> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.pleo.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Exports Overview

This section describes **how to implement exports** from Pleo into an Accounting System.

After reviewing [Platform & Capabilities](/docs/current/platform/exports/lifecycle), integrators should now understand:

* What exports represent in Pleo
* Supported bookkeeping methods
* Accounting and data mapping concepts
* Platform export capabilities

This section moves from **concepts** to **implementation design**.

## Design Guarantees

Pleo provides the following guarantees for the exports workflow. Integrations must implement processing logic to fully realise these guarantees.

* **Sequential Consistency**: Export Jobs are queued in order by Pleo, and integrations should process them one at a time to prevent race conditions or accounting conflicts.
* **Deterministic Export Outcomes**: Each Export Item ends in a **successful** or **failed** state as indicated by the integration, ensuring predictable integration behaviour.
* **Failure Isolation**: Failures in individual Export Items do not block other items in the same Export Job.
* **Transparent Reporting**: All outcomes, including errors and processing status from the integration, are surfaced to Pleo Web App users (bookkeepers) where applicable.
* **Platform Alignment**: The workflow aligns with Pleo’s bookkeeping support, including journal entries, accounts payable, and double-entry principles.

## Purpose of the Exports Integration

The export integration transfers validated (approved) expenses from Pleo into an Accounting System in a **predictable, auditable, and reliable manner**.

Exports are processed using a controlled workflow designed to:

* prevent race conditions
* ensure accounting consistency
* provide clear failure reporting
* support retry-safe processing

## Export Processing Model

Exports are processed as **stateful jobs**.

### Export Job

An Export Job represents a batch of expenses selected for export.

It defines:

* processing scope
* execution order
* overall export status

### Export Item

An Export Item represents a single expense within an Export Job.

Each item is processed independently and receives its own success or failure result.

## Export Lifecycle

Export processing follows a deterministic pipeline:

```mermaid theme={null}
%%{init: {"themeVariables": {"fontSize": "28px"}}}%%
flowchart LR
    A[1.Detect and Start Export Jobs]
    B[2.Pre-Export Validation]
    C[3.Retrieve Export Job Items]
    D[4.Fetch Export Item Data]
    E[5.Process & Record Export Items]
    F[6.Update Export Items]
    G[7.Complete Export Job]

    A --> B --> C --> D --> E --> F --> G

   style A white-space:normal
   style B white-space:normal
   style C white-space:normal
   style D white-space:normal
   style E white-space:normal
   style F white-space:normal
   style G white-space:normal

   click A "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-detect-and-start-export-jobs"
   click B "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-pre-export-validation"
   click C "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-fetch-export-items-control-layer"
   click D "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-fetch-export-items-data-layer"
   click E "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-bookkeeping-method-resolution"
   click F "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-update-export-items"
   click G "/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-update-and-complete-export-job"

```

* Each step in the diagram above is clickable and links to its corresponding Integration Design section
* Steps 1–4 and 6–7 interact with Pleo’s Export API (see [Export Integration Workflow Guide](/docs/current/guides/export-integration-workflow-guide))
* Step 5 processes export items within the AS/ERP (see [AS/ERP Processing Workflow Guide](/docs/current/guides/accounting-system-processing-workflow-guide))

## Responsibility Model

Export processing is a shared responsibility between Pleo and the integration.

| Pleo Responsibilities                            | Integration Responsibilities                                                                  |
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Prepare export data                              | Validate Accounting System availability                                                       |
| Queue Export Jobs                                | Retrieve Export Jobs and Items                                                                |
| Provide expense data with attachments            | Process & record entries in the Accounting System <br /> Handle attachments and posting logic |
| Surface integration results to Pleo Web App user | Report success and failure outcomes to Pleo and AS/ERP                                        |

## Processing Principles

All export integrations must follow these principles:

### Sequential Processing

Export Jobs must be processed **one at a time** to avoid accounting inconsistencies.

### Deterministic Outcomes

Each Export Item must end with a final status:

* `successful`
* `failed`

### Failure Isolation

A failed Export Item must **not** stop processing of other items in the same Export Job.

### Idempotent Design

Integrations should safely retry operations without creating **duplicate accounting entries**.

## Expected Outcome

After implementing this workflow, the integration will:

* reliably export expenses into the Accounting System
* provide clear visibility into export outcomes
* support auditing and reconciliation workflows
* align with Pleo’s export processing guarantees

***

## What Comes Next?

* [Detect & Start Export Jobs](/docs/current/integration-design/exports/integration-design-exports-detect-and-start-export-jobs)

***

## Related Reading

* [Export Integration Workflow Guide](/docs/current/guides/export-integration-workflow-guide)
* [AS/ERP Processing Workflow Guide](/docs/current/guides/accounting-system-processing-workflow-guide)

***