Guide
Back up your ChatGPT conversations before deleting them.
You want to tidy up your sidebar, start fresh, or leave ChatGPT for good. Fair enough, but deletion can't be undone. Ten minutes of precautions first, based on OpenAI's help center.
What disappears, and when
| Action | In your account | At OpenAI | Recoverable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive a chat | Hidden, still searchable | Kept | Yes, by unarchiving |
| Delete a chat | Gone immediately | Erased within 30 days* | No |
| Delete all chats | Everything gone, projects included | Erased within 30 days* | No |
| Delete the account | No more access | Data erased within 30 days* | No |
* Except data already de-identified, or kept longer for legal or security obligations, according to OpenAI.
The column that matters is the last one. OpenAI is explicit: a deleted chat can be restored neither in ChatGPT nor by support. If you want to keep a trace, act before.
Step 1: export first
In ChatGPT: your profile, Settings, Data controls, Export data. You'll get an email with a link to a zip holding your whole history. Two things to watch:
- the export can take up to 7 days to arrive: don't delete anything until you have it;
- the link expires after 24 hours: download the zip as soon as the email lands.
The full walkthrough is in our ChatGPT export guide.
Step 2: check the backup
Don't delete on the strength of an email. Open the zip, then chat.html in your browser: your conversations should be there, including the oldest. Also check that conversations.json is present; it's the file layout tools use.
Then store the zip somewhere durable (not your Downloads folder), ideally in two copies: your computer and a drive or cloud of your own.
Step 3: archive what you only want to hide
If your goal is a tidier sidebar, you don't need to delete. Archiving removes the conversation from the visible history without confirmation, but it stays in your account and in search. You'll find it under Settings, Data controls, Archived chats. There's also “Archive all chats” in the same place.
If you delete your account
Before you click “Delete” under Settings, Account, a few points from OpenAI's help center:
- it's permanent: a deleted account can't be reactivated;
- shared links disappear with the account: if someone relies on a link you sent them, let them know;
- a subscription bought on iPhone or Android isn't canceled by deleting the account: cancel it first in the App Store or Google Play;
- you can create a new account with the same email 30 days later, but it'll be empty.
If your account belongs to a company workspace (Business, Enterprise, Edu), self-service deletion isn't available: your organization handles it.
What to do with your backup
A zip in a folder is insurance. But it's also, often, years of your life: late-night questions, rewritten letters, decisions made in a low voice. Before you turn the page, you can choose what deserves to stay.
The Aveu studio reads your export in your browser, without uploading it anywhere, and makes it a book of dated letters that you reread before printing. A way to clean up without losing what mattered. See the ChatGPT book.
Frequently asked questions
How long does OpenAI keep a deleted conversation?
It disappears from your account right away, then it's erased from OpenAI's systems within 30 days, unless it had already been de-identified or OpenAI must keep it for legal or security reasons.
Is my subscription canceled if I delete my account?
A subscription paid directly on ChatGPT is canceled. One bought through the App Store or Google Play isn't: cancel it yourself first, from your phone.
Can I open a new account with the same email?
Yes, 30 days after the account is fully deleted, according to OpenAI. But your old conversations won't come back: only your backup keeps them.