Chat Export Toolkit

Small, dependency-free Python utilities for inspecting a ChatGPT data export locally:

• mine_chat_export.py reconstructs each conversation's active branch and creates a JSON Lines index, a title table, and an import manifest.
• inventory_chat_assets.py inventories attachment metadata for conversations selected by title.
• review_threads.py prints selected conversations from a previously generated index.

This is an independent utility and is not an official OpenAI product.

Privacy first

A ChatGPT export can contain highly sensitive personal data. The generated indexes are usually more searchable than the original archive, so treat them as confidential.

• Work on a trusted local device.
• Put the export and all generated output outside this repository.
• Do not commit, upload, paste, or attach real exports or generated reports to issues.
• Delete generated plaintext when you no longer need it, using a method appropriate for your storage system and backup policy.
• Review terminal scrollback and shell history after using review_threads.py; displayed conversation text may remain there.

mine_chat_export.py omits the full source path from its manifest by default. It still records the archive's filename and SHA-256 digest. --omit-message-text removes message bodies from the JSONL output, but it does not anonymize titles, conversation IDs, attachment labels, timestamps, or other metadata.

No real conversation export, normalized index, attachment inventory, or archive manifest is included in this repository. The example under examples/synthetic_export/ is entirely fictional.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or newer
• No third-party Python packages

Quick start

Keep the export and output in private folders outside the cloned repository:

python mine_chat_export.py PATH_TO_EXPORT.zip PATH_TO_PRIVATE_OUTPUT
python review_threads.py PATH_TO_PRIVATE_OUTPUT/conversations_index.jsonl "garden|planning"
python inventory_chat_assets.py PATH_TO_EXPORT.zip PATH_TO_PRIVATE_ASSET_OUTPUT "garden|planning"

Use --help on any script for the complete options.

Create a lower-content index

python mine_chat_export.py PATH_TO_EXPORT.zip PATH_TO_PRIVATE_OUTPUT --omit-message-text

This retains structural metadata and attachment labels while blanking message bodies and the first/last user excerpts. It is a data-minimization option, not a de-identification guarantee.

Deliberately include the source path

The full source path is excluded because it can expose usernames or folder names. Include it only when provenance requirements outweigh that risk:

python mine_chat_export.py PATH_TO_EXPORT.zip PATH_TO_PRIVATE_OUTPUT --include-source-path

Outputs

mine_chat_export.py creates:

• conversations_index.jsonl: normalized active-branch messages and metadata.
• conversation_titles.tsv: searchable title, timestamp, ID, and message-count table.
• import_manifest.json: archive name and digest, source member names, counts, timestamps, and processing notes.

inventory_chat_assets.py creates:

• ai_asset_inventory.json
• ai_asset_inventory.tsv

The inventory records metadata and SHA-256 digests. It does not extract attachment contents.

review_threads.py writes to standard output and does not modify the index.

Important behavior and limits

• Only the active branch ending at a conversation's current_node is normalized. Alternate branches are ignored.
• Attachment labels are retained when present. Raw attachments are not extracted.
• Conversation titles and IDs may be sensitive even when message text is omitted.
• The utilities reflect the export structures they know about. Export formats may change.
• A malformed or extremely large archive can consume significant memory, disk space, or processing time. Use only archives you trust.
• The tools perform local parsing; they do not make network requests.

Synthetic example and tests

The committed fixture is a miniature, fictional export layout. Tests package it into a temporary ZIP and exercise all three commands:

python -m unittest discover -s tests -v

You can also check syntax without processing any private data:

python -m compileall -q mine_chat_export.py inventory_chat_assets.py review_threads.py tests

License status

The included LICENSE reserves all rights while the owner chooses a long-term license. Public visibility alone does not grant permission to copy, modify, or redistribute the code.

Contributing safely

Use only synthetic fixtures in commits and pull requests. Never submit real export fragments, identifiers, filenames, hashes, screenshots, or generated reports. See SECURITY.md for private vulnerability reporting guidance.