What is the EDRM export format?

EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model) is an industry standard for eDiscovery data exchange. Proofpoint EDRM exports include an XML metadata file alongside MSG or EML message content. The XML links each message to its archive record for chain-of-custody verification under FRCP Rule 34.

How to Export Messages from Proofpoint Archive - Step-by-Step Guide

Quick Answer

Log in to Proofpoint Archive → Search sidebar → run your search → click the Export icon above results → name the job and choose format (PST, EDRM, Relativity, CSV or JSON) → Export. Then monitor under Governance & Compliance → Exports & Updates and download when complete. Each export job is limited to 100,000 messages. Need to convert or merge export jobs? Use Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter.

100K message limit per export job. Each Proofpoint Archive export job is limited to 100,000 messages. For larger archives, create multiple jobs with narrowed search parameters (shorter date ranges or specific custodians). Exports exceeding 50,000 items cannot be created from the standard interface — use the Case Review application or split into smaller date-range batches.

Who can export from Proofpoint Archive? Only users with Super Administrator, Full Administrator or Discovery Officer permissions can initiate exports. Regular users have no export access. If Multi-party approval is enabled, a second authorised admin must approve the export before processing begins (approval window: 15 days).

Log in to Proofpoint Archive

Go to your Proofpoint Archive URL and sign in with your Super Administrator, Full Administrator or Discovery Officer account. The interface is cloud-based — there is no on-premises client to install.

Proofpoint Archive — Main Navigation

🔒 Logged in as Discovery Officer — Search and Export privileges active

Run an Archive Search

Use the Search sidebar to find the messages you want to export

In the Archive section, use the Search sidebar to enter your criteria. You can search by keywords, sender (from:), recipient (to:), date range and other fields. Click Search to run it. The results appear in the main panel.

Proofpoint Archive — Search and Results

Saved Searches

Q1 2026 All Users

Legal Hold — Case 24-117

78,342 messages match your search criteria. Showing 1–50 of 78,342

Date	From	Subject
2026-03-22	john@company.com	Q1 Report Final Review
2026-03-21	john@company.com	RE: Invoice approval needed
2026-03-20	john@company.com	Contract draft — v3

Plan for the 100K limit. If your search returns more than 100,000 messages, you will need multiple export jobs. Design your search to return 100K or fewer results by narrowing the date range (e.g. one year at a time) or exporting per custodian. Proofpoint shows an estimated item count before you confirm the export — use this to verify scope before proceeding.

Click the Export Icon Above the Results

Initiate the export job workflow from the search results toolbar

With your search results showing, click the Export button in the toolbar above the results list. This opens the export job configuration screen. Proofpoint will show you an estimated item count and file size based on your current search before you confirm — use this to decide whether to narrow the search further.

Exports exceeding 50,000 items cannot be created from the standard search interface. For exports between 50,000 and 100,000 messages you must use the Case Review application. For archives needing more than 100,000 messages, split into multiple export jobs using narrowed date ranges and merge them afterward with Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter.

Configure the Export Job

Name the job, choose format, review estimates and optionally assign to a case

The export configuration dialog presents Proofpoint's unique pre-export estimate before you commit. Review the estimated item count and file size, then fill in the export name, choose your format, optionally assign to a case and share with colleagues. Click Export to submit the job.

Proofpoint — Pre-Export Size Estimate (unique to Proofpoint)

Export Estimate

78,342

Items

~4.2 GB

Est. Size

1 custodian

Scope

This estimate is within the 100K message limit. You can proceed with the export or narrow your search to reduce the output size.

Proofpoint — Export Job Configuration Dialog

Export Name

Description (optional)

Format

PST

Microsoft Outlook format. Import directly into Outlook or Microsoft 365.

EDRM MSG/EML

Legal discovery. Includes metadata XML for chain-of-custody.

FRCP

Relativity MSG/EML

For Relativity review platform. Includes load file.

eDiscovery

CSV / JSON

Metadata spreadsheet or structured data export.

Assign to Case (optional)

Share with (optional)

Which format to choose? Use PST for Outlook or Microsoft 365 import. Use EDRM for legal production where FRCP chain-of-custody metadata is required. Use Relativity if you are loading into the Relativity review platform. Use JSON for programmatic access or when the destination system expects structured data. All formats can be further converted by Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter.

Monitor the Export Job

Track progress under Governance & Compliance → Exports & Updates

Navigate to Governance & Compliance → Exports & Updates. Your export job appears with a status indicator. Small exports complete in minutes; large jobs can take several hours. Proofpoint emails you when the export is ready to download.

Proofpoint — Governance & Compliance → Exports & Updates

Exports & Updates

John Smith Archive — 2024–2026

PST format • 78,342 items • Requested: Mar 22, 2026 15:14 • No case assigned

✓ Complete

John_Smith_Archive_2024-2026.zip

4.1 GB

Legal Hold — Case 24-117 EDRM Export

EDRM MSG/EML • Requested: Mar 22, 2026 14:40 • Case: 24-117

⏳ Processing

42% complete

Download the Export

Save the export ZIP to a secure local location

When the export status shows Complete, click Download to save the ZIP file. For EDRM exports, the ZIP will contain both the message content files (MSG or EML) and the metadata XML file. Download all files — the metadata XML is required for legal chain-of-custody if you are producing for eDiscovery.

Proofpoint Essentials Export

Proofpoint Essentials (the SMB version) has a simpler export workflow. After performing a search in the Essentials archive portal, click the Export icon above the search results, enter a name, optionally set a password on the file and click Export. The export is saved as an export job ZIP containing EML files. Download it from the same Exports page.

Proofpoint Essentials does not offer PST, EDRM or Relativity format options — it exports EML files in a ZIP only. Use Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter to convert Essentials EML ZIP exports to PST, MBOX or PDF.

What is in a Proofpoint Archive Export?

Proofpoint delivers exports as a ZIP file. The contents vary by format chosen:

Contents of a Proofpoint EDRM Export ZIP

Legal_Hold_Case24-117_EDRM.zip 2.8 GB

Legal_Hold_Case24-117_EDRM/ ├ 00001_msg.eml │ Message content (EML format) ├ 00002_msg.eml │ Message content (EML format) ├ 00003_msg.eml │ Message content (EML format) ├ ... 62,441 more message files ... ├ metadata.xml │ Links each message to Proofpoint archive record (FRCP chain-of-custody) └ [Always download the metadata.xml alongside message files for eDiscovery use]

Format	Contents	Best for
PST	Single PST file in ZIP	Outlook / Microsoft 365 import
EDRM MSG/EML	MSG or EML files + metadata.xml	Legal production, FRCP compliance
Relativity MSG/EML	MSG or EML files + .DAT load file	Relativity review platform
CSV	Metadata spreadsheet only (no message bodies)	Auditing, inventory reporting
JSON	Structured data export	Programmatic access, custom ingestion
Essentials EML ZIP	Individual EML files in ZIP	Essentials (SMB) only

Convert Proofpoint Exports to PST, MBOX or PDF

Proofpoint EML and EDRM exports cannot be opened in Outlook. Even PST exports sometimes need normalisation for clean import. Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter handles all Proofpoint export types and merges multiple 100K-job exports automatically:

Outlook / Microsoft 365 — Convert EML, EDRM or PST export to normalised PST
Legal / Compliance — Convert to PDF with EDRM metadata XML chain of custody preserved
Litigation platforms — Convert Relativity load file exports to per-custodian PST outside Relativity
Multi-job merging — Merge multiple 100K-job exports into a single output file automatically

Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter

Convert PST, EDRM, Relativity and EML exports. Merges multiple 100K-job exports. Preserves EDRM metadata XML. Per-custodian output. Handles JSON. 100% offline.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What formats does Proofpoint Archive export in?

Proofpoint Archive exports in five formats: PST (Microsoft Outlook), EDRM MSG/EML (with metadata XML for chain-of-custody), Relativity MSG/EML (with .DAT load file for the Relativity review platform), CSV (metadata spreadsheet only, no message bodies) and JSON (structured data). Proofpoint Essentials exports EML files in a ZIP archive only.

What is the 100K message export limit and how do I work around it?

Each Proofpoint Archive export job is limited to 100,000 messages. Exports exceeding 50,000 items cannot be created from the standard search interface — use the Case Review application for those. For archives needing more than 100,000 messages, create multiple export jobs using narrowed search criteria (e.g. one quarter at a time, or one custodian at a time). Proofpoint shows a pre-export item count estimate so you can verify scope before committing. Use Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter to merge multiple export ZIPs into a single output file automatically.

What is the EDRM format and do I need the metadata XML?

EDRM (Electronic Discovery Reference Model) is an industry standard for exchanging eDiscovery data. Proofpoint EDRM exports include an XML metadata file alongside the MSG or EML message content files. The XML links every message to its record in Proofpoint's archive system, providing a verifiable chain of custody required under FRCP Rule 34 for legal production. Always download the metadata XML alongside the message files. It is required for legal admissibility — do not discard it.

Can I share an export job with a colleague without giving them admin access?

Yes. During the export configuration step, there is a Share with field where you can add specific authorised users by email address. Shared users can then download the export files from the Exports & Updates page without needing Discovery Officer or admin privileges. This is useful when you are running an export on behalf of outside counsel who needs to download the files themselves.

Who can export from Proofpoint Archive?

Only users with Super Administrator, Full Administrator or Discovery Officer permissions can create export jobs. Regular users have no export access by default. If your organisation has enabled Multi-party approval for exports, a second authorised admin must approve the request within 15 days before processing begins. Multi-party approval applies to exports via the UI only — not to API-initiated exports.

Can I open Proofpoint EML exports in Outlook?

Not directly. Outlook cannot import EML files natively. Use Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter to convert EML ZIP or EDRM exports to PST. The converter also handles Proofpoint Relativity load files and JSON exports, and merges multiple export jobs into a single output file.

Why does Proofpoint show a size estimate before I confirm the export?

Proofpoint Archive estimates the item count and file size before you confirm, which is a feature not found in most other email archive platforms. Use this estimate to decide whether to narrow your search further. If the estimate exceeds 100K items, you must split the search before proceeding. If the estimated file size is very large, consider narrowing the date range to produce smaller, more manageable downloads.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1 No Export icon visible above search results

Your account does not have Discovery Officer, Full Administrator or Super Administrator permissions. Contact your Proofpoint administrator and request that one of these roles is assigned. Also check that you are using the standard web search interface — the Export icon only appears when results are shown in the main Archive search panel, not inside a saved search preview.

2 Export blocked: "Exports exceeding 50,000 items not supported on this interface"

The standard search export interface has a 50,000-item limit per single export operation. For exports between 50,001 and 100,000 items, use the Case Review application — contact your Proofpoint account team if you do not have access. For archives requiring more than 100,000 messages total, split into multiple smaller exports using shorter date ranges and merge them afterward using Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter.

3 Export job is stuck in Processing for a long time

Large exports can take several hours. Proofpoint sends an email notification when the export is ready — wait for that email rather than refreshing the page repeatedly. If the job has been Processing for more than 24 hours with no email, raise a support ticket with Proofpoint Support referencing the export job name and creation timestamp. Also check whether Multi-party approval is enabled — if a second admin has not approved, the job will stay in a pending state.

4 PST export cannot be imported into Outlook

Proofpoint PST exports sometimes have structural differences from standard Outlook PSTs that prevent clean import. Use Univik Proofpoint Archive Converter to normalise the PST before importing, or convert the PST to a fresh PST that Outlook accepts without errors.

5 Multi-party approval: export not processing

If your organisation has enabled Multi-party approval, a second authorised Vault admin must approve the export request before it starts processing. The approver receives an email notification. If no action is taken within 15 days, the request is automatically discarded and you must re-submit. Contact the designated approver directly and ask them to check their pending approvals in the Multi-party approval portal in the Admin console.

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About This Guide

This guide is written and maintained by the Univik team, developers of file conversion and digital forensics tools since 2013. We verify each guide against the latest version of each email archive platform. Last verified: March 2026 with Proofpoint Archive Enterprise.