How to Export Chrome History 2026 👋 — Step-by-Step Guide
Short intro: Exporting Chrome history is handy for audits, research, or keeping a local timeline of sites you visited. This guide shows practical ways to export history on Windows and macOS in 2026 — exact paths, commands, and safe tips so you don’t break anything.
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H2: What this guide covers 🧠
- Where Chrome stores history files (exact paths).
- Simple export via Chrome UI (limited).
- Full exports by copying History SQLite and converting to CSV/HTML.
- Use of third-party lightweight tools and a safe Python script to convert the DB.
- Privacy notes, troubleshooting, and quick commands.
Target audience: users in the US, Canada, Australia, UK who need a reliable export of browsing history for personal use or lightweight analysis.
Personal aside: I once had to hand a month of history to a client for a legal timeline — having a clean CSV saved a day of work.
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H2: Quick overview — pick your approach
- Quick UI copy: chrome://history and manual copy (fast, limited).
- Direct DB copy + conversion (accurate, full data).
- Use an export tool (easier, use vetted tools only).
- Choose DB copy + script for full control and offline safety.
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H2: Where Chrome stores history (exact paths) — copy/paste ready
Windows (Default profile):
C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\History
macOS (Default profile):
/Users/<YourUser>/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/History
Linux (for reference):
/home/<youruser>/.config/google-chrome/Default/History
Note: Replace <YourUser> with your actual username. If you use multiple profiles, folders look like "Profile 1", "Profile 2", etc.
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H2: Method 1 — Quick UI method (small exports, manual)
1] Open Chrome.
2] Go to chrome://history (or Menu → History → History).
3] Use the search box to filter a date range or domain.
4] Select items visually and copy-paste into a document or spreadsheet.
Limitations: Chrome UI doesn’t offer a native CSV export, and copy-paste is manual and best for small sets only.
Quick tip: Use the browser console on chrome://history to scrape visible rows if you’re comfortable with JS — works for one-off small data pulls.
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H2: Method 2 — Export full history via DB copy + Python convert (recommended)
Why: Chrome stores history in an SQLite DB named "History". Copying that DB while Chrome is closed and converting it gives you full records: URL, title, visittime, visitcount, typed_count.
Precautions:
- Close Chrome before copying the DB to avoid a locked or inconsistent file.
- Never edit the original; copy it to another folder first.
Exact steps (Windows example):
Step A — Copy the History file
1] Close Chrome completely (Task Manager → End chrome.exe).
2] Open File Explorer and copy:
C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\History
to a safe folder, e.g., C:\Temp\ChromeHistory\History-copy
Step B — Convert SQLite to CSV with Python (script below)
1] Ensure Python 3 is installed.
2] Save this script as C:\Temp\ChromeHistory\historytocsv.py
`python
historytocsv.py
import sqlite3, csv, sys, datetime, os
src = sys.argv[1] # path to copied History file
out = sys.argv[2] # output CSV path
conn = sqlite3.connect(src)
cur = conn.cursor()
Visits table joins urls table for details
query = '''
SELECT urls.id, urls.url, urls.title, urls.visitcount, urls.typedcount, visits.visit_time
FROM urls JOIN visits ON urls.id = visits.url;
'''
cur.execute(query)
rows = cur.fetchall()
def chrometimetoiso(webkitts):
# Chrome stores time as microseconds since 1601-01-01
if webkit_ts is None:
return ''
epoch_start = datetime.datetime(1601,1,1)
return (epochstart + datetime.timedelta(microseconds=webkitts)).isoformat()
os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(out), exist_ok=True)
with open(out, 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as f:
w = csv.writer(f)
w.writerow(['id','url','title','visitcount','typedcount','visittimeiso'])
for r in rows:
w.writerow([r[0], r[1], r[2], r[3], r[4], chrometimeto_iso(r[5])])
conn.close()
print("Wrote", out)
`
3] Run (PowerShell or Terminal):
Windows example:
python "C:\Temp\ChromeHistory\historytocsv.py" "C:\Temp\ChromeHistory\History-copy" "C:\Temp\ChromeHistory\chrome-history-2026.csv"
macOS example paths adjusted accordingly.
Result: chrome-history-2026.csv with readable timestamps.
Notes on visittime: Chrome stores visittime in microseconds since 1601; script converts to ISO timestamps.
Personal note: I use CSV and open in Excel or Google Sheets to filter by domain and create timelines quickly.
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H2: Method 3 — Use a vetted third-party exporter (easier, trust matters)
Examples: small open-source utilities that read Chrome History SQLite and export to CSV/JSON. Only use code from reputable GitHub repos, inspect code briefly, and run offline.
Steps:
1] Download the tool source or binary from a trusted repo.
2] Copy your History file (close Chrome first).
3] Run the tool against the copy and export CSV/JSON.
Warning: Don’t run random binaries. Prefer open-source scripts or small CLI tools you can review.
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H2: What data you get (and limits)
Exports typically include:
- URL, page title, visit timestamp, visit count, typed count, last visit.
They do NOT include:
- Full browsing context like form data, cookies, or passwords (sensitive items).
- Extensions’ internal history if they have separate stores.
Privacy note: History reveals detailed browsing patterns. Keep exports local and encrypted if sharing.
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H2: Filtering and analysis examples (no table)
- Top sites by visitcount: open CSV in Excel, sort by visitcount desc.
- Timeline of visits for a domain: filter URL contains domain and chart visittimeiso.
- Find typed URLs: filter typed_count > 0 to see direct navigations.
Quick practical filter: In Google Sheets, use QUERY to get site counts:
=QUERY(A:F,"select C, count(A) where C contains 'example.com' group by C order by count(A) desc",1)
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H2: Troubleshooting — common problems and fixes
Problem: “History file locked” when copying
- Fix: Ensure Chrome and background Google Update processes are closed. Use Task Manager to end chrome.exe and related processes.
Problem: SQLite errors running the script
- Fix: Make sure you copied the file and aren’t pointing at the live DB. Confirm Python sqlite3 is available.
Problem: Timestamps look odd
- Fix: Use the conversion function provided; Chrome times are not UNIX epoch — they use WebKit/Chrome epoch (since 1601).
Problem: No history for some time ranges
- Fix: Chrome may prune old history if you set limits or use history-cleaning extensions. If you had automatic cleaning, older entries may be gone.
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H2: Privacy and secure handling 🛡️
- Keep exports on an encrypted drive (BitLocker, FileVault, or encrypted container).
- If sharing with others, anonymize URLs or remove sensitive domains first.
- Delete temporary copies securely after use.
Human tip: I always keep one encrypted monthly archive and delete intermediate files — avoids accidental leaks.
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H2: Quick commands and file paths summary
- Windows History path: C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\History
- macOS History path: /Users/<YourUser>/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/History
- Close Chrome: Task Manager → End chrome.exe (Windows) or Quit → Force Quit (macOS)
- Python script: historytocsv.py (convert History DB to CSV)
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H2: FAQs — short practical answers
Q: Can I export history while Chrome is running?
A: Not reliably — the DB is usually locked. Close Chrome first or use a copy tool that handles live DBs (advanced).
Q: Will exporting history include incognito visits?
A: No. Incognito browsing doesn’t write to the History DB.
Q: Can I import this CSV into another browser?
A: Browsers generally import bookmarks, not full history. Use CSV for analysis or record-keeping, not for re-import as browsing history.
Q: Is there a built-in Chrome export for history?
A: No native CSV export; use DB copy + conversion or third-party tools.
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H2: What you can take away 📝
- For small quick needs, use chrome://history and copy-paste or console scrape.
- For full, reliable exports, close Chrome, copy the History SQLite DB, and convert to CSV with a simple Python script.
- Handle exported files securely and delete temporary copies when done.
- Incognito sessions and some extension-stored data are not part of the exported history.
Personal line: When I need a timeline, the DB→CSV route is the only one I trust — painless once you’ve done it once.
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H2: Sources and further reading
- Google Chrome Help — View and delete browsing history: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589
- SQLite docs (for working with Chrome History DB): https://www.sqlite.org/docs.html
- Community examples on GitHub for history export scripts (search "chrome history sqlite export")
- Stack Overflow threads about Chrome history structure and timestamps
Related: "Automatically Backup Chrome Bookmarks 2026" and "How to Recover Deleted Chrome Bookmarks 2026" — useful companion reads.
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H2: Why this matters in 2026 — final wrap
Your browsing history is a private log but also a useful timeline. Exporting it properly (DB copy + conversion) gives you a clean, analyzable record while keeping the process under your control. Do it carefully, encrypt the output, and keep only what you need. Trust me — having that CSV once saved a long weekend of reconstruction.
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