Your right to data portability — and how to use it
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), every person whose data is processed by a platform has the right to request a copy of that data in a portable, machine-readable format. If you use Coachful — whether as a coach running programs or as a client participating in them — you can submit a GDPR data export request at any time. This article walks you through exactly how to download your data, what to expect in the export file, and what to do if something looks missing.
Data portability is more than a legal checkbox. It means you own your information and can take it anywhere. Coachful is built on that principle, and the export process is designed to be fast, transparent, and thorough.
TL;DR — Quick answer
- Go to Account → Privacy → Request Data Export in your Coachful dashboard.
- Confirm your identity with your account password (and 2FA if enabled).
- You'll receive a download link by email within 72 hours (usually much faster).
- The ZIP archive contains your profile data, program history, messages, billing records, and more in JSON and CSV formats.
- The link expires after 7 days — download promptly.
Who can submit a GDPR data export request on Coachful?
Any registered Coachful user — regardless of their role — can request their own data. That includes:
- Clients (members) enrolled in coaching programs or squads.
- Coaches at any tier (growth or scale).
- Editors and virtual assistants operating inside a coach's workspace.
- Admins and super admins managing the platform at an org level.
A coach who is also a super_coach (org owner) can request their own personal data, but not the data of their clients on behalf of those clients — each individual must submit their own request. If you are a coach and a client asks you about their data, point them to this guide or to Coachful support.
GDPR applies to individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom. Coachful extends the same data portability right to all users globally as a matter of policy, regardless of geography.
Step-by-step: how to request and download your data
- Sign in to your account. Go to app.coachful.co/sign-in and log in with your credentials. If you have forgotten your password, reset it before proceeding — identity verification requires a valid session.
- Open Account Settings. Click your avatar or profile picture in the top-right corner of the dashboard, then select Account Settings from the dropdown.
- Navigate to the Privacy tab. Inside Account Settings, select the Privacy & Data tab. You will see a section labelled Your Data Rights.
- Click "Request Data Export". A confirmation dialog will appear explaining what the export includes and the estimated delivery time. Read it, then click Confirm Request.
- Verify your identity. Enter your current account password. If two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled on your account, you will also need to supply the one-time code from your authenticator app. This step exists to prevent unauthorized data access.
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Wait for the email. Coachful will queue the export job immediately. For most accounts, the email arrives within a few minutes. For large accounts with extensive program history and message logs, allow up to 72 hours. The email comes from
no-reply@coachful.co— check your spam folder if you don't see it. -
Download the archive. The email contains a secure, time-limited download link. Click it to download a
.zipfile directly to your device. The link is valid for 7 days. After expiry, you must submit a new request. -
Extract and review. Unzip the archive using your operating system's built-in tool or a utility like 7-Zip. Open the
README.txtfile inside — it explains every folder and file in the export.
What's included in the Coachful data export?
The export package is a structured ZIP archive. Here is a breakdown of every major section:
Profile & account information
File: account/profile.json. Contains your name, email address, phone number (if provided), account creation date, last login timestamp, role assignments, and any custom profile fields your coach's workspace collected during onboarding or intake.
Program and curriculum data
File: programs/enrollments.json and per-program folders. For each program you were enrolled in (or created, if you are a coach), the export includes the program name, start and end dates, week/day/task structure, your completion status on each task, goal check-ins, and habit tracking logs. A 12-week program with 3 weekly tasks, for example, would export 36 task records with timestamps showing when each was marked complete.
Messaging history
File: messages/ folder. All direct messages and squad/channel messages you sent or received are exported as JSON, including timestamps, sender IDs, and any file attachments (as download URLs, valid for 30 days post-export). Coachful's messaging is powered by Stream Chat, and the export reflects your full message history within the platform.
Booking and session records
File: bookings/sessions.csv. Every 1:1 session, group call, and intake call you booked or hosted — including session type, scheduled time, duration, attendees, and any notes attached to the session.
Billing and payment records
File: billing/transactions.json. A log of all payments made or received through Coachful's Stripe Connect billing layer, including amounts, dates, offer names, coupon codes applied, and payment plan details. Note: full card details are never stored on Coachful — only the last four digits and card brand, as returned by Stripe.
Website and content data (coaches only)
File: website/ folder. If you built a website, blog, or landing pages using Coachful's drag-and-drop website builder, the raw page content and blog posts are exported as JSON. This makes migrating your content to another platform straightforward.
Uploaded files and media
File: media/uploads.json. A manifest of all files you uploaded (profile photos, program resources, session attachments) with temporary download URLs. Download these within 30 days of the export.
Need to manage your data on an ongoing basis? Coachful's coach dashboard gives you live access to your program data, client records, and billing history without waiting for an export. The full data export is designed for portability and compliance — your day-to-day data lives right in the platform.
How Coachful handles your export request (the technical side)
When you submit a GDPR data export request, Coachful generates the archive in an isolated, encrypted job queue. The resulting file is stored in an encrypted cloud bucket with a signed URL — nobody else can access your file, and the URL cannot be guessed. Once the 7-day window closes, the file is permanently deleted from the bucket. Coachful does not retain a copy after deletion.
The export covers data held in Coachful's primary database and object storage. It does not include data that third-party processors hold independently — for example, raw Stripe payment logs beyond what Coachful receives, or Google/Outlook calendar entries synced from your calendar. For those, contact Stripe Support or your calendar provider directly.
Pro tips for coaches managing client data requests
If you run a coaching business on Coachful, GDPR compliance is partly your responsibility as a data controller. Here are the most important things to know:
Point clients to their own self-service request
The fastest path for a client who wants their data is to have them follow the steps above — no admin intervention needed. This is intentional: self-service requests are instant, auditable, and remove the risk of you accidentally exporting the wrong person's data.
Document your data processing activities
GDPR Article 30 requires controllers to maintain a record of processing activities (ROPA). Your Coachful export can serve as evidence of what data you hold on a given client at a point in time. Keep a dated copy if a client submits a Subject Access Request (SAR) to you directly.
Respond within the legal timeframe
Under GDPR, you must respond to a Subject Access Request within one calendar month (extendable to three months for complex cases). Coachful's 72-hour export window gives you plenty of lead time to gather the data and prepare a response.
Coaches using Coachful don't need a patchwork of spreadsheets and cloud folders to respond to data requests. All client program history, session notes, and billing records are centralized — one export covers the data you hold on Coachful's infrastructure.
Troubleshooting: common issues with data export requests
I didn't receive the export email
First, check your spam or junk folder for an email from no-reply@coachful.co. If it's not there after 72 hours, go back to Account → Privacy & Data — the page shows the status of your most recent request. If the status reads Failed, submit a new request. If it reads Processing for more than 72 hours, contact Coachful support with your account email and the request timestamp.
The download link has expired
Download links expire after 7 days and cannot be reactivated. Simply return to Account → Privacy & Data and submit a fresh request. There is no limit on how many times you can request your data, though Coachful may rate-limit excessive requests (more than one per 30-day period) to prevent abuse.
My export is missing data I expected to see
The most common reason is that the data belongs to a different account. If you have ever used Coachful with a different email address, that data is tied to the other account — submit a request from that account too. Also remember that calendar entries, Stripe invoices beyond Coachful's records, and data from third-party integrations are held outside Coachful's systems.
The JSON files are unreadable
JSON is a plain-text format but can be hard to read in a basic text editor. Use a free online tool like jsonformatter.org to pretty-print and explore the files, or import the CSV files directly into Google Sheets or Excel. The README.txt in your export explains every field in plain English.
I'm a coach and my client's data isn't in my export
Correct — your personal data export contains only your data. Client data is tied to each client's individual account. If you need a client record for legal or compliance purposes, the client must submit their own request and share the relevant sections with you, or you can view their data live in your Coachful coach dashboard where you have legitimate access.
I want to delete my data, not just download it
The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") is a separate GDPR right. Find the Delete My Account option in the same Privacy & Data tab, or submit a deletion request to privacy@coachful.co. Note that billing records may be retained for up to 7 years for tax and legal compliance, even after account deletion.
Ready to take control of your data?
Your data belongs to you, and Coachful makes it simple to access, download, and move it whenever you need to. Whether you're responding to a regulatory requirement, switching tools, or just want peace of mind, the GDPR data export process takes only a few clicks and delivers a complete, structured archive of everything Coachful holds about you.
If you're a coach looking for a platform that takes privacy seriously from day one — with transparent data handling, built-in GDPR tooling, and a structured coaching infrastructure that keeps client data organized — start your free Coachful trial. And if you're already a user and need help with any step in this process, browse more guides at help.coachful.co or reach out to our support team directly.