Which export format should I choose? (Markdown, CSV, media, or both)
Compare PostSnag's four export formats, Markdown, CSV, media only, and data plus media, and see which one fits what you're about to do next.
Written By PostSnag
Last updated 29 days ago
PostSnag exports every profile, group, and your whole Posts library in four formats, and the right one comes down to where the file is headed next: CSV for a spreadsheet, Markdown for an AI assistant or a plain read-through, Media only for the real video and image files, and Data plus media when you want both together in one folder.
What CSV gives you
CSV exports a flat table, one row per post, that opens cleanly in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. The columns, in order, are:
- Posted: the post's date
- Type: Video, Photo, Album, Link, or Text
- Reactions: the total reaction count
- Comments and Shares: their respective counts
- Content: the post's caption text
- Post_URL: a link back to the post on Facebook
- Media_URLs: link(s) to the post's captured image or cover image
- Link_Title and Link_URL: the title and address of an external link preview, if the post shares one
Reach for CSV when you want to sort posts by reactions, comments, or shares; build a pivot table or chart; filter and re-filter without going back to the dashboard; or combine several exports into one working sheet.
What Markdown gives you
Markdown exports a structured, readable document instead of a table:
- A heading with the profile's name and
@username - Its bio, if it has one
- A totals block: posts exported, total reactions, total comments, and total shares
- A link to the profile on Facebook
- One section per post, each headed with its number, type, and date, showing that post's reactions, comments, and shares, its caption, any link preview, and a link to the post itself
Reach for Markdown when you want to read through a set of posts start to finish, paste the whole file into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and ask it questions, share a clean human-readable file with a teammate or client, or keep a caption and its link preview attached to one post instead of split across spreadsheet columns.
What Media only gives you
Media only is a zip file of the actual video, reel, and image files behind your captured posts: the real playable files, not thumbnails and not links. There's no caption, no engagement numbers, no dates, just the media itself.
Reach for Media only when you want to repost, re-edit, archive, or watch the content directly, or when you're building a folder of raw clips and don't need the data attached.
What Data plus media gives you
Data plus media bundles both of the above into a single zip: your post data and the real video and image files together in one folder, so you don't have to run two separate exports and match them up by hand afterward.
[SCREENSHOT: A folder view of a Data plus media zip, showing the data file next to the actual video and image files it covers]
Reach for Data plus media when you want to hand a complete package to an AI tool that can read the captions and watch the videos in the same pass, or when you're archiving a profile or group in full, data and visuals together.
All four side by side
Pick based on where the data is going
If you're about to open a spreadsheet, export CSV. If you're about to paste text into an AI chat, export Markdown. If you want the actual files to repost or archive, export Media only. If you want an AI tool to read captions and watch videos in one shot, export Data plus media.
Every format is available through both export mechanisms, the Export dropdown for a whole profile, group, or your whole Posts library, and multi-select for just the posts you pick. See How do I export a profile, and what are the formats? Small Markdown and CSV pulls are instant; a media zip across a lot of video may run in the background, so see How do big exports and export notifications work?
What stays identical no matter which you choose
- The same posts. Whatever you exported, the whole profile through the Export dropdown or your own multi-select pick, is what ends up in the file or zip, in every format you choose for it.
- Reactions as a total only. None of the four formats break reactions down into like, love, haha, wow, sad, and angry, not even the data file bundled inside a Data plus media zip. That breakdown only appears in the dashboard itself. See What is included in a PostSnag export? for the full list of what each format includes and leaves out.
- Markdown and CSV stay text. Neither one embeds an image or video file. They link out to the post and its cover image instead. The real files only travel in the two zip formats.
Common questions
Do all four formats contain different posts?
No. Whatever you selected, a whole profile through the Export dropdown or a multi-select pick, is what goes into every format. The difference is structure and content type, not which posts are covered.
Can I open a media zip in a spreadsheet?
No. Media only and Data plus media are zip files of real video and image files (plus a data file, for the latter). Use CSV if you want a spreadsheet.
Which format should I use for ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini?
Markdown or CSV both paste in as text; Markdown tends to read more naturally since each post is already a labeled section. If you want the AI tool to actually watch the videos, export Data plus media instead. See How do I analyze Facebook posts with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini?
Does Data plus media include the reaction breakdown?
No. The data file inside still reports a total only, the same rule as a standalone Markdown or CSV export.
Does a Group or the Posts page offer all four formats too?
Yes. Every scope, a profile, a group, or your whole Posts library, offers the same four formats through the same two export mechanisms.
Related articles
- How do I export a profile, and what are the formats?
- What is included in a PostSnag export?
- How do I analyze Facebook posts with ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini?
- How do big exports and export notifications work?
- How do I export a Facebook Group's posts?