How to move a ChatGPT chat to Claude

The short answer

Move the work, not the whole chat. A long chat is full of old drafts and ideas you dropped. If you paste all of it, Claude has to guess which version is the real one. A short brief with six clear parts is easier for Claude to follow.

You can write that brief by hand (Method 1), dig it out of a data export (Method 2), or paste the chat into KumiBrief and let it write the brief for you.

Method 1: Copy it by hand

This works on any plan and costs nothing. You ask ChatGPT for a brief, check it, and paste it into Claude.

1. Step 1.Ask ChatGPT for a brief.

   Open the chat in ChatGPT and send this prompt:

   Write a handoff brief so Claude can keep working on this without seeing our chat. Use these six headings:
   
   1. Goal (one sentence)
   2. Decisions and Current State
   3. Constraints and Preferences
   4. Open Questions and Risks
   5. Next Action (one clear step)
   6. Essential Context (only what is needed)
   
   Rules: Use only what we actually said. Do not guess. If I changed my mind, give only my latest choice. Keep names, numbers, and dates exactly as they are. List any files I need to upload again.

2. Step 2.Check the brief before you copy it.

   ChatGPT can miss a rule you said only once, early in the chat. Make sure every rule is there. Make sure the latest decision is the one listed. Check names and numbers.

3. Step 3.Open a new chat in Claude.

   Send this message, with the brief pasted at the bottom:

   I'm moving this work from another AI. The brief below shows where it stands. Read it first. Then tell me in 2 or 3 sentences where we are and what you would do next. Wait for me before you start.
   
   [paste the brief here]

4. Step 4.Upload your files again.

   Files you gave ChatGPT do not come along with the text. In Claude, click the + button in the chat box and choose Add files or photos.

5. Step 5.Check Claude's reply.

   If Claude gets something wrong, fix the brief and paste it again. Don't argue with it in the chat.

Tip for long work: make a Claude Project and add the brief to the project's knowledge. Every chat in that project can then use it. Projects work on free Claude accounts too, up to five projects.

Method 2: Export your ChatGPT data

Use this when you want a copy of everything, or when you can't find the old chat.

1. Step 1.Ask for the export.

   In ChatGPT on the web, open your profile menu. Go to Settings → Data controls. Under Export data, select Export, then Confirm export.

2. Step 2.Wait for the email or text.

   OpenAI says it can take up to 7 days. The download link stops working 24 hours after it arrives, so download it soon.

3. Step 3.Open the ZIP file.

   chat.html lets you read your chats in a web browser. conversations.json holds the same chats as data.

4. Step 4.Pick the one chat you need.

   Find it in chat.html, copy the part that matters, and turn it into a brief with Method 1 or with KumiBrief.

Claude can read JSON and HTML files. But a full export is often much too big to be useful in one chat, and it mixes every chat you ever had. Pick the one chat that matters.

Export from settings works on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro. It is not available on Business or Enterprise workspaces. Ask your workspace owner instead.

Method 3: Claude's memory import (facts about you)

Claude can bring in what ChatGPT remembers about you. In Claude, go to Settings → Your Claude and select Start import. In the older layout, it is under Settings → Memory. Claude shows a prompt to send to ChatGPT. Paste ChatGPT's answer back and select Add to memory.

This moves facts about you: your job, your style, the tools you use. It does not move one project: what you decided in this chat and what comes next. For that, use Method 1 or KumiBrief. You can use both.

Claude's Help Center says memory import works on all plans, on the web and Claude Desktop. It also says the feature is still experimental, so Claude may not keep everything.

What does not move

• Files and images. Upload them to Claude again.
• Custom GPTs. Claude can't import one. Copy its instructions into a Claude Project's instructions.
• Custom instructions. Copy them from ChatGPT (Settings → Personalization). Paste them into Claude (Settings → Your Claude → Instructions).
• The feel of the old chat. Claude writes in its own way. If tone or format matters, put it in the brief under Constraints and Preferences.

The faster way: KumiBrief

KumiBrief writes the brief for you, so you can skip the prompt and most of the checking.

1. Step 1.Copy the chat.

   Copy the ChatGPT chat, or just the part that matters.

2. Step 2.Paste it into KumiBrief.

   Go to kumibrief.com, paste the chat, and pick Claude as the receiving AI.

3. Step 3.Read, then copy.

   KumiBrief writes the six parts. Read the brief, fix anything that is off, and copy it into a new Claude chat.

• It keeps your decisions and rules, and it uses your latest choice when you changed your mind.
• It marks what is unknown instead of guessing.
• It does not connect to ChatGPT or Claude. You copy and paste, so nothing needs a login.
• The paste limit is 40,000 characters. For a longer chat, paste the most recent part.
• The brief can be wrong. Read it before you use it.
• Your paste is sent to Google's Gemini API to write the brief. KumiBrief does not store it. See the privacy page.

Questions

Sources

Menus in ChatGPT and Claude change often. We checked these pages on October 28, 2026.

• OpenAI Help Center: Exporting your ChatGPT history and data
• OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Custom Instructions
• Claude Help Center: Import and export your memory from Claude
• Claude Help Center: How can I create and manage projects?
• Claude Help Center: Upload files to Claude
• Claude Help Center: Understanding Claude's personalization features