---
title: "Transfer ownership of a pipeline"
slug: "transferring-ownership-of-a-pipeline"
updated: 2026-08-05T19:06:18Z
published: 2026-08-05T19:06:18Z
canonical: "help.quickbase.com/transferring-ownership-of-a-pipeline"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Transfer ownership of a pipeline

If you want to transfer a pipeline from one owner to another, follow these steps.

> [!NOTE]
> Note: This process won't work if you don’t have access to the same apps, tables, and fields.

## Export the pipeline

If you're the current pipeline owner, or realm admin who has selected **Switch to User**:

1. Navigate to the **My Pipelines** page
2. In the pipeline list, find the pipeline to be transferred, select the vertical ellipsis, and then **Export** ![Export option in the pipeline list vertical ellipsis menu](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/10943641485716.png)
3. Select **Download YAML**, which creates a .yaml file
4. Provide the .yaml file to the new pipeline owner, or a realm admin who will use **Switch to User** to access the new pipeline owner.

> [!NOTE]
> Note: A realm admin can't use **Switch to User** to select another realm admin. You'll receive the message, "This is a special Quickbase user admin. You cannot impersonate this person."

The exported YAML includes an Account slugs section that lists the connected accounts the pipeline uses. When the new owner imports the file, Quickbase uses this section to check which accounts are already connected and which still need to be.

## Import the pipeline

The new pipeline owner imports the .yaml file:

1. Navigate to My Pipelines and select **Import**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image(220).png)
2. You'll now see the **Import pipeline** dialog box
3. Skip **Name** and **Description** because these are located in the .yaml file being imported. Optionally enter tags now or later. (Tags aren't in the YAML.)
4. Select the **Choose a YAML file** button
5. Navigate to the location of the .yaml file provided to you and for which you'll assume ownership
6. Select **Import pipeline**. You'll be brought into the Pipeline visual builder. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/10943815149716.png)

Quickbase checks the accounts listed in the YAML against your own connected accounts. Any account you haven’t connected yet appears as a placeholder, and the pipeline imports in a disabled state.

![Example of an important pipeline step that shows an error and a message to connect the account](https://cdn.document360.io/dd260e4e-10bb-4b66-8fb3-5504c272b904/Images/Documentation/image(221).png)

If you’re transferring the pipeline to a different Quickbase app, collect the app and table IDs (DBID) for the destination app, and update them before you activate the pipeline.

To collect these:

1. Navigate to the app
2. Select the **App settings**
3. Select **App management**
4. Select **Show support information**

## Connect accounts and activate the pipeline

1. Connect your own account for each remaining channel the pipeline uses. You can do this through the channel account connection flow, or from the **Accounts** page.
2. As you connect each account, Quickbase replaces the matching placeholder with your account.
3. Once every placeholder is replaced, select **Run** to activate the pipeline.

For another way to read about importing a YAML file, view the [Importing YAML use cases help article](/v1/docs/importing-yaml-use-case).