Slack is a highly popular collaboration tool that is used by teams all over the world. In this post we will see how to export data from a Slack Workspace or Org.
You can use the Slack built-in export tool, or use the Backupery for Slack tool to export the data. Backupery for Slack was built with the idea to complement the Slack buit-in export, not to compete with it.
If you want to jump directly to step-by-step guides on how to export Slack data here they are:
- Slack built-in export tool manual
- Backupery for Slack Desktop manual
- Backupery for Slack Cloud manual
If you want to better understand the differences and capabilities of the tools, keep reading.
Below are comparison tables along with a brief review of the tools. Amount of data the tools may export depends on your Slack plan. So we’ve built the comparison tables depending on a Slack plan.
Slack Free or Pro Plan
| Slack Built-In Export | Backupery for Slack | |
| Public Channels | + | + |
| Private Channels and Direct Messages | – | +* |
| Files | – | + |
| Schedule recurring exports | – | + |
| May be available for non Owners/Admins | – | + |
| Selective export | – | + |
| JSON export | + | + |
| HTML export | – | + |
*Some additional setup may be needed.
Slack Business+ Plan
| Slack Built-In Export | Backupery for Slack | |
| Public Channels | + | + |
| Private Channels and Direct Messages | +* | +** |
| Files | – | + |
| Schedule recurring exports | + | + |
| May be available for non Owners/Admins | – | + |
| Selective export | – | + |
| JSON export | + | + |
| HTML export | – | + |
*Workspace Owners and Org Owners must apply to use these export types.
**Some additional setup may be needed.
Slack Enterprise Grid Plan
| Slack Built-In Export | Backupery for Slack | |
| Public Channels | + | + |
| Private Channels and Direct Messages | +* | +*** |
| Files | +** | + |
| Schedule recurring exports | – | + |
| May be available for non Owners/Admins | – | + |
| Selective export | +** | + |
| JSON export | + | + |
| HTML export | – | + |
*Workspace Owners and Org Owners must apply to use these export types.
**Org Owners can request to export data from all conversations a single user has been a part of. In this case, the export file will contain the files for a single user.
***Some additional setup may be needed.
Slack Free plan limitations. Please note, on the Free plan, the message and file history is limited. The limitation however is not completely applied to the Slack built-in export. Even on the Free plan, the message history from the Public Channels contains all the messages from the beginning. However, the file history is limited.
Unlike the built-in export, Backupery for Slack app is not able to access the messages that are out of the limit. To remove the limitation you may want to consider upgrading your Slack plan to any paid plan while the export is running.
Files. Exports produced by the built-in tool does not contain uploaded files. Instead, they contain links to the files. Also, on the Enterprise Grid plan, Org Owner can request to export data from all conversations where a user participates. In this case, the export file will contain the files for the user.
Exports produced by Backpery for Slack contain uploaded files themselves, along with the links.
Private Channels and DMs. Please note, in order to export Private Channels and DMs using the built-in tool on Business+ and Enterprise Grid plans, Owner must apply to use these export types. If the application is approved by Slack, the export will contain all the Private Channels and DMs that exist in the Workspace or Org.
In case of Backupery for Slack, by default, the app exports Private Channels and DMs where the installing user (the user who installs the app) participates. To export Private Channels and DMs where the installing user does not participate, some additional setup may be needed.
May be available for non Owners/Admins. Unlike the built-in export tool, Backupery for Slack may be available for non Admin/Owners. You can read more here about that: Can I use Backupery for Slack without Owner or Admin permissions?
Selective export. Slack built-in tool usually works from a perspective of a whole workspace/org. So if you export the data using the tool, usually you get the conversations across your whole workspace/org. The only exception is that Org Owners can request to export data from all conversations where a single user participates. In this case, the export file will contain the messages and files for a single user.
Backupery for Slack allows you to export data from a single user, or a specific conversation, or a combination of different conversations on your workspace/org.
Readable export. Slack built-in tool exports the conversation history in JSON format. The only exception is exporting the data on Enterprise Grid for a single user – in this case the data may be exported in a text format.
Backupery for Slack using JSON and two HTML formats to export the data. You can read more here about the export structure: Backupery for Slack export structure.
Here you can try Backupery for Slack app: https://www.backupery.com/products/backupery-for-slack/
Here is Backupery for Slack manual: https://www.backupery.com/backupery-for-slack-desktop-manual/
Please note, if you are using Slack built-in export tool, you can consider using a complementary app called Backupery for Slack Export. The app convert Slack Export archive (*.zip) to HTML and download files mentioned in the conversations.
Hope the article helps you to understand which tool fits your needs better.
As always, if you have any questons, please let us know, we’re listening!