# How to archive ChatGPT chats and find them again > Archive a ChatGPT chat to clear your sidebar without deleting it. See how to find archived chats, unarchive them, or archive every chat at once. https://www.kortex-notebooklm.com/tutorials/how-to-archive-chats-in-chatgpt 1. [Tutorials](/tutorials) 2. How to archive ChatGPT chats and find them again # How to archive ChatGPT chats and find them again 1 minute 6 steps Updated November 10, 2026 ## Quick answer Open your chat history, select the ••• menu beside a chat, and select Archive. No confirmation is needed. To find archived chats, open Settings, then Data controls, then Archived chats. There you can Unarchive or Delete. Archived chats stay saved and searchable. ## Watch it first How to archive ChatGPT chats and find them again Read the transcript Here's how to archive a chat in ChatGPT, and how to find it again. Archiving clears your sidebar without deleting the chat. Open your chat history in the sidebar. Select the three-dot menu beside a chat, then select Archive. ChatGPT asks for no confirmation. The chat leaves your sidebar, but it stays saved. To find it again, open Settings, then Data controls. Select Archived chats. Some devices say View archived chats. If you see Manage, select it. Archived chats also stay searchable. In the archived list, select Unarchive to move a chat back to your history. Or select Delete to remove it for good. To archive every chat at once, open Settings, then Data controls. Select Archive all chats. Review the message, then continue. This can affect the chats in your current account or workspace, including chats in projects. Kortex keeps a copy of your chats on your computer. In its Library, a chat's menu has Archive too. It hides the chat from every view and search except the Archive view. This tidies your Library copy only. Archived chats stay saved until you delete them. ## What you need - A ChatGPT account, signed in at chatgpt.com ## On this page 1. [Open your chat history](#step-1) 2. [Archive the chat](#step-2) 3. [Find your archived chats again](#step-3) 4. [Unarchive or delete a chat](#step-4) 5. [Archive every chat at once](#step-5) 6. [Optional: archive in a searchable copy outside ChatGPT](#step-6) 7. [If it doesn’t work](#trouble) 8. [Questions](#faq) 1. ## Open your chat history In ChatGPT, open the list of your chats in the sidebar. Find the chat you want to move out of the way. 2. ## Archive the chat Select the more options menu (**•••**) beside the chat, then select **Archive**. ChatGPT asks for no confirmation. The chat leaves your regular sidebar but is not deleted. 3. ## Find your archived chats again Open **Settings**, then **Data controls**. Select **Archived chats**, or **View archived chats** on some devices. If **Manage** appears, select it. Archived chats also stay searchable, so search can find them. 4. ## Unarchive or delete a chat In the archived list, select **Unarchive** to move a chat back to your regular history. Select **Delete** to remove it for good. 5. ## Archive every chat at once Open **Settings**, then **Data controls**, and select **Archive all chats**. Review the message and continue. This can affect chats in your current account or workspace, including chats in projects. 6. ## Optional: archive in a searchable copy outside ChatGPT Kortex keeps a copy of your chats on your computer. In its Library, a chat's menu has **Archive**, which takes the chat out of every view and search except the **Archive** view. It tidies your Library copy only. [![The Kortex Library All chats view with a list of saved chats by day and one chat open in the reader beside the list.](/images/library/all-chats.webp)](/images/library/all-chats.webp) All chats lists every saved chat by day. Open one to read it in full beside the list. ## If it doesn’t work I cannot find my archived chats Open Settings, then Data controls, then Archived chats or View archived chats. Also check that you are in the right account and workspace. A locked chat sits under Projects, then Locked chats, and needs your PIN. A scheduled task stopped after I archived its chat OpenAI warns that archiving a chat used for scheduled-task results can pause the task on a later run. Unarchive the chat, then check the task under Scheduled. An archived chat still shows up in search That is normal. OpenAI states that archived chats remain searchable. Archiving only moves a chat out of your regular sidebar. To remove it for good, delete it. ## Questions people ask Something we missed? [Ask us](#contact). ### Does archiving a ChatGPT chat delete it? No. Archiving removes the chat from your regular sidebar but keeps it in your account. Archived chats remain searchable. Deleting is separate and permanent. ### How do I get a chat out of the archive? Open Settings, then Data controls, then Archived chats. Select Unarchive beside the chat and it returns to your regular history. ### Can I archive all my ChatGPT chats? Yes. In Settings, then Data controls, select Archive all chats and confirm. ### Does archiving change how long OpenAI keeps a chat? No. OpenAI states that archiving a chat does not change its retention period. Regular and archived chats stay saved until you delete them. ## Sources - [Deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center)](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8809935-how-to-delete-and-archive-chats-in-chatgpt) , checked November 10, 2026 - [Chat and file retention in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center)](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8983778-chat-and-file-retention-policies-in-chatgpt) , checked November 10, 2026 ## Keep going [Chat Library Keep your AI chats on your computer and search them, next to your YouTube videos and notebooks.](/features#organize) [Kortex docs The full reference for this feature, with every option.](/docs/chat-library) ### More tutorials - [How to continue a ChatGPT conversation in a new chat](/tutorials/how-to-continue-a-chatgpt-conversation-in-a-new-chat) - [How to delete ChatGPT history (one chat or all chats)](/tutorials/how-to-delete-chatgpt-chat-history) - [How to delete Claude chats: one, many or all at once](/tutorials/how-to-delete-claude-chats) - [How to delete Gemini history: one chat, a day or all time](/tutorials/how-to-delete-gemini-chat-history) [All tutorials](/tutorials) ## Do it on your own notebooks. Install the Kortex extension and follow these steps on a notebook you already have. [Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kortex/hdapplggdhndkblofffknpmnnnnbncbn) 100,000+ users, rated 4.5 on the Chrome Web Store.