What exactly do I get from this?

Three separate CSV files: every bank transaction, the complete posted journal, and the current chart of accounts. Together they're a full copy of the book's data.

Can I export just one date range or one account?

Not through this tool — it exports the entire book as it stands right now. For a narrower slice, list_transactions or general_ledger with your own filters is a better fit.

Is this safe to open in a spreadsheet without checking anything first?

Yes — text fields that could be misread as spreadsheet formulas are automatically escaped before export, specifically so opening the file in Excel or Sheets doesn't accidentally execute anything.

export_bookRead-only

Get your books out as spreadsheets, for an accountant or yourself

Your accountant wants your books, or you just want to poke around in a spreadsheet yourself, and you need your data out of BalanceMCP in a format that opens anywhere.

BalanceMCP is where the bookkeeping happens, but it was never meant to be the only place your data lives — export_book is the way out. One call returns three CSV documents: every bank transaction, the full journal of posted entries, and the current chart of accounts. Together, those three cover everything an accountant, a spreadsheet, or another piece of software would need to reconstruct or review the book.

This is the honest, no-lock-in answer to "what if I want to leave, or just double-check things myself." CSV opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or any accounting software worth switching to — there's no proprietary format standing between you and your own data. If you're handing books to a tax preparer at year-end, this is almost always the right first call.

One quiet but deliberate detail: text fields that could be misread as spreadsheet formulas by Excel or Google Sheets — a description or memo starting with =, +, -, or @, for instance — are escaped so they open as plain text instead of accidentally executing as a formula. Numbers, dates, and ids are left exactly as-is; only free-text fields that came from a bank statement or a user get that treatment, since that's the only place an unexpected formula-like value could originate.

What you would actually say"Export the whole business book — I need to send it to my accountant."

What this does not do

Exports everything in the book as of right now — there's no way to export just a date range or just one account through this tool.
Produces raw CSV, not a formatted report or a filled-out tax form — it's the data underneath, meant for a spreadsheet or another program to open next.

Arguments

Name	Type	Required	What it is
`bookId`	`uuid`	Required	—

Generated from the tool definition, so it cannot describe arguments the tool does not accept. Unrecognised arguments are rejected rather than ignored.

Common questions

What exactly do I get from this?: Three separate CSV files: every bank transaction, the complete posted journal, and the current chart of accounts. Together they're a full copy of the book's data.
Can I export just one date range or one account?: Not through this tool — it exports the entire book as it stands right now. For a narrower slice, list_transactions or general_ledger with your own filters is a better fit.
Is this safe to open in a spreadsheet without checking anything first?: Yes — text fields that could be misread as spreadsheet formulas are automatically escaped before export, specifically so opening the file in Excel or Sheets doesn't accidentally execute anything.