# Set Up Your Export Connection for Context Studio

To export a Context Studio package, Coactive needs somewhere to send the file. A **Context Studio export connection** links your S3 bucket to Coactive so your package JSONs land in your storage — the locked first export for every package, plus every delta for a recurring package.

**You need this connection before you can export.** Set it up once and every export (fixed or recurring) drops straight to your bucket.

Connections are **org-wide** and managed by **Organization Admins** — the Settings menu is only visible to admins. If you don't see it, ask an admin on your team.

## What this enables

- Exporting a package's JSON directly to your own S3 bucket
- For recurring packages, automatic delta drops to that same bucket on every run
- A confirmed **Full export path** shown in the Export Bundle step, so you always know where files are going

## Create the connection in the UI

1. Open **Profile Menu → Settings → Connections**.
2. Click **New connection** and choose **AWS IAM Role**, then the **S3** scope.
3. Fill in the fields. Here's an example of what a Context Studio export connection looks like:

![Coactive Settings page open to the Connections tab with the profile menu expanded, showing existing connections in a table](/media/context-studio-connections-settings-menu-5a6f46bf-ec31edba.png)

| Field                    | Example                                    | Notes                                                                         |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name                     | context-studio-connection                  | A unique name for the connection                                              |
| Description              | For Context Studio exporting package JSONs | Optional, but helps your team know what it's for                              |
| Type                     | AWS IAM Role                               | Connects to an AWS S3 bucket via IAM role assumption                          |
| Scope                    | S3                                         |                                                                               |
| IAM Role ARN             | arn\:aws\:iam::123456789012:role/your-name | The role from your AWS account, with **write** access to the bucket           |
| Bucket name              | my-bucket                                  | Your bucket — **no** `s3://` prefix (see below)                               |
| Session TTL (optional)   | 3600                                       | Defaults to 3600 seconds (1 hour)                                             |
| Test location (optional) | my-bucket/test-file.json                   | Point to a **specific file**, not a folder — required to activate (see below) |

4. Click **Create**.

When you enter the **bucket name / path**, do **not** include the `s3://` prefix. Enter it as `my-bucket` — **not** `s3://my-bucket`. Including `s3://` will cause the connection to fail to save.

For the AWS-side setup (creating the IAM role or bucket policy), see [Cloud Storage Access (Beta)](/docs-guides/getting-started/cloud-storage-access-beta/).

![The Create connection modal in Coactive Settings with fields for Name, Description, Type, Scope, IAM Role ARN, Bucket name, Session TTL, and Test location](/media/context-studio-create-connection-modal-89d33890-09f498a9.png)

After a connection is created, only its **Name** and **Description** can be edited. The scope, IAM Role ARN, bucket name, and TTL are read-only and to change any of those, please delete the connection and create a new one.

## Activate it with a test file

A new connection stays in **PENDING** until it tests successfully against a real file — it can't be used for exports until then.

- The **Test location must point to a specific file** in your bucket (e.g., `my-bucket/test-file.json`), not a folder.
- Once the test passes, the connection moves to **READY** and is available in Context Studio.

## Export your package

With a **READY** connection in place, the export flow uses it automatically:

![The Connections table showing a coactive default connection and a context-studio-connection, both with Ready status](/media/context-studio-connections-list-7db0db4e-34736ec2.png)

1. In Context Studio, click **Export Bundle** and choose **Fixed** or **Recurring**, then complete the flow to export.
2. Your JSON is written to the S3 location on your connection. For a **recurring** package, the first JSON drops immediately and every later delta auto-exports to the same location on each run — no manual trigger.

You can confirm where files are going on the package's JSON exports page: the **Export location** (your connection's S3 path) is shown at the top, and hovering any export row reveals its **Full export path** — the exact file, e.g. `s3://my-bucket/back_to_school_1784823925829.json`.

See [How to Build a Package](/docs-guides/core-features/context-studio/how-to-build-a-package/) for the full export walkthrough and [Recurring Packages](/docs-guides/core-features/context-studio/recurring-packages/) for recurring behavior.

![The JSON exports page for a package showing the Export location banner and a hovered export row revealing its Full export path](/media/context-studio-json-exports-full-path-2dab032d-6df95449.png)