ChatVault docs
Export formats
Choose HTML, TXT, CSV, Excel or JSON based on how you will read and use the conversation.
Choose by the task
Select Export format before you start the backup. All five options are documents inside a ZIP, with available media files and a failure report when applicable. Keep the archive structure together when moving it to another computer.
Choose a format you can open with tools already available to you. If you need more than one representation, create separate exports and compare their covered periods before using them together.
| Format | Useful for | Main document |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | Reading a conversation in a browser | A readable chat-style page |
| TXT | Simple text storage and searching | A plain-text transcript |
| CSV | Filtering and sorting in a spreadsheet | Timestamp, sender, text and media columns |
| Excel | Opening a tabular record in a spreadsheet app | An .xls file containing an HTML table |
| JSON | Structured processing and custom tools | Metadata, messages and media information |
Read HTML or TXT
For HTML, extract the ZIP and open the chat document in a browser. The document uses relative paths for captured attachments. Moving just the HTML file can break those references, so move the complete extracted folder.
TXT lists messages with timestamps, senders and attachment labels or paths. It is easy to search, but it does not embed an image or audio player. Open the referenced files from the media folder when you need to inspect them.
Open CSV and Excel carefully
CSV uses timestamp, sender, text and media columns. Import it as UTF-8 using your spreadsheet app’s text or CSV import workflow. Preserve message text as text, especially content starting with symbols a spreadsheet might interpret as a formula.
The Excel option writes an .xls file containing an HTML table, rather than a native .xlsx workbook. Your app may ask you to confirm the format before opening it. CSV is an alternative when another spreadsheet program does not accept the table export.
Use JSON as structured data
JSON includes export metadata such as the conversation name, selected period, export time and message count, together with message records and media metadata. Use the fields present in the file when writing a custom import or analysis tool.
Keep an untouched original before transforming the data. A ChatVault export is a reference archive; it is not a WhatsApp account-backup file that can be imported to restore an account.