This guide walks you through how to create, configure, run, and download results from a Download Events Workflow in Ecoscope.
This workflow type is designed to export Event data from your connected EarthRanger data source. Results are available in CSV or Parquet format, making it easy to use the data in external tools or for further analysis.
Results Dashboard
When a Download Events Workflow is successfully run, it produces a results dashboard with a summary of the configuration and a map of the exported Events.
Note: If your dataset is large, consider enabling the Skip Map option during configuration. Skipping the map significantly reduces processing time and file size without affecting the data download.
The Results View May Display (depending on configuration):
- Download Results: A button at the top right of the dashboard to download your exported data file.
- Context Panel: A summary of your workflow configuration, including the title, description, time range, and time zone used.
- Events Map: A spatial view of the Events plotted on a map, color-coded by Event Type. Each Event Type is listed in the map legend.
Before You Begin
This workflow is only available in Ecoscope Desktop and must be imported from the Workflow Template Catalog before it can be configured or run.
If you haven't done this yet, follow the steps in Adding Workflow Templates in Ecoscope Desktop to import the Download Events Workflow into your instance. Once the template has been added, return to this article to continue.
Configure New Workflow
To create a new workflow, navigate to Workflow Templates from the top navigation bar and select Download Events Workflow.
Workflow Details
This section allows you to name and describe your workflow so that it's easy to find and identify.
- Workflow Name: This must be unique. If you try to submit a name that has already been used, you'll receive a validation error.
- Workflow Description: This is optional. The description will be displayed on the results view to help you or your team remember the configuration context or purpose of the export.
Time Range
This section defines the time window of the data you want to export. The selected time range determines how many Events will be pulled from your data source.
You will configure:
- Since – Start date and time
- Until – End date and time
- Timezone – Required to provide fidelity over precise time selection
Data Source
Select a data source from the dropdown.
If only one data source is configured, it will be selected automatically and you will be shown the Workflow Configuration page.
Note: You won't be able to proceed unless at least one data source has been connected.
Get Event Data
Enter the Event Type value(s) you want to include in the output (e.g. wildlife_sighting_rep).
- Leave this section empty to include all Event Types.
- Event Type values can be found in your EarthRanger Admin site under Activity → Event Types.
Include Events Without a Geometry
The option Include Events Without a Geometry (point or polygon) is enabled by default. Uncheck this if you only want to export Events that have a spatial location recorded.
Process Events
This section allows you to apply filters and transformations to the Event data before it is exported. The data available here includes all columns from the previous steps plus the normalized Event details. All subsections are under Advanced Configurations and are optional.
Persist Events
Select the output format for your exported data. You can select one or both:
- CSV – Human-readable format, compatible with spreadsheet tools. File sizes are larger (e.g., ~26 MB for 22,000 records).
-
Parquet – Compressed columnar format, ideal for large datasets and programmatic use (e.g., ~3 MB for 22,000 records).
Choose Parquet when working with large volumes of data or when using tools such as QGIS that support it, to significantly reduce file size and processing time.
Download Attachments
This option is enabled by default, meaning attachments associated with Events will not be downloaded.
Uncheck Skip if you want to include Event attachments in the export. Keep in mind that downloading attachments will increase processing time and the size of the output.
Generate Maps
Enable Skip Map Generation to run the workflow without generating a spatial map of the Events.
Skipping the map is recommended when:
- Your dataset is large
- You only need the data file and not a visual output
- You want to minimize processing time
Disabling the map does not affect the completeness of the exported data.
Run the Workflow
After submission, you'll be returned to the My Workflows view. Your new workflow will appear in the list with:
- Status: Ready
- No values yet for Last Run Start or Last Run Duration
- A Run button will be available
Click Run to begin processing. The status will change to Running.
Note: Processing time depends on the data volume and output format. Most workflows complete within one minute. Some workflows may take up to 10 minutes for very large datasets.
If the workflow fails, it will show a Failed status. Refer to Known Errors and Solutions in case this happens to you.
View and Download Results
Once the workflow finishes successfully (status: Success), click on the workflow name to open the results view.
You can now:
- Download the exported file in your selected format (CSV or Parquet)
- Review the record count and export summary
- Explore the map panel, if you did not enable Skip Map