You can export data from a SELECT query directly to an Amazon S3 location using COPY TO. This method is more flexible and efficient than downloading query results manually from the Firebolt Workspace, making it ideal for data sharing, integration, and archival.

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How to export data

The following code example uses COPY TO to export the result of a SELECT query from my_table to a specified Amazon S3 bucket in CSV format using the provided AWS credentials: 
COPY (
    SELECT column1, column2 FROM my_table WHERE condition
) 
TO 's3://your-bucket/path/'
WITH (FORMAT = 'CSV')
CREDENTIALS = ('aws_key_id'='your-key' 'aws_secret_key'='your-secret');

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Choose the right export format

FormatBest ForCharacteristicsRecommended Use
CSV (Comma-Separated)General data exchange, spreadsheets, SQL.Simple, widely supported, and easy to read.Best for spreadsheets, databases, or general data exchange.
TSV (Tab-Separated)Structured text data.Like CSV, but uses tabs instead of commas.Best for Excel, databases, or general data exchange.
JSONAPIs, web applications, NoSQL databases.Flexible, human-readable, and supports nested data.Best for web apps, APIs, or NoSQL integrations.
PARQUETBig data processing, analytics workloads.Compressed, columnar, and optimized for querying.Ideal for analytics, performance-sensitive workloads, and large datasets.

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Examples

Export data in CSV format Use CSV when you need a simple, widely supported format for spreadsheets, relational databases, or data exchange. The following code example exports user_id, event_type, and timestamp data and headers from the user_events table to a CSV file in an Amazon S3 bucket: 
COPY (SELECT user_id, event_type, timestamp FROM user_events) 
TO 's3://my-export-bucket/user_events.csv'
WITH (FORMAT = 'CSV', HEADER = TRUE)
CREDENTIALS = ('aws_key_id'='your-key' 'aws_secret_key'='your-secret');
Export data in Parquet format Parquet is best for big data workloads, as it offers compressed, columnar storage optimized for analytics and query performance. The following code example exports all data from the sales_data table to an Amazon S3 bucket in Parquet format using the provided AWS credentials: 
COPY (SELECT * FROM sales_data) 
TO 's3://my-export-bucket/sales_data.parquet'
WITH (FORMAT = 'PARQUET')
CREDENTIALS = ('aws_key_id'='your-key' 'aws_secret_key'='your-secret');
Export data in JSON format JSON is ideal for APIs, web applications, and NoSQL databases, as it supports nested and flexible data structures. The following code example exports order_id and order_details from the orders table to an Amazon S3 bucket in JSON format using the provided AWS credentials: 
COPY (SELECT order_id, order_details FROM orders) 
TO 's3://my-export-bucket/orders.json'
WITH (FORMAT = 'JSON')
CREDENTIALS = ('aws_key_id'='your-key' 'aws_secret_key'='your-secret');
Export data in TSV format TSV is similar to CSV but uses tab delimiters, making it useful for structured text data that may contain commas. The following code example exports name, age, and city from the customers table to an Amazon S3 bucket in TSV format using the provided AWS credentials: 
COPY (SELECT name, age, city FROM customers) 
TO 's3://my-export-bucket/customers.tsv'
WITH (FORMAT = 'TSV')
CREDENTIALS = ('aws_key_id'='your-key' 'aws_secret_key'='your-secret');

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Additional Considerations

Performance tips
  • Export only required columns and use filters to reduce data volume
  • Ensure proper permissions are set on your S3 bucket
Security and credentials
  • Always use secure AWS credentials.
  • Use IAM roles instead setting credentials directly in the code for better security.

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Next Steps

For more information about advanced options including compression, partitioning, and null handling, see COPY TO.