[Experimental] Form Submissions "Export" outputs WordPress WXR XML, not the CSV stated in the changelog

[ineagu]

Summary

The Otter Pro Form Submissions → Export feature is described in the changelog as exporting submissions to CSV ("Export Option in Form Submission: Facilitates exporting form submissions to CSV for easier data management"), but the implementation actually generates a WordPress WXR XML file, not CSV. The export button produces a .xml download with MIME type text/xml, intended for WordPress importers — not a spreadsheet-compatible format. Customers evaluating the feature for Excel/Google Sheets use will not get the CSV/spreadsheet output the changelog implies.

Customer context

A pre-sales inquiry asked specifically whether Otter Pro can store form submissions in the database and export them for use in Excel. The expectation (reinforced by the changelog wording) is a spreadsheet-friendly export. The current export does not meet that need: a WXR XML file is not directly usable as a spreadsheet.

Reproduction or evidence

1. Enable database storage for a form (Form Options → Submissions) and collect a submission.
2. Go to Dashboard → Otter → Submissions (Form Submissions screen).
3. Click the Export button.
4. Observe the downloaded file is otter_form_submissions__YYYY-MM-DD.xml (WordPress WXR XML), not a CSV.

Code references (current default branch):

• plugins/otter-pro/inc/plugins/class-form-emails-storing.php — export_submissions() uses WordPress' native WXR exporter:

  require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/export.php';
  ob_start();
  export_wp( array( 'content' => self::FORM_RECORD_TYPE ) );
  $export = ob_get_clean();
  echo ent2ncr( $export );

  export_wp() outputs WXR (XML), never CSV.

• inc/plugins/class-dashboard.php — the_otter_banner() confirms the client side treats it as XML:

  const blob = new Blob([response], {type: 'text/xml'});
  a.download = `otter_form_submissions__${year}-${month}-${day}.xml`;

• CHANGELOG.md — "Export Option in Form Submission: Facilitates exporting form submissions to CSV for easier data management." (contradicts the XML output above)

Either the output should be CSV (matching the changelog and the common "open in Excel/Sheets" expectation), or the changelog/UI wording should be corrected and a true spreadsheet export (CSV/XLSX) considered. The original feature request (#1671) explicitly listed csv/xlsx/xml as acceptable formats; only XML shipped.

Source

• Surfaced by: Codeinwp/docs-site#1581
• HelpScout thread(s): 3369011851
• Helpdesk pattern: single pre-sales thread covering a general capability question (database storage + spreadsheet export); no other matching threads found.
• Reviewer classification: bug (actual output contradicts the documented/advertised CSV behavior)