diff --git a/api/src/services/export_service/export_writers.py b/api/src/services/export_service/export_writers.py
index 7b7f1c8..196ef63 100644
--- a/api/src/services/export_service/export_writers.py
+++ b/api/src/services/export_service/export_writers.py
@@ -21,6 +21,22 @@ RowFormatResolver = Callable[[tuple, str, int], dict[str, Any] | None]
 ColumnFormatResolver = Callable[[str, int], dict[str, Any] | None]
 
 
+def _hierarchical_rows(rows: list[tuple]):
+    """Use the same row-type hierarchy as the realtime table, skipping META."""
+    levels = {"ROOT": 0, "GROUP": 1, "ITEM": 2, "SUB_ITEM": 3, "INPUT": 4}
+    stack: list[int] = []
+    for row in rows:
+        item_type = row[0] if row else None
+        if item_type == "META":
+            continue
+        level = levels.get(item_type, 999)
+        while stack and stack[-1] >= level:
+            stack.pop()
+        yield row, len(stack)
+        if item_type != "INPUT":
+            stack.append(level)
+
+
 class AbstractWriter(abc.ABC):
 
     @staticmethod
@@ -226,8 +242,10 @@ class DepthSheetWriter(AbstractWriter):
     def write(self, worksheet: Worksheet, rows: list[tuple]) -> None:
         column_widths: dict[int, int] = {}
         self._write_header(worksheet, column_widths=column_widths)
+        worksheet.sheet_properties.outlinePr.summaryBelow = False
         next_row = worksheet.max_row + 1
-        for row in rows:
+        for row, outline_level in _hierarchical_rows(rows):
+            worksheet.row_dimensions[next_row].outlineLevel = min(outline_level, 7)
             if len(row) > 3 and isinstance(row[3], dict):
                 if row[0] == 'META':
                     continue
@@ -489,6 +507,7 @@ class XlsxDepthSheetWriter(AbstractWriter):
         column_widths: dict[int, int] = {}
         header_rows = self._get_header_max_row(self.columns_dict)
         self._write_header(worksheet, column_widths=column_widths)
+        worksheet.outline_settings(visible=True, symbols_below=False)
         output_row = header_rows
         column_formats = None
         if self.column_format_resolver:
@@ -499,7 +518,8 @@ class XlsxDepthSheetWriter(AbstractWriter):
                 for column, column_key in enumerate(self.columns)
             ]
 
-        for row in rows:
+        for row, outline_level in _hierarchical_rows(rows):
+            worksheet.set_row(output_row, None, None, {"level": min(outline_level, 7)})
             if len(row) > 3 and isinstance(row[3], dict):
                 if row[0] == "META":
                     continue
diff --git a/api/tests/unit/test_export_writers.py b/api/tests/unit/test_export_writers.py
index eb8e388..aa00885 100644
--- a/api/tests/unit/test_export_writers.py
+++ b/api/tests/unit/test_export_writers.py
@@ -1,13 +1,54 @@
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock
+from io import BytesIO
 
-from openpyxl import Workbook
+import pytest
+from openpyxl import Workbook, load_workbook
+from xlsxwriter import Workbook as XlsxWorkbook
 
 from src.services.export_service import ExportService
 from src.services.export_service.export_mappings import (
     FORM1_FLAT_COLUMNS,
     SMETA_COLUMNS,
 )
-from src.services.export_service.export_writers import TabularSheetWriter
+from src.services.export_service.export_writers import (
+    DepthSheetWriter,
+    TabularSheetWriter,
+    XlsxDepthSheetWriter,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("backend", ["openpyxl", "xlsxwriter", "xlsxwriter_columns"])
+def test_depth_writer_preserves_collapsible_row_hierarchy(backend):
+    stream = BytesIO()
+    workbook = Workbook() if backend == "openpyxl" else XlsxWorkbook(stream)
+    worksheet = workbook.active if backend == "openpyxl" else workbook.add_worksheet()
+    options = {}
+    if backend == "xlsxwriter_columns":
+        options["column_format_resolver"] = lambda key, column: {"bold": True}
+    writer_class = DepthSheetWriter if backend == "openpyxl" else XlsxDepthSheetWriter
+    if backend != "openpyxl":
+        options["workbook"] = workbook
+    writer = writer_class(
+        columns_dict={"header": {"name": "Header", "key": "", "children": {
+            "name": {"name": "Name"},
+        }}},
+        row_normalizer=lambda row: row,
+        value_serializer=lambda value: value,
+        **options,
+    )
+    # Missing GROUP/SUB_ITEM levels and misleading numeric depths match frontend cases.
+    types = ["ROOT", "ITEM", "INPUT", "META", "INPUT", "ITEM", "SUB_ITEM", "INPUT", "ROOT"]
+    writer.write(worksheet, [(kind, 42, index, {"name": str(index)}) for index, kind in enumerate(types)])
+    if backend == "openpyxl":
+        workbook.save(stream)
+    else:
+        workbook.close()
+    stream.seek(0)
+    sheet = load_workbook(stream).active
+    assert sheet.sheet_properties.outlinePr.summaryBelow is False
+    assert [sheet.row_dimensions[index].outlineLevel for index in range(3, 11)] == [0, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 0]
+    assert [sheet.cell(index, 1).value for index in range(3, 11)] == ["0", "1", "2", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8"]
+    assert all(not sheet.row_dimensions[index].hidden for index in range(3, 11))
 
 
 def test_tabular_sheet_writer_writes_headers_and_rows():