DooDooLamb News
Show HN: Chatlens – Search and browse your ChatGPT and Claude chats offline
Brief published August 14, 2026 · Original source published August 13, 2026
Original reporting by davai-g at github.com.
Automated brief. Verify important details at the original source.
What happened
A developer released Chatlens, a single self-contained HTML file roughly 85KB in size that lets users search and browse their exported ChatGPT and Claude conversation histories entirely in the browser. No build step, server, or installation is required. Users download the file, open it locally, and drop their export onto it. Confirmed features include full-text search, a usage timeline, per-topic insights, and a reader view across large chat archives. The tool has been tested against ChatGPT JSON export files. A noted limitation is that attachments and images from exports are treated as text references rather than rendered media.
Why it matters
Local-only processing means exported conversation data never leaves the user's machine, which matters for anyone cautious about re-uploading sensitive chat histories to third-party services. The zero-dependency, single-file approach also lowers the barrier for non-technical users who want to audit or mine their own AI conversation history without setting up tooling.
What to watch
Whether the developer extends rendering support for attachments and images, and whether Claude export formats receive the same level of testing confirmation as ChatGPT exports.