Import your Slack history

Workspaces on paid plans can import a Slack export archive and rebuild their channels and message history in HansaChat — with original timestamps, threads, reactions, and mentions.

What is imported

• Public and private channels, with their member lists.
• Messages with their original timestamps.
• Thread replies, reactions, and @mentions.
• Workspace members: accounts that match an existing member by email are linked; everyone else is imported as an inactive placeholder profile with no password. Inviting that person later by their email address links the history to their new account.

What is not imported

• Direct messages.
• The contents of uploaded files. Message text is kept; links to Slack files remain as plain text.
• Posts from Slack apps and integrations are imported as plain messages using their summary text; rich attachment layouts are not rebuilt.

Prepare the archive

1. In Slack, open Workspace settings → Import/Export data and request an export.
2. Wait for Slack to finish preparing it, then download the ZIP archive.

HansaChat's own export archives use the same layout, so you can import them the same way — for example when moving your history between workspaces.

Run the import

1. Open the workspace dashboard on the HansaChat website.
2. Find your workspace and choose Import from Slack.
3. Select the ZIP archive and choose Import archive.

Each workspace can start one import per day.

The import runs in the background. Large archives can take a while; the page shows live progress and you receive an email when the import has finished.

How your history lands

• Your existing #general channel is reused and the imported #general history is appended to it.
• Other channels are recreated with their original name. If a channel with the same name already exists, the imported one is created with an "-imported" suffix.
• Imported history appears when you reload the workspace. Nothing is pushed to open sessions while the import runs.
• Members who were not linked to an existing account appear as inactive profiles. They never receive email and cannot log in unless you invite them.

Data protection note

The archive contains personal data of your Slack members, such as names, email addresses, and message content. Download it from Slack only when you are ready to import, and delete your local copy afterwards. HansaChat deletes the uploaded archive as soon as the import has finished.