---
title: "Start a bulk export"
method: POST
path: "/v1/export"
tags: ["Images"]
---

# Start a bulk export

`POST /v1/export`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.pixelvault.dev`
- URL: `https://api.pixelvault.dev/v1/export`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Start an asynchronous export of every image in the project into a downloadable tar archive (plus a manifest.json of id, filename, storage key, URL, and metadata per image). Your data is always portable — no lock-in. Returns a job; poll status_url until complete, then download. Auth is project-scoped: pass a secret key to export that key's project, or a dashboard token together with a project_id query parameter.

## Query parameters

- `project_id` string

## Response `202`

Export job accepted. Poll status_url until status is 'complete'.

- object
  - `job_id` string
  - `status` string
  - `image_count` integer
  - `status_url` string

## Other responses

- `400`: project_id required (dashboard-token auth)
- `401`: Invalid or missing credentials
- `403`: Publishable key used (secret key required)
- `404`: Project not found for this account
- `409`: An export for this project is already in progress

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/pixelvault/apis/pixelvault-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/pixelvault/apis/pixelvault-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/pixelvault/apis/pixelvault-api/revisions/6332d8c3f8e0?raw)