How to back up all your AI chats: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity (2026)
Chats get deleted, accounts get closed, and long histories become hard to search. A good backup has two parts: the official export (complete, but raw) and a readable copy (Markdown or PDF you can actually open later). Here is where each tool keeps its export.
Official exports at a glance
| Tool | Where | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Profile menu → Settings → Data controls → Export data → Confirm export | ZIP with chat.html and conversations.json (large accounts may get numbered JSON files) | Can take up to 7 days; the download link expires 24 hours after it arrives. Not self-serve on Business or Enterprise workspaces. |
| Claude | Settings → Privacy → Export data (web or desktop app) | ZIP of JSON files with your conversations and account data | Link expires 24 hours after delivery and you must be signed in. Can't be started from the iOS or Android app. |
| Gemini | takeout.google.com → Deselect all → My Activity → All activity data included → only Gemini Apps | Activity records (HTML or JSON) plus attachments | The separate "Gemini" checkbox exports Gems, not chats. Takeout can take hours to days; email links stay active 7 days. |
| Perplexity | Per thread: ⋯ next to Share → Export as PDF, Markdown or DOCX | One file per thread | No export-all button; a full account export means asking support. See our Perplexity guide. |
A simple backup routine
- Request every official export today. They are free and the most complete record you can get.
- Download within the window. ChatGPT and Claude links die after 24 hours, so request when you can check email the same day.
- Keep the raw ZIPs untouched. Store them in two places (for example, an external drive and a cloud folder).
- Make a readable copy. Convert the JSON into one Markdown file per chat (see the ChatGPT and Claude scripts), or save key chats as PDF.
- Repeat on a schedule. Google Takeout can schedule recurring exports for Gemini; for the others, set a monthly reminder.
Before you delete anything
Exports can't bring back chats that were already deleted, so always export first and check the ZIP opens before you clear history or close an account.
Want every chat exported at once? ThreadVault (disclosure: we make it) is a Chrome extension that bulk-exports your AI chats to Obsidian-ready Markdown plus JSON in one ZIP, processed locally in your browser. It is not on the Chrome Web Store yet: the Perplexity version is built, and ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini support is coming in version 1.1. $19 one-time for all four AI tools, with a $9 founding price for the first 50 buyers.
See ThreadVault or join the free waitlist
See ThreadVault or join the free waitlist
Related guides
- Open ChatGPT conversations.json and convert it to Markdown
- Save a ChatGPT chat as PDF
- Export Claude chats to Markdown and Obsidian
- Export ChatGPT history to Markdown / Obsidian
- Export Claude chats
- Export Gemini chats
- Export all your Perplexity threads
- ThreadVault vs AI Exporter
- ThreadVault vs AISaver
- ThreadVault vs ChatExports
Not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Perplexity AI. Export steps are from each provider's help pages. Last checked October 27, 2026; features change, so verify in the app. Questions or corrections: hello@loomwise.app.