How to export your ChatGPT history to Markdown and Obsidian (2026)

ChatGPT can give you all your data, but as a raw dump rather than readable notes. Here is how to get it and convert it.

1. Request the official export (free)

In ChatGPT open Settings, then Data controls.
Click Export data and confirm.
OpenAI emails you a download link (it expires after a while). The ZIP includes conversations.json and chat.html.

2. Convert to Markdown

chat.html is one huge page and conversations.json stores each chat as a tree of messages, so neither drops neatly into Obsidian. Options: open-source converter scripts on GitHub that split conversations.json into one .md file per chat, or browser extensions that save the chat you have open as Markdown.

3. Organise in Obsidian

Put the files in a dedicated folder such as AI/ChatGPT.
Use YAML frontmatter (title, date, source) so Dataview can list and sort chats.
Name files by date and title so they sort in order.

Back up every AI chat in one go. ThreadVault (disclosure: we make it) is a Chrome extension that bulk-exports your chats to Markdown and JSON, processed locally in your browser. Perplexity bulk export works in early access today; ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are on the roadmap.
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Not affiliated with OpenAI. Last checked October 2026; features change, so verify in the app.