chat-export-server

Native start on :8765, health, two Chrome profiles online/offline

Local MCP server for the Chat Export Chrome extension. List, read, export, create, delete, and ask in your own chats on eight web providers (ChatGPT, Grok, X Grok, Claude, GitHub Copilot, Qwen, DeepSeek, Perplexity) — through the extension in your browser. Everything stays on 127.0.0.1: job queues, SQLite chat cache, audit log, optional dashboard UI.

Listed on Glama (v1.0.4, TDQS 4.4/5).

Why this MCP (for awesome-list reviewers)

Most LLM MCP servers wrap a vendor HTTP API (keys, quotas, cloud data path). Chat Export is different: the agent talks MCP to a local process; that process drives the web UIs you are already logged into via the Chrome extension bridge. No OpenAI/Anthropic/xAI API keys for chat ops, no chat bodies leaving 127.0.0.1, and delete/create stay off until you opt in (allowDestructive + confirm). Pair with the extension zip; point Cursor (or any MCP client) at http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp.

The problem

IDE agents need structured access to web LLM sessions without pasting cookies or paying per-token cloud APIs. You want MCP tools, retries, and queues — but data must not leave your machine.

What you get

Platform	Automation
ChatGPT	list / get / export / create / delete / ask
Grok (`grok.com`)	same
X Grok	same
Claude	same
GitHub Copilot web	same
Qwen (`chat.qwen.ai`)	same
DeepSeek (`chat.deepseek.com`)	same
Perplexity (`perplexity.ai`)	same

flowchart TB
  EXT[Chrome extension] <-->|WS /ws ceb_| HUB[Browser hub]
  HUB --> Q[Job lanes per browser]
  Q --> MCP[MCP /mcp]
  MCP --> AGENT[Cursor etc. cem_/cek_]
  HUB --> API[Dashboard /dashboard/api]
  API --> UI[Dashboard static UI]
  Q --> DB[(SQLite cache + WAL)]

Quick start (3 steps)

Extension — load chat-export-extension unpacked; enable bridge in popup; open provider tabs logged in.
Server — npm install && npm run build, chat-export-server key new, chat-export-server start → http://127.0.0.1:8765.
MCP client — point to http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp with Authorization: Bearer <key>; run browsers_bind then chats_list / chats_export / chat_ask.

Wiki: MCP tools and profiles.

Install and build

npm install
npm run build   # tsc -> dist/
npm link        # optional: chat-export-server on PATH

Requires Node 22.13+ (node:sqlite).

Script	Purpose
`npm run build`	compile to `dist/`
`npm run typecheck`	`tsc --noEmit`
`npm start`	`node dist/cli/index.js start`
`npm run dev`	`tsx watch src/cli/index.ts start`
`npm run mcp`	stdio MCP attached

First run

chat-export-server key new    # print once; hash stored
chat-export-server start
# WS   /ws, /ext  — extension bridge
# MCP  /mcp       — Bearer key
# GET  /health

Data under ~/.chat-export (override CHAT_EXPORT_HOME):

~/.chat-export/
  config.json    # host, port, exportDir
  keys.json      # hashes only (chmod 600)
  audit.log      # MCP/RPC audit
  exports/       # chats_export output

chat-export-server key rotate
chat-export-server key list
chat-export-server status

Configuration

Environment variables

Copy .env.example to .env in the server directory (or set CHAT_EXPORT_ENV_FILE). Container and process env override config.json where noted.

Variable	Purpose
`CHAT_EXPORT_HOME`	Data directory (default `~/.chat-export`; `/data` in Docker)
`CHAT_EXPORT_HOST`	Bind address (`127.0.0.1` locally; use `0.0.0.0` in containers)
`CHAT_EXPORT_PORT`	HTTP port (default `8765`)
`CHAT_EXPORT_ALLOWED_HOSTS`	Extra `Host` header names allowed (comma-separated)
`CHAT_EXPORT_DASHBOARD_ENABLED`	`true` / `false`
`CHAT_EXPORT_ADMIN_USER` / `CHAT_EXPORT_ADMIN_PASS`	Dashboard login (overrides `config.json`)
`CHAT_EXPORT_MCP_TOKEN`	Optional preset `cem_…` token hash on start
`CHAT_EXPORT_BROWSER_TOKENS`	`browserId:ceb_…[:label]` comma list for auto-enroll
`CHAT_EXPORT_ALLOW_DESTRUCTIVE`	`true` / `false`
`CHAT_EXPORT_DB_DRIVER`	DB driver override (`sqlite` default)
`CHAT_EXPORT_DB_URL`	DB URL when not using default SQLite path
`CHAT_EXPORT_SKIP_MCP_CONFIG`	Set `1` to skip auto-writing Cursor MCP config on `key new`

Docker and Colima

This repo ships a multi-stage Dockerfile (Node 22 Alpine, non-root user, CHAT_EXPORT_HOME=/data, listen 0.0.0.0:8765, /health check). Docker Desktop is not required — use Colima on macOS:

colima start
docker context use colima   # or: docker --context colima …
cp .env.example .env        # set CHAT_EXPORT_ADMIN_PASS at minimum
docker --context colima compose build
docker --context colima compose up -d
curl -sS http://127.0.0.1:8765/health

Published only on 127.0.0.1:8765. Persistent data: Compose volume chat-export-data → /data.

Stop when finished so a local chat-export-server daemon can reclaim the port:

docker --context colima compose down

Optional split stack (nginx serves dashboard static, proxies /dashboard/api, /mcp, /ws, /ext, /enroll, /health to the server): build from the maintainer tree chat-export-dashboard/Dockerfile and projects/Chat Export/docker-compose.yml (see dashboard repo).

`config.json` (under `CHAT_EXPORT_HOME`)

Created on first start. Example (secrets redacted):

{
  "host": "127.0.0.1",
  "port": 8765,
  "exportDir": "~/.chat-export/exports",
  "rpcTimeoutMs": 60000,
  "dashboard": {
    "enabled": true,
    "username": "admin",
    "password": "changeme"
  },
  "registeredBrowsers": [],
  "settings": {
    "platformsEnabled": ["chatgpt", "grok", "grok-x", "copilot", "claude"],
    "allowDestructive": false
  }
}

Change dashboard.password before exposing the host beyond loopback. Server listens on 127.0.0.1:8765 by default (/health, /mcp, /ws, /dashboard/).

Tokens

Prefix	Used by
`cek_` / `cem_`	MCP and CLI (`Authorization: Bearer …` on `/mcp`)
`ceb_`	Chrome extension WebSocket (`/ws`); enroll via CLI or dashboard

Only hashes of MCP keys are stored in keys.json (mode 600). Plaintext is shown once at chat-export-server key new.

Detached daemon (maintainer workspace)

In the Chat Export maintainer tree, tmp-scripts/ensure-daemon.mjs can keep chat-export-server running on :8765, write ~/.chat-export/server.pid, and optionally sync Bearer cem_… into .cursor/mcp.json (--sync-mcp-json). Equivalent manual start: chat-export-server start.

Cursor MCP (`~/.cursor/mcp.json` or project `.cursor/mcp.json`)

HTTP (server already running):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chat-export": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer cem_YOUR_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Profiles: expose the full tool surface (chats_*, jobs_*, chat_cache_*, projects_*) for IDE agents. A small read-focused subset (list/get/export, browsers, platforms) is documented on the wiki MCP tools page — match your client’s token budget. Open WebUI via mcpo can proxy the same HTTP endpoint if your setup uses an OpenAPI bridge on another port.

After MCP is configured, run browsers_bind so tools target your connected Chrome profile.

Extension bridge settings: chat-export-extension README.

Background jobs

Long work (chat_ask, export, bulk delete) uses per-browser lanes:

jobs_enqueue, jobs_status, jobs_list, jobs_cancel

Cursor MCP config

HTTP (server already running):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chat-export": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer cek_YOUR_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

stdio:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chat-export": {
      "command": "chat-export-server",
      "args": ["start", "--stdio"],
      "env": {
        "CHAT_EXPORT_HOME": "/Users/YOU/.chat-export"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP tools (overview)

Tool	Purpose
`browsers_list` / `browsers_bind` / `browsers_status`	Connected Chrome profiles
`platforms_list`	Enablement matrix
`chats_list` / `chats_get` / `chats_export`	Read and write exports
`chats_create` / `chats_delete`	UI drive (delete needs `confirm: true`)
`chat_ask`	Send prompt; wait or job queue
`jobs_*`	Async pipeline
`chat_cache_*`	Temp SQLite cache for long threads

Full list evolves with releases; see wiki MCP Tools.

Layout

packages/protocol/   wire contract v1
src/core/            config, keys, audit, db, jobs, cache
src/hub/             WebSocket BrowserHub
src/mcp/             MCP HTTP + stdio
src/cli/             CLI entry
src/dashboard-api.ts /dashboard/api + dashboard/public
dashboard/           git submodule → chat-export-dashboard

git submodule update --init after clone.

Security

Loopback only by default (127.0.0.1). Change host only if you understand exposure.
Keys (cek_/cem_) grant full local API — never commit or publish.
Browser tokens (ceb_) are separate from MCP keys.
chats_delete and similar need allowDestructive on extension and server plus confirm: true.
Append-only audit for sensitive RPC. See SECURITY.md.
Personal data portability is the goal; you must comply with each provider ToS. Not legal advice.

Related repositories

Repo	Role
chat-export-extension	Content scripts + WS client
chat-export-server (this)	MCP hub, jobs, cache
chat-export-dashboard	Operator UI submodule
Wiki	Install, security, FAQ

Support the project

Tip (fiat): DonationAlerts — svwergio_mel

Tips are voluntary; they do not purchase support SLAs or private builds.

FAQ

No telemetry; no external servers for core operation.
Only your chats, from your browser session.
Shared wording: packages/faq.md.

Contributing

See extension CONTRIBUTING.md (protocol PLATFORMS, server MCP, config) and wiki Contributing.

License

See LICENSE.

chat-export-server

Documentation

chat-export-server

Why this MCP (for awesome-list reviewers)

The problem

What you get

Quick start (3 steps)

Install and build

First run

Configuration

Environment variables

Docker and Colima

config.json (under CHAT_EXPORT_HOME)

Tokens

Detached daemon (maintainer workspace)

Cursor MCP (~/.cursor/mcp.json or project .cursor/mcp.json)

Background jobs

Cursor MCP config

MCP tools (overview)

Layout

Security

Related repositories

Support the project

FAQ

Contributing

License

`config.json` (under `CHAT_EXPORT_HOME`)

Cursor MCP (`~/.cursor/mcp.json` or project `.cursor/mcp.json`)