Export Slack Conversations to PDF

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Slack

18M+ daily active users

Slack is a business communication platform designed for team collaboration with channels, direct messages, and extensive app integrations.

Fully Supported

Available in Professional tier

Slack export support available through our Professional tier. Contact us for Enterprise workspace export solutions with custom processing and bulk conversion.

Native Export Capabilities

Availability:

Export Available

Export Quality:

Good

Slack offers export features but availability depends on your workspace plan. Free plans have limited export; paid plans offer full workspace exports.

Supported Formats:

JSONZIP with JSON files

Key Differences from WhatsApp

  • Business-focused team collaboration
  • Channel-based organization system
  • Extensive third-party app integrations
  • Workspace-level administration
  • Advanced search functionality
  • File sharing and organization
  • Workflow automation with Workflow Builder
  • Enterprise-grade security and compliance

How to Export Slack Chats

Requirements:

  • Slack workspace admin access (for full exports)
  • Paid Slack plan (free plan has limited export)
  • Desktop browser access
  • Understanding of your organization's data policies
1

Check Your Export Permissions

Go to Workspace Settings → Import/Export Data. Export availability depends on your plan and admin permissions.

2

Request Export (Admin)

Workspace Admins: Go to Settings & Administration → Workspace settings → Import/Export Data → Export

3

Choose Date Range

Select the date range you want to export. Note that larger date ranges will take longer to process.

4

Initiate Export

Click 'Start Export' and wait for Slack to prepare your data. You'll receive an email when it's ready.

5

Download ZIP File

Download the ZIP file from the link in your email. Contains JSON files organized by channel.

6

Convert to PDF

Use ChatToPDF to convert the JSON exports to professional, readable PDF documents.

Unique Features to Preserve

Powerful channel organization
Thread-based discussions
Extensive app marketplace (2,400+ apps)
Workflow automation tools
Huddles for quick voice calls
Canvas for collaborative documents
Advanced search with filters
Slack Connect for external collaboration
Enterprise Key Management

Limitations & Challenges

  • Export features limited on free plans
  • Requires admin access for full exports
  • JSON format requires processing
  • Paid plans required for full history
  • Free plan only retains 90 days of history
  • Individual channel export not available
  • Media files may be stored separately
  • Large workspaces create huge export files

Best Use Cases for Slack

  • Team collaboration and project management
  • Software development teams
  • Remote and distributed teams
  • Customer support internal communication
  • Sales and marketing team coordination
  • IT and operations teams
  • Cross-functional business communication

Converting to PDF

Manual Process:

Export workspace data as JSON (requires admin), extract ZIP file, navigate complex JSON structure, and manually convert to readable format. Highly technical process.

ChatToPDF Solution:

ChatToPDF Enterprise can process Slack workspace exports and create organized, searchable PDF documents with proper threading and formatting.

Advantages:

  • Professional business document formatting
  • Thread structure preserved
  • Channel organization maintained
  • User mentions and reactions included
  • App/bot messages properly formatted
  • Searchable and archivable

Alternative Solutions

Slack's Built-in Print

Pros:

Quick for individual channels

Cons:

Very limited, poor formatting, not suitable for archival

Third-party Slack Export Tools

Pros:

May offer better formatting

Cons:

Security concerns, may violate Slack TOS, often expensive

Manual Copy-Paste

Pros:

Simple for small amounts

Cons:

Not scalable, loses structure, extremely time-consuming

Frequently Asked Questions

Free plans have very limited export capabilities and only retain 90 days of message history. You'll need a paid Slack plan (Pro, Business+, or Enterprise Grid) for full export functionality.

Ready to Convert Your Slack Chats?

Upload your Slack export and get a professional PDF in minutes

Start Converting