Export your workspace data

With Slack, you can export data from your workspace or Enterprise Grid organisation. Depending on your subscription, you may have a few options for data exports:

  Free Pro Business+ Enterprise Grid
Export data (messages and links to files*) from public channels in your workspace
Export data from public channels, private channels and direct messages (DMs)**    
Schedule recurring exports**      
Export data from all conversations that a single user has been part of**      

*Workspaces on the free subscription can only export links to files from the last 90 days. 

**Workspace owners and org owners must apply to use these export types.

Tip: you can't select specific channels to export data from. If you plan on importing your data into another workspace, you'll have the option to pick the messages and files that you'd like to migrate during the import.


Export data

Free and Pro subscriptions

Business+ subscription

Enterprise Grid subscription

Workspace owners and admins can export data from public channels in their workspace using the steps below:

  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
  2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
  3. Click Import/export data in the top right.
  4. Select the Export tab.
  5. Below Export date range, open the drop-down menu to select an option.
  6. Click on Start export. We'll send you an email once your export file is ready.
  7. Open the email and click on Visit your workspace's export page.
  8. Click on Ready for download to access the zip file.


The zip file will contain your workspace’s message history in JSON format and file links from all public channels.

Export data from your workspace

Workspace owners and admins can export data from public channels in their workspace using the steps below. If a workspace owner has been approved to export data from all channels and conversations, they can also use these steps to export data from public channels, private channels and DMs.

  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
  2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
  3. Click Import/export data in the top right.
  4. Select the Export tab.
  5. Below Export date range, open the drop-down menu to select an option.
  6. Click on Start export. We'll send you an email once your export file is ready.
  7. Open the email and click on Visit your workspace's export page.
  8. Click on Ready for download to access the zip file.

The zip file will contain your message history in JSON format and file links from all public channels or from all channels and DMs, depending on your export type.


Schedule recurring data exports

If their application to export data from all channels and conversations has been approved, Workspace owners can schedule an export to occur weekly or monthly:

  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
  2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Workspace settings.
  3. Choose Import/Export data in the top right.
  4. Select Schedule exports and choose a frequency.

Note: Scheduled exports include data for the frequency that you choose. For example, weekly exports only contain data for the previous week. 

Note: Data exports from Enterprise Grid orgs cannot be imported to other workspaces.

Export data from all channels and conversations

Org owners can request to export data from all channels and conversations in their org. Once this export type is enabled, they can use the steps below to export data from public channels, private channels and DMs.
  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
  2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
  3. Click on Security in the left sidebar, then select Exports.
  4. Next to the export type that you’d like to use, click on Export.
  5. Choose whether you’d like to export data from your entire org or a specific workspace, and select a date range.
  6. Click on Start. We'll send you an email once your export file is ready.
  7. Open the email and click on Visit your workspace's export page.
  8. Click on the Downloads tab.
  9. Next to your export, click on Download to access the zip file.

The zip file will contain your org's message history in JSON format and file links from all channels and conversations.


Export data for a single user

Org owners can request to export data from all conversations that a single user has been a part of. Once this export type is enabled, org owners can use the steps below to export data from a single user’s conversations.

  1. From your desktop, click your workspace name in the sidebar.
  2. Select Tools & settings from the menu, then click Organisation settings.
  3. Click on Security in the left sidebar, then select Exports.
  4. Next to the export type that you’d like to use, click on Export.
  5. Select a member and choose whether you’d like to export data from your entire org or a specific workspace. Then, select a date range and an export format.
  6. Click on Start. We'll send you an email once your export file is ready.
  7. Open the email and click on Visit your workspace's export page.
  8. Click on the Downloads tab.
  9. Next to your export, click on Download to access the zip file.

The zip file will contain the message history and files for a single user in the format that you specified.

Note: If you choose to export data from your entire org in TXT format, only org-wide multi-workspace channels and DMs will be included. Exports for a single workspace will only include channel and DM data from that workspace.

Tip: Read more about Slack export options by subscription in our guide to Slack import and export tools. For information on how to interpret your export files, visit our guide to reading Slack data exports.

Who can use this feature?