How to back up your Claude chats before a suspension

Updated October 23, 2026 · 5-minute read

To back up your Claude chats, go to Settings, then Privacy, click Export data on claude.ai or Claude Desktop, and download the file from the email within 24 hours. Do it now, while your account is in good standing, because Anthropic says exports after a suspension may be restricted.

Disclosure: ConvoShelf is our product. Anthropic's own export is the complete backup, and it's free. ConvoShelf is an extra local copy of the chats you open.

Step by step: Anthropic's data export

Open claude.ai in a browser or the Claude Desktop app. The export isn't offered in the iOS or Android apps.
Go to Settings, then Privacy.
Click Export data. Anthropic prepares the file and emails you a download link.
Download it within 24 hours. The link expires 24 hours after it arrives, and you need to be signed in to the same account to open it.
Store the file somewhere outside your Claude account, like your computer and one cloud drive.

On a Team or Enterprise plan, members can export their own data only if an owner has turned on the setting that allows it. If you don't see Export data, ask your workspace owner.

What still works if your account is suspended

Anthropic's help center says that if a Free, Pro or Max account is banned, you can still log in to export or delete your data. The same page adds a catch: exports may be restricted depending on the Usage Policy violation. The appeal form also needs you to be logged in. So a suspension doesn't always lock you out of your history, but there's no promise you'll get all of it back. That's the reason to export before anything goes wrong.

One more limit: Anthropic says an export can't be imported into another personal account. If you start over on a new account, your old chats come along as a file you can read, not as chats you can continue.

What we checked in ConvoShelf

We read the ConvoShelf 1.0.3 source to see what it can and can't save from Claude, so you know exactly what you'd be relying on.

Open chat, free: the Export tab saves the Claude chat you have open as Markdown or PDF. It takes the messages on screen, so scroll to the top of a long chat first.
Everything at once, Pro: Everything as Markdown or Everything as JSON exports every chat ConvoShelf knows about, across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok.
Only chats you've opened: ConvoShelf saves a chat's text when you open it, and keeps up to the last 60,000 characters of each chat. A chat you never opened shows up in a bulk export with a note to open it once.
Stored in your browser: the text stays in Chrome's local extension storage. Uninstalling removes it, so use Backup in settings first.

ConvoShelf can't reach into Claude and pull your whole history the way Anthropic's export does. It's useful as a second, searchable copy of the chats you actually work in, saved as you go. You can also organize Claude and ChatGPT chats into folders with it.

Add ConvoShelf to Chrome Free · no account

FAQ

Can I still export my Claude data after a ban?

Anthropic's help center says suspended Free, Pro and Max users can still log in to export or delete their data, but exports may be restricted depending on the Usage Policy violation. Don't count on it. Export while your account is in good standing.

Where is the export button in Claude?

On claude.ai or Claude Desktop, go to Settings, then Privacy, and click Export data. It isn't available in the iOS or Android apps.

How long does the Claude download link last?

Anthropic emails a download link when the export is ready. The link expires 24 hours after it's delivered, and you have to be signed in to the same account to use it.

Can I import a Claude export into a new account?

No. Anthropic says exported data can't be imported into another personal account. The export is a record you can read and search, not a way to move chats.

Does ConvoShelf upload my Claude chats?

No. ConvoShelf has no account and no server. The chat text it saves stays in your browser's local extension storage, and uninstalling the extension removes it, so use Backup in settings before you uninstall.