# Save Export Query or Task

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Tags:** web, question\
**Created:** [April 29, 2020, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886 "2020-04-29T13:15:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mrtnlowr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mrtnlowr/32/6890_2.png) [@mrtnlowr](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mrtnlowr)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2020, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886/1 "2020-04-29T13:15:09Z")

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I’d like to keep track of which observations I’ve already uploaded in my own local DB but it looks like I have to recreate an export query, from the filters menu, each time I want to update my DB. Would it be possible to save an export query for future reuse?

Cheers!

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**Author:** ![pisum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@pisum](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pisum)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886/2 "2020-05-23T02:33:28Z")

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if i’m understanding you correctly, you can save any of the following:

1. the URL of your Explore screen before you click the download button (ex. all verifiable birds = [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place\_id=any&subview=grid&taxon\_id=3](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&subview=grid&taxon_id=3)), or
2. the URL of the Export Observations screen (ex. [https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/export?verifiable=true&page=1&spam=false&place\_id=any&user\_id=&project\_id=&taxon\_id=3](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/export?verifiable=true&page=1&spam=false&place_id=any&user_id=&project_id=&taxon_id=3)), or
3. the contents of the gray box in section 1 of the Export Observations screen (ex. quality\_grade=any&identifications=any&taxon\_id=3&verifiable=true).

you can keep these in a personal document or maybe in a iNaturalist journal post. then when you’re ready to use them again, copy from your saved location back to where you got them from, and then continue the download process from there.

if your filter criteria aren’t overly complicated, you could alternatively create a collection project with those criteria, and use that project as the basis for your download.

unfortunately, this addresses only the filters. it doesn’t save the selected columns that you choose for your export.

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**Author:** ![mrtnlowr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/mrtnlowr/32/6890_2.png) [@mrtnlowr](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mrtnlowr)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 9:40am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886/3 "2020-05-29T09:40:42Z")

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Hi Pisum,

Yes, I get all that but it’s your last paragraph that’s my primary concern; I want to save the filters _and_ the list of selected columns.

Cheers!

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**Author:** ![pisum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@pisum](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pisum)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 1:01pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/save-export-query-or-task/11886/4 "2020-05-29T13:01:57Z")

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you might want to try bringing this up over at this thread: [https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/data-users-what-are-your-use-cases-and-requests-for-exporting-data/2972](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/data-users-what-are-your-use-cases-and-requests-for-exporting-data/2972).