Can our Bullhorn history be licensed to AI companies, and how do we get it out?

Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research

What lives in Bullhorn, and why might buyers value it?

Bullhorn is an applicant tracking system (ATS) and CRM (customer relationship management software) for staffing and recruiting firms. It holds candidate records and resumes, job orders, submissions, interviews, placements, client companies and contacts, plus notes and emails logged by recruiters.

Buyers building recruiting tools may value the workflow: how job orders are written, which candidates were submitted, and recruiter notes explaining why someone fit or did not. Those notes are valuable precisely because they are candid, which is also why they need careful review.

How does a Bullhorn export work?

As of October 2026, Bullhorn's knowledge base describes three routes:

• CSV export: select records in a list view and export them. Limits range from 5,000 to 20,000 records depending on the entity and your user type, and adding columns lowers the limit. Bullhorn suggests this route for a few thousand records.
• API: a REST interface for larger exports, available on Front Office Growth or Enterprise editions.
• Data backup: a Microsoft SQL Server file containing all company data, including records and notes. Standard backups are free monthly but only include attachments, such as resumes, added since the first day of the previous month. A full backup includes every attachment; it is offered automatically when a contract ends, or for a fee during an active contract. Manual backups are limited to one every 30 days.

Who has to run it?

By default only Admin users can export records, and your company may restrict it further. Backups can only be requested by authorized Account or Support contacts, and the request form needs signatures from at least two of them. Bullhorn also notes that it does not log export history, so limit export rights to trusted users while a deal is being prepared.

Can a buyer connect through the API instead?

Some buyers ask for API access rather than files. On editions that include the API, ask whether the buyer's API user can be limited to specific entities and fields, so resumes and contact details are never read. Agree where copies go and how they are deleted, and disable the API user when the work ends.

What should stay out?

• Resumes, candidate names, contact details and social media links.
• Social Security numbers, work authorization and identity documents.
• Background checks, drug test results and any health information.
• Pay rates, salary expectations and placement compensation.
• Client contact details and client bill rates.
• Recruiter notes that describe identifiable people, unless thoroughly de-identified.

What rights questions apply to candidate data?

Candidates shared their histories to be considered for jobs. Whether that information can be reused depends on your privacy notices, the laws where candidates live, and your client agreements, which often treat job orders and rates as confidential. If you recruit in Europe or the UK, stricter rules may apply. Our guides on employee and customer privacy and on de-identification cover the basics; your lawyer should decide what is permitted.

Where should a staffing firm start?

Decide which entities a buyer actually needs. Job orders and placement outcomes with client names removed are often easier to clear than candidate records. If you are closing or leaving Bullhorn, note that the full backup with all attachments is offered at contract end, and Bullhorn says it may not keep your data more than 60 days after the contract ends. Request the final backup promptly and plan exclusions before you share anything. More context is on our staffing agencies page.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.