ConvoShelf

How to organize your ChatGPT chats (and Claude, Gemini, Grok)

Updated October 18, 2026 · 7-minute read

Use ChatGPT for a few months and the sidebar turns into hundreds of chats, half of them called "New chat". Use Claude, Gemini or Grok as well and your history is split across four sites that don't talk to each other. This guide covers what each AI gives you out of the box and where those tools stop. Then it shows how to get real folders, tags and search inside your chats across all four with a free Chrome extension.

Disclosure: ConvoShelf is our product. The built-in options below are worth trying first, and for light use they may be all you need.

What each AI has built in

All four keep changing their sidebars, so check the current version on each site. As of October 2026 this is roughly the picture:

AIBuilt-in organizingWhere it stops
ChatGPTProjects (chats grouped with shared files and instructions), chat search, archive, rename.No nested folders. A chat belongs to one project. No tags. Bulk export is the full account data export, delivered by email.
ClaudeProjects with a knowledge base, starred chats, chat search, rename.No folders inside projects and no tags. History stays on claude.ai.
GeminiPinned chats, chat search, rename, Gems for reusable instructions.No folders or tags. A pin is the only way to set chats aside.
GrokChat history with search, and projects/workspaces on grok.com.No nested folders or tags. Separate from everything else.

The bigger gap is between the sites. Each one only knows about its own chats. If you researched a trip in Claude and built the budget in ChatGPT, no built-in tool puts those two chats side by side.

Free workarounds that help

How to organize all four with ConvoShelf

ConvoShelf is a Chrome extension that adds a panel to chatgpt.com, claude.ai, gemini.google.com and grok.com. Folders, tags and search live in that panel, so they work the same on every site and hold chats from all four in one place. It takes about five minutes to set up.

  1. Install ConvoShelf. Add ConvoShelf to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store. It asks for access to chatgpt.com, claude.ai, gemini.google.com and grok.com only.
  2. Open the panel. Go to any of the four sites and press Alt+Shift+S, or click the ConvoShelf icon. The panel opens next to the site's own sidebar.
  3. Create folders. Click New folder. Nest folders up to three levels, e.g. Work > Client A > Proposals.
  4. File your chats. Drag a chat from the site's sidebar onto a folder, or press + in the panel to file the chat you have open. Chats inside ChatGPT Projects work the same way.
  5. Add tags and pins. Tag chats that cut across folders (e.g. #prompt, #code) and pin the few you return to daily.
  6. Search inside your chats. Press Alt+Shift+F and type a word or phrase. Results come from the text of every chat you've opened, from all four AIs, in one list.
  7. Export what you need. Open a chat and press Export to save it as Markdown or PDF. Use Backup in settings now and then to keep a JSON copy of your folders.
ConvoShelf panel with nested folders next to a chat
Folders and subfolders in the ConvoShelf panel. This is the real extension, shown on a mock chat page with demo data. It isn't a capture of chatgpt.com.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok chats in one ConvoShelf list
Chats from all four AIs in one list (real extension, mock page, demo data).
ConvoShelf full-text search results
Search matches the words inside chats, not only titles (real extension, mock page, demo data).

A folder setup that works

Things to know

ConvoShelf export options for Markdown and PDF
Export the open chat to Markdown or PDF (real extension, mock page, demo data).

Free vs Pro

Free: unlimited folders, tags, pins, full-text search, single-chat Markdown/PDF export, 10 saved prompts, dark mode, backup and restore. Pro is $4.99 once, with no subscription. It adds export of a whole folder or every chat (Markdown or JSON), search filters by AI, folder, tag and date, multi-select move/tag/pin, folder colors and unlimited prompts. See pricing.

Add ConvoShelf to Chrome Free · no account

FAQ

Can you make folders in ChatGPT?

Not true nested folders. ChatGPT Projects group chats under a project with shared files and instructions, but a chat sits in one project and there are no subfolders. ConvoShelf adds nested folders (three levels deep) on top of the ChatGPT sidebar, and they work for chats inside Projects too.

How do I search inside old ChatGPT or Claude chats?

Both sites have a built-in chat search. ConvoShelf adds one search box over every chat you've opened in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok, and it matches the words inside the messages. A chat gets indexed the first time you open it, so open older chats once to make them searchable.

Can I keep ChatGPT and Claude chats in the same folder?

Yes, with ConvoShelf. Folders aren't tied to one site, so a Claude chat and a ChatGPT chat can sit in the same folder and show up in one list.

Does ConvoShelf upload my chats anywhere?

No. There's no account and no ConvoShelf server. Folders, tags and indexed chat text live in your browser's local extension storage. The only network call is a license check with Polar, and only if you buy Pro.

What happens if I uninstall the extension?

Chrome removes the extension's local storage. Use Backup in settings first to save a JSON file, then Restore it later. Your chats on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok aren't touched either way.

How do I export a ChatGPT chat to PDF or Markdown?

Open the chat, scroll to the top so every message loads, then press Export in the ConvoShelf panel and pick Markdown or PDF. PDF opens Chrome's print dialog, so choose Save as PDF. Pro adds export of a whole folder or every chat at once.

Is ConvoShelf free?

Folders, tags, pins, full-text search, single-chat export and 10 saved prompts are free. Pro costs $4.99 once, with no subscription, and adds bulk export, search filters, multi-select, folder colors and unlimited prompts.

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