How to Open and Read Character.AI Export Files

What files are included in the Character.AI export ZIP

The help center article on downloading your data tells you how to ask for the export and how long it takes. It does not describe the file. We have not seen an official export ourselves, and we found no official description of its format.

Character.AI does not publish the format, so this comes from files people have shared, not from the company. In those files the ZIP has a folder named after the person’s username, with a data folder inside it. There, user.json holds account details, character.json holds characters and message.json holds messages. A message row has a chat id, a candidate id, the text and the time it was written. It has no field for who wrote it, and edited or regenerated replies can leave extra or empty rows. No memories have turned up in the shared files.

All of this is unconfirmed, and your file may differ, so check it against your own chats. The export viewer on this site opens the ZIP or message.json on your device, puts the messages back into chats grouped by character and lets you swap who is who. Its page says nothing is uploaded. The team that writes this guide built it.

How to open and extract the export ZIP archive

Download the file from the email within 7 days of the day it was sent, and keep the original ZIP untouched. Work on a copy. Then follow the steps for your device. Each links to the maker’s own help page.

If the ZIP asks for a password, check the email that carried the link. The help center article does not mention a password. The viewer’s page says some exports are protected with the email address of the Character.AI account, in lowercase, so try that. This is not confirmed by Character.AI. If nothing works, ask the company through support.character.ai or privacy@character.ai.

The file holds your private chats. Do not open it on a shared computer, and do not send it to people you do not know.

How to read and parse export JSON files

A JSON file is plain text. Any text editor can open it, for example Notepad, TextEdit or a code editor. A chat file can be one very long line, so use a code editor with a Format or Pretty Print command if it looks like a wall of text.

Look for these things first: the number of chats, the names of the characters, the dates, and whether the messages are in order. Search for a phrase you remember from a chat to check that it is there.

Many websites offer to convert or view JSON files. Most work by uploading your file to their servers. For private chats, prefer a tool that runs on your own device and does not upload the file, and read its privacy statement first. The viewer on this site is one such tool: its page says it opens the file on your device and uploads nothing.

Converting export data into readable text

Character.AI does not provide a converter. You have three options.

• Read the file by hand in a text editor and copy the chats you want into a document.
• Use a tool that reads the export on your own device, such as the viewer on this site. Check what any tool does with your file before you use it.
• Use an app that imports the file and shows the chats back to you. See apps that can import Character.AI chats.

If speakers are not labeled in your file, any reader has to work out who is speaking from the order of the messages. Check a few chats against what you remember.

Character.AI export schema and format explained

There is no official schema. Character.AI has not published field names, file names or an example file, and its help center article says nothing about them. The layout described above comes from files people have shared, and it may not match the file you get.

Until there is an official description, the safest approach is to keep the original ZIP, open a copy, and check your own chats against it. If the file turns out to be incomplete, do not delete your account. See what to do when an export looks wrong.

Questions and answers

What is in the Character.AI data export file?

The help center does not say, and Character.AI does not publish the format. In files people have shared, the ZIP has a folder named after the username with a data folder inside it, holding user.json (account details), character.json (characters) and message.json (messages, with no field for who wrote each one). No memories turned up in them. Character.AI has not confirmed this, so check your own file.

How do I open the Character.AI export ZIP?

On Windows, right-click it and choose Extract All. On a Mac, double-click it. On an iPhone, tap it in the Files app. On Android, tap it in Files by Google and choose Extract.

How do I read my Character.AI export JSON?

Open it in a text editor or code editor. If it is one long line, use the editor’s Format command. Search for a phrase from a chat to check that your chats are in it.

How do I convert my Character.AI export to readable text?

Character.AI does not provide a converter. You can copy chats out by hand, use a tool that runs on your own device, or use an app that imports the file.

Is there an official Character.AI export format description?

No. We found no official schema or example file. Keep the original ZIP and check your own file.

Related guides

• How to Export Your Character.AI Chats and Conversations
• Character.AI Data Export Delays and Troubleshooting
• AI Chat Apps That Let You Import Character.AI Chats
• How to Export Character.AI Chats on Phone (Android and iOS)

This guide is not affiliated with Character Technologies, Inc. Corrections, and requests from services to be listed or changed, go to hello@castmanor.com.