How to save AI chats to Obsidian

Last updated 18 October 2026

Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files, so AI chats fit right in. You can link them, tag them and search them alongside the rest of your notes. Here's how to get conversations from ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini into your vault today, using free features.

What's free today, and what's planned

Free now: copy any supported chat as Markdown and paste it into a note, or export it as an .md file straight into your vault folder.

Planned for ChatArchivr Pro (not on sale yet): a dedicated Obsidian export with YAML front-matter (properties) and a bulk vault export of your whole library. Until Pro launches, you can add properties yourself, as shown below.

Without any extension: you can copy replies one at a time and paste them into a note. It works, but it's slow, and you lose your prompts and the structure of the conversation.

Export with ChatArchivr, step by step

All the ChatArchivr steps on this page use free features: single-chat export in every format, copy as Markdown and the local library.

Open the chat. Open the conversation on ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini.
Copy as Markdown. Click the ChatArchivr toolbar icon and press Copy Markdown. The whole conversation goes to your clipboard.
Paste into a new note. Create a note in Obsidian and paste. Headings, code blocks, tables and links render straight away.
Or save a file into the vault. Alternatively, choose Markdown and press Export, then move the .md file into your vault folder (or set your browser to ask where to save downloads, and pick the vault).

Adding your own properties

Each exported note starts with the chat title as a heading and a quote block showing the source, the chat's address and the export date. If you want Obsidian properties, add a block like this at the very top of the note:

---
source: ChatGPT
tags: [ai-chat]
---

Templater or a simple note template can automate this. The planned Pro export will add front-matter for you.

Organising chats in your vault

Keep them in one folder, such as AI Chats/, so they don't clutter your main notes.
The default file name starts with the date, so files sort by date automatically.
Link out from your own notes with [[ ]] so useful answers turn up in backlinks.
Code blocks keep their language, so Obsidian highlights them properly.

Nothing passes through a server: the Markdown is created in your browser and goes straight to your clipboard or downloads folder.

If an export looks wrong

Check the page has finished loading. Wait until the last reply has finished generating before you export.
Reload and try again. If the popup says the page isn't recognised, reload the tab. The extension starts once the page has loaded.
Turn off the floating button in Options if it gets in the way. The toolbar icon does the same job.
Tell me what broke. AI sites change their layouts often, and that can break exports until ChatArchivr is updated. Email chatarchivr.support@gmail.com with the site name and a short description. Please don't send chat content.

FAQ

Is the Obsidian export free?

Copy as Markdown and .md export are free today and work well with Obsidian. The dedicated Obsidian export with YAML front-matter, and bulk vault export, are planned for Pro, which isn't on sale yet.

Does it work with Logseq, Joplin or Notion?

The Markdown is standard, so you can paste it into any app that accepts Markdown.

Will code blocks render in Obsidian?

Yes. They stay fenced with their language label.

Does ChatArchivr need access to my vault?

No. It copies to your clipboard or saves a normal download. It never touches your vault directly.