diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
index 36329b3469..2122ada068 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/row/external.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export async function handleRequest(
       }
     }
   }
+
   return new ExternalRequest(operation, tableId, opts?.datasource).run(
     opts || {}
   )
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
index b43af78740..87a1662a54 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search.ts
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ export async function search(options: SearchParams) {
 export interface ExportRowsParams {
   tableId: string
   format: Format
-  rowIds: string[]
-  columns: string[]
+  rowIds?: string[]
+  columns?: string[]
   query: SearchFilters
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
index 223e1dcd7b..a9da764e88 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/search/external.ts
@@ -86,11 +86,6 @@ export async function exportRows(
   const { tableId, format, columns, rowIds } = options
   const { datasourceId, tableName } = breakExternalTableId(tableId)
 
-  const datasource = await sdk.datasources.get(datasourceId!)
-  if (!datasource || !datasource.entities) {
-    throw new HTTPError("Datasource has not been configured for plus API.", 400)
-  }
-
   let query: SearchFilters = {}
   if (rowIds?.length) {
     query = {
@@ -111,6 +106,11 @@ export async function exportRows(
     }
   }
 
+  const datasource = await sdk.datasources.get(datasourceId!)
+  if (!datasource || !datasource.entities) {
+    throw new HTTPError("Datasource has not been configured for plus API.", 400)
+  }
+
   let result = await search({ tableId, query })
   let rows: Row[] = []
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/utils.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/utils.ts
index d9f64af163..6a037a4ade 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rows/utils.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function cleanExportRows(
   rows: any[],
   schema: TableSchema,
   format: string,
-  columns: string[]
+  columns?: string[]
 ) {
   let cleanRows = [...rows]
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/tests/rows/row.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/tests/rows/row.spec.ts
index 68140345b7..08c5746f2e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/tests/rows/row.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/tests/rows/row.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { exportRows } from "../../app/rows/search/external"
 import sdk from "../.."
 import { ExternalRequest } from "../../../api/controllers/row/ExternalRequest"
+import { ExportRowsParams } from "../../app/rows/search"
+import { Format } from "../../../api/controllers/view/exporters"
+import { HTTPError } from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import { Operation } from "@budibase/types"
 
 const mockDatasourcesGet = jest.fn()
 sdk.datasources.get = mockDatasourcesGet
@@ -16,30 +20,21 @@ jest.mock("../../../api/controllers/view/exporters", () => ({
 }))
 jest.mock("../../../utilities/fileSystem")
 
-function getUserCtx() {
-  return {
-    params: {
-      tableId: "datasource__tablename",
-    },
-    query: {
-      format: "csv",
-    },
-    request: {
-      body: {},
-    },
-    throw: jest.fn(() => {
-      throw "Err"
-    }),
-    attachment: jest.fn(),
-  } as any
-}
-
-describe("external row controller", () => {
+describe("external row sdk", () => {
   describe("exportRows", () => {
+    function getExportOptions(): ExportRowsParams {
+      return {
+        tableId: "datasource__tablename",
+        format: Format.CSV,
+        query: {},
+      }
+    }
+
+    const externalRequestCall = jest.fn()
     beforeAll(() => {
       jest
         .spyOn(ExternalRequest.prototype, "run")
-        .mockImplementation(() => Promise.resolve([]))
+        .mockImplementation(externalRequestCall.mockResolvedValue([]))
     })
 
     afterEach(() => {
@@ -47,15 +42,10 @@ describe("external row controller", () => {
     })
 
     it("should throw a 400 if no datasource entities are present", async () => {
-      let userCtx = getUserCtx()
-      try {
-        await exportRows(userCtx)
-      } catch (e) {
-        expect(userCtx.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          400,
-          "Datasource has not been configured for plus API."
-        )
-      }
+      const exportOptions = getExportOptions()
+      await expect(exportRows(exportOptions)).rejects.toThrowError(
+        new HTTPError("Datasource has not been configured for plus API.", 400)
+      )
     })
 
     it("should handle single quotes from a row ID", async () => {
@@ -66,51 +56,46 @@ describe("external row controller", () => {
           },
         },
       }))
-      let userCtx = getUserCtx()
-      userCtx.request.body = {
-        rows: ["['d001']"],
-      }
+      const exportOptions = getExportOptions()
+      exportOptions.rowIds = ["['d001']"]
 
-      await exportRows(userCtx)
+      await exportRows(exportOptions)
 
-      expect(userCtx.request.body).toEqual({
-        query: {
-          oneOf: {
-            _id: ["d001"],
+      expect(ExternalRequest).toBeCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(ExternalRequest).toBeCalledWith(
+        Operation.READ,
+        exportOptions.tableId,
+        undefined
+      )
+
+      expect(externalRequestCall).toBeCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(externalRequestCall).toBeCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          filters: {
+            oneOf: {
+              _id: ["d001"],
+            },
           },
-        },
-      })
+        })
+      )
     })
 
     it("should throw a 400 if any composite keys are present", async () => {
-      let userCtx = getUserCtx()
-      userCtx.request.body = {
-        rows: ["[123]", "['d001'%2C'10111']"],
-      }
-      try {
-        await exportRows(userCtx)
-      } catch (e) {
-        expect(userCtx.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          400,
-          "Export data does not support composite keys."
-        )
-      }
+      const exportOptions = getExportOptions()
+      exportOptions.rowIds = ["[123]", "['d001'%2C'10111']"]
+      await expect(exportRows(exportOptions)).rejects.toThrowError(
+        new HTTPError("Export data does not support composite keys.", 400)
+      )
     })
 
     it("should throw a 400 if no table name was found", async () => {
-      let userCtx = getUserCtx()
-      userCtx.params.tableId = "datasource__"
-      userCtx.request.body = {
-        rows: ["[123]"],
-      }
-      try {
-        await exportRows(userCtx)
-      } catch (e) {
-        expect(userCtx.throw).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-          400,
-          "Could not find table name."
-        )
-      }
+      const exportOptions = getExportOptions()
+      exportOptions.tableId = "datasource__"
+      exportOptions.rowIds = ["[123]"]
+
+      await expect(exportRows(exportOptions)).rejects.toThrowError(
+        new HTTPError("Could not find table name.", 400)
+      )
     })
   })
 })