Systems and records
Procore project archive: what you get when a project closes
By SourceX Editorial · Updated
Short answer
A Procore project archive is the downloaded record of a closed project, and its contents depend on which tools the project used, who hosts it and how the download is requested. Before a project goes inactive, confirm tool by tool that RFIs, submittals, drawings, daily logs and photos come out with their responses, revisions and attachments intact.
Key takeaways
- Inactive status and an archive are different things; the records stay in the hosting account until someone exports them.
- Confirm each Procore tool separately, because a single download can miss reply threads, markups and attachments.
- If a contractor or owner hosts the project, your firm's archive is limited to what your users can export while access lasts.
- Keep old RFI and submittal numbers and a short readme so links between tools survive outside Procore.
- RFI and submittal records capture expert judgment, but client agreements decide what a firm may reuse.
What is a Procore project archive?#
A Procore project archive is a copy of a closed project's records taken out of Procore so the firm can keep them after the project leaves daily use. The formats, contents and request steps depend on your account, your permissions and the vendor's current documentation.
An archive is different from project status. Marking a project inactive generally takes it out of everyday lists, but the records still sit in the account that hosts the project and remain governed by that account's agreement. Nothing is in your firm's hands until it has been downloaded and stored somewhere you control.
Procore's archive routes and what each one produces#
Procore documents two main archive routes, the Project Archive tool and the Procore Extracts desktop app, plus a portfolio export that lists projects but does not contain their records. Knowing which route you are using tells you what format to expect and who on your team can run it.
The practical consequence is format. Because Extracts output is mostly PDF, an archive built that way is easy to read but hard to analyze, and later reuse may need extra processing. Where a tool offers a CSV or spreadsheet export, take it as well as the PDF.
| Route | What Procore documents | What it means for your archive |
|---|---|---|
| Project Archive tool | Exports from a listed set of tools, including Action Plans, Bids, Change Events, Correspondence, Daily Log, Documents, Emails and Prime Contracts; for some tools you cannot choose whether attachments are included | Check Procore's current tool list against the tools your project used; anything not on the list needs its own export |
| Procore Extracts desktop app | Saves an archive of a project's information; needs Admin-level permissions on each tool extracted and a computer that stays on and online | Collaborators without Admin rights on a tool usually cannot extract it; plan a dedicated machine for large projects |
| Extracts output | Most items download as PDFs, while documents and photos keep their original file type, in a folder organized by project, extract date and time, tool and item | Readable without Procore, but RFIs and submittals arrive as documents rather than structured data |
| Company portfolio export | Lists active or inactive projects as a PDF or CSV file | Useful as an index of what to archive; it does not contain the project records |
Tool by tool: what the archive should contain#
The tools a project actually used decide what its archive should contain, so confirm each one separately rather than trusting a single download. For engineering and architecture firms, the records that matter most are the ones that capture professional judgment: RFI responses, submittal reviews and drawing revisions.
| Tool | What the project recorded | What to confirm in the archive |
|---|---|---|
| RFIs | Questions, official responses, reply threads, sketches, ball-in-court history | Full threads and attachments, not only the official answer |
| Submittals | Packages, revisions, reviewer stamps, workflow steps | Every revision with each reviewer's response and stamp |
| Drawings | Sets, revisions, markups, linked RFIs | All revisions with dates, plus the markups your team relies on |
| Specifications | Sections, revisions, related submittals | Revision history and which revision governed each submittal |
| Daily logs | Weather, manpower, notes, delays, visitors | Every log type the project used, by date |
| Photos | Albums, captions, dates, locations | Original files with captions and locations intact |
| Meetings | Minutes, action items, attendees | Items with assignees and final status |
| Change events and change orders | Scope changes, linked RFIs, pricing | Links back to RFIs; cost tools may belong to the contractor |
| Correspondence and emails | Threads, attachments, distribution lists | Complete threads with attachments |
| Punch list, inspections, observations | Items, status history, photos | Closed items with who closed them and when |
What a project download tends to flatten#
A project download tends to flatten workflow history, cross-tool links and layered markups, even when every record appears to be present. The final RFI answer comes through; the sequence of who held it, for how long and why it bounced back may not.
Links between tools are the second loss. In Procore, an RFI can lead to a change event, a drawing revision and a resubmitted submittal. In an export, those connections often survive only as reference numbers in a text field, so keep the numbering scheme and a short note explaining how records connect.
Markups and custom fields are the third. Markups layered on drawings, configurable fieldsets and custom statuses may need separate exports or reports. Check sample records from each tool before assuming the download captured them.
Hosted projects versus projects you joined#
Who hosts the project decides who controls its archive. When your firm hosts the project in its own Procore account, you can request downloads and set the timing. When a contractor or owner hosts it and invites your team, your access ends when they remove collaborators or close the account.
Plan for that at kickoff, not at closeout. Agree in the project's communication plan or your agreement that your firm receives a copy of RFIs, submittals and correspondence at closeout. Records created in a client's account can still be subject to your prime agreement and the host's terms, so check both before reusing anything beyond your own files.
| Situation | Who controls the archive | What your firm should do |
|---|---|---|
| Your firm hosts the project | Your firm, under your Procore agreement | Request the project download and tool exports at closeout |
| A contractor or owner hosts and invites you | The host | Export what your users can see before access ends, and ask for a closeout copy in writing |
| A joint venture or shared account | Whoever the account agreement names | Settle archive rights and timing in the joint venture terms |
When to request the archive#
Request the archive at a defined closeout milestone, usually after the last RFIs and submittals are answered and before the host begins removing collaborators or archiving the project. Waiting for an inactive notice is too late on projects your firm does not host.
Tie the request to your own closeout steps, such as the final invoice, record drawing delivery and the start of any warranty or post-construction period. A second, smaller pull at the end of the warranty period catches late correspondence and any punch items that closed after substantial completion.
Closeout archive checklist for design firms#
A closeout archive checklist turns the download into a repeatable step owned by a named person, usually the project manager with support from the firm's IT or operations lead.
- Confirm who hosts the project and what your users can export, before the final invoice goes out.
- List the tools the project actually used, including any added late in construction administration.
- Request the project-level download where available, then export RFIs, submittals and correspondence individually if threads or attachments are missing.
- Open sample records from each tool and compare them with what Procore shows.
- Save a directory snapshot listing companies and roles, so names in records still make sense later.
- Store the archive in firm-controlled storage under the project number, with a readme describing tools used and how records connect.
- Map the Procore project to your accounting project number in Deltek or BQE so financial and project records can be joined.
- Record who exported, when, and what was included.
Illustrative: a structural engineering firm closes out a parking structure#
Illustrative: a fictional structural engineering firm worked on a mixed-use parking structure hosted in the general contractor's Procore account. As construction administration wound down, the COO asked the project manager to export the firm's RFIs, submittals and correspondence before the contractor closed the project.
A full project download was not available to collaborators, so the team exported tool by tool. RFI exports carried the official responses, but sketches attached to reply comments needed separate downloads. The team also saved its own Bluebeam markups and tied the archive to the project number used in its accounting system.
Months later the contractor archived the project and removed outside users. When the owner raised a question about a connection detail, the firm answered from its own archive, with the RFI thread, the sketch and the stamped submittal revision in one folder.
Why closed-project RFIs are worth keeping, and how SourceX views them#
Closed-project RFIs and submittal reviews are worth keeping because they record expert questions and answers in context, which is useful to the firm and, where rights allow, to AI developers studying construction workflows. Their value rests on domain expertise and human-generated signal, but also on rights, because many records are shared with or owned by clients.
SourceX reviews this kind of archive through the SourceX five-step transaction: Supply, Rights, Preparation, Approval and Delivery. The fit check starts from metadata such as tools used, project types and years covered, with no files shared. Client deliverables and owner-controlled drawings are usually carved out, personal details are removed during preparation, and the firm approves each step. Each package that proceeds is documented in a SourceX Evidence Packet recording provenance, licensing rights, permitted use, the privacy record and release authorization.
Frequently asked questions
Does marking a Procore project inactive delete its data?
Generally no. Inactive status changes visibility and everyday use, while the records stay in the hosting account under its agreement. Deletion follows the account contract and the vendor's policies, so read those terms before assuming an inactive project will stay available indefinitely, especially if your firm may change platforms.
Can we download a project we were invited to but do not host?
Often only partly. Collaborators can usually export records from tools they have permission to see, but Procore Extracts needs Admin-level permissions on each tool, which invited firms often lack. Ask the host for a closeout copy in writing, and export your own RFIs, submittals and correspondence before access ends.
How long does a large project download take to prepare?
Preparation time depends on the volume of photos, drawing revisions and attachments, so large projects take noticeably longer than small ones. Request archives well before access ends, and never start on the last day of a contract or collaboration, because a failed or partial download leaves no time to retry.
Should we load the archive into another system?
Keep the files as downloaded first, because PDFs and spreadsheets open without Procore. If the firm later wants searchable project history, load a copy into its document management or knowledge system, but leave the original download unchanged as the record of what came out.
Can a firm license records from a closed project archive?
Possibly, but only the parts the firm has the right to use. Internal review notes, RFI patterns and lessons learned may qualify; client deliverables, owner-controlled drawings and personal details often do not. Rights are reviewed project by project with counsel, and client agreements usually decide the outcome.
Sources
- Procore's Project Archive tool exports from listed tools including Action Plans, Bids, Change Events, Correspondence, Daily Log, Documents, Emails and Prime Contracts; for some tools you cannot choose whether attachments are included. Source
- Procore Extracts saves a project archive, needs Admin-level permissions on each tool and a computer that stays on and online; most items download as PDFs while documents and photos keep their original file type. Source
- Procore lets users export the company's list of active or inactive projects as a PDF or CSV file. Source
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