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eDiscovery Export User Guide#

This guide is designed for legal and compliance professionals who need to produce document exports for litigation, regulatory investigations, or internal reviews.

Overview#

Piler's eDiscovery Export creates production-ready packages that include: - Bates-numbered documents - Industry-standard load files (CSV/DAT) - Native email files (EML format) - Extracted text files - Separated attachments with parent-child linking

Getting Started#

Prerequisites#

  • Auditor role access to Piler
  • Understanding of your matter's Bates numbering requirements
  • Knowledge of your review platform's preferred load file format

Step 1: Search for Relevant Emails#

  1. Log in to Piler with your auditor account
  2. Use the search interface to find emails relevant to your matter
  3. Available search criteria:
  4. Date ranges
  5. Sender/recipient addresses
  6. Keywords in subject or body
  7. Attachment types
  8. Tags and categories

Tip: Save your search queries for reproducibility. This creates an audit trail of your collection methodology.

Step 2: Select Emails for Export#

  1. Review the search results
  2. Select individual emails by clicking the checkbox on each result
  3. Or use "Select All" to select all visible results
  4. The action bar shows the count of selected emails

Note: You can run multiple searches and accumulate selections before creating the export.

Step 3: Create the Export#

  1. Click the briefcase icon in the action bar
  2. The eDiscovery Export dialog opens

Configure Bates Numbering#

Field Description Example
Prefix Unique identifier for this production ACME, SMITH2024
Starting Number First number in sequence (leave blank to auto-continue) 1, 5001

The system generates Bates numbers in the format: PREFIX_000001

Continuing a Production: Click on an existing prefix badge to reuse it. The system automatically continues from the last used number.

Select Export Options#

Option Description When to Use
Include native EML files Original email in EML format Always recommended for completeness
Extract text files Plain text version of each email Required by most review platforms
Extract attachments separately Attachments as individual files When attachments need separate review
Organize by custodian Folder structure by sender Large multi-custodian matters

Choose Load File Format#

Format Description Compatible With
CSV Standard comma-separated values Excel, most review tools
DAT Concordance delimited format Relativity, Concordance, LAW
Both Generates both formats Maximum compatibility

Select Date Format#

Format Example Use Case
ISO 8601 2024-03-15T10:30:00Z International, technical
US 03/15/2024 10:30:00 AM US-based matters
EU 15/03/2024 10:30:00 European matters

Step 4: Start the Export#

  1. Click Start eDiscovery Export
  2. The export job is queued and begins processing
  3. You'll see a confirmation with the Job ID

Step 5: Monitor Progress#

  1. Click eDiscovery Exports in the secondary action bar
  2. The drawer shows all your export jobs
  3. Running exports show a progress bar with percentage
  4. Auto-refresh updates progress every 3 seconds

Step 6: Download the Export#

  1. When status shows completed, click the green Download button
  2. A ZIP file downloads containing: ACME_Production/ ├── loadfile.csv # Or loadfile.dat ├── NATIVES/ │ ├── ACME_000001.eml │ ├── ACME_000002.eml │ └── ... ├── TEXT/ │ ├── ACME_000001.txt │ ├── ACME_000002.txt │ └── ... └── ATTACHMENTS/ # If enabled ├── ACME_000001_001.pdf ├── ACME_000001_002.docx └── ...

Managing Exports#

Viewing Export History#

The eDiscovery Exports drawer shows: - All exports with status (pending, running, completed, failed, cancelled) - Bates prefix and range used - Creation date and creator - File size when completed

Cancelling an Export#

  1. Find the running export in the list
  2. Click the yellow Cancel button
  3. Confirm the cancellation
  4. Partially processed files are removed

Deleting an Export#

  1. Find the completed/failed/cancelled export
  2. Click the red Delete button
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. All export files are permanently removed

Warning: Deletion is permanent. Download the export before deleting if you need to preserve it.

Tracking Bates Numbers#

The "Bates Number Sequences" section shows: - All prefixes used in your tenant - The last number assigned for each prefix - Use this to plan continuation productions

Best Practices#

Naming Conventions#

  • Use meaningful prefixes: SMITHV_JONES_001 not just EXPORT1
  • Include matter identifiers in prefix
  • Document your naming convention in your protocol

Quality Control#

  1. Verify counts: Compare export email count to search results
  2. Spot check: Open several native files to verify content
  3. Load file review: Import into Excel to verify field population
  4. Hash verification: Use the SHA256 hashes in load file for integrity

Documentation#

For defensible collections: 1. Save your search queries with descriptive names 2. Document date ranges and search terms used 3. Record the Bates range for each production 4. Note any emails excluded and why

Large Productions#

For exports over 10,000 emails: - Consider breaking into multiple batches by date or custodian - Monitor server resources during export - Schedule during off-peak hours if possible

Troubleshooting#

Export Stuck at 0%#

  • Check server connectivity
  • Verify storage space is available
  • Contact administrator if persists

Missing Attachments#

  • Ensure "Extract attachments separately" was enabled
  • Some attachments may be embedded (inline images)
  • Check the ATTACHPATH field in load file

Load File Encoding Issues#

  • CSV uses UTF-8 encoding with BOM
  • DAT uses UTF-8 encoding
  • Ensure your review tool is configured for UTF-8

Download Fails#

  • Check browser download settings
  • Try a different browser
  • For very large exports, ensure stable connection

Support#

For technical issues: 1. Note the Job ID from the export 2. Check the job status and any error messages 3. Contact your Piler administrator with details