether to import from tables or using SQL queries. Coefficient allows you to run SQL queries against your PostgreSQL database directly from Google Sheets
Then select Import from tables
.
Enter the necessary details such as host, database user name, password, port, and IP addresses to enable the database connection
.
Click Connect. After a successful connection, Coefficient will load the PostgreSQL schema.
Select the data and table you want to import. Coefficient provides an online data preview for PostgreSQL. This online preview provides a GUI that allows users to import tables, columns, and data.
The preview also allows you to apply custom filters and limits to your imports, meaning you don’t have to use SQL queries to extract your data.
Click Import. Your data will automatically populate the spreadsheet in seconds.
Method 2: Basic
SQL to CSV You can copy
PostgreSQL data to your local system by using
the COPY command in SQL. Using the COPY command The COPY command
can involve two different scenarios
: If you want to copy all the columns of the database table into a CSV file
, take advantage of the following instruction:
COPY
TUTORIAL TO ‘file path’ DELIMITER ‘,’ CSV HEADER;
The preceding command copies a table with all its columns into a CSV file.
If you only want to include specific columns of a table in the CSV export, include the columns to copy in parentheses after the table name:
COPY tutorial(first_name,last_name,email) TO ‘file path’ DELIMITER ‘,’ CSV HEADER;
Copy files with the copy command
When a PostgreSQL server cannot be read, you can generate a CSV file by copying, a built-in PostgreSQL command.
copy is exactly the same as the COPY command, except that the server does not write the CSV file. Rather, psql writes the CSV file to your local system.
Here’s how
to copy all columns of a table into a CSV file using the copy command: copy (SELECT * FROM tutorial) to ‘Users/kevin/Downloads/test/raw_data.csv’ with CSV;
The above command extracts all columns in ‘tutorial’ (our sample database table) into a CSV file ‘Users/kevin/Downloads
/
test/raw_data.csv
‘
Method 3: Export
PostgreSQL Data with Skyvia
Here’s how to create a Skyvia-PostgreSQL connection to import data from our PostgreSQL database and export it back to
CSV.
Skyvia is a no-code cloud integration platform that extracts, transforms, and loads data from multiple sources such as CSV files, SaaS, and databases. In addition, Skyvia allows users to schedule imports and provides backups for fault tolerance.
First, log in to your Skyvia account. Sign up if this is your first time using it.
After logging in, click New, and then select Connection from the left menu
.
Select PostgreSQL from the connector page list. You can enter the name of the database in the search bar.
Enter your PostgreSQL connection details such as server, user ID, port and password, database name and click Create Connection.
Click Test Connection to test our database connection. A successful connection message appears at the top left of the screen.
Now let’s export PostgreSQL data to a CSV. Click New and select Export from the Integration menu.
Enter PostgreSQL as the connection source in Source and select CSV(Download manually) in Target
Click Add New under Task. The task editor appears.
Select the object you want to export. In this case, we will select the user’s object and filter to obtain the columns we want.
Click
Next Step to view the output columns and click Save
. 
Choose Save to default workspace
.
Click Run to begin exporting. A pop-up window will appear on the screen to confirm your permission.
Click OK. 
Click Monitor and view the result of the execution. A successful export will look like the one shown below.
Exporting PostgreSQL Data
: What Works for You?
There are several ways for business users to extract data from PostgreSQL, but Coefficient is by far the easiest option. Coefficient automatically extracts tables and columns from PostgreSQL directly into your Google spreadsheets. That means you don’t need to learn or memorize any SQL. Try Coefficient for free now and start extracting PostgreSQL data into your Google Sheets instantly.