Slack to PDF

How to save Slack messages as PDF — step by step (+ easier way)

Slack is where work conversations happen, but it has no built-in way to save a conversation as a PDF. Here is how to save Slack messages using workspace export and browser print — and a method that captures just the messages without the Slack interface.

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Free — 3 PDFs per month. No credit card required.

Step by step

How to save Slack messages as PDF

Three methods — none of them ideal.

Method 1: Slack web app — browser print

  1. Open Slack in your browser at app.slack.com (not the desktop app).
  2. Navigate to the channel or direct message conversation you want to save.
  3. Scroll through the conversation to load all the messages you want to capture. Slack lazy-loads messages, so older messages may not be visible until you scroll up.
  4. Press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac) to open the browser print dialog.
  5. Set the Destination to "Save as PDF" and click Save.

Warning: This captures the entire Slack UI — channel list sidebar, header, message input box, and all interface elements — along with the messages.

Method 2: Slack workspace export (admin only)

  1. You must be a Workspace Owner or Admin to use this method.
  2. Go to your Slack workspace settings: yourworkspace.slack.com/services/export.
  3. Select a date range for the export.
  4. Click "Start Export." Slack generates a ZIP file containing JSON files for each channel.
  5. Download and extract the ZIP. The JSON files contain message data but are not formatted as readable documents — you would need to convert them separately.

Note: On free and Pro plans, this only exports public channels. Private channels and DMs require a Business+ or Enterprise Grid plan.

Method 3: Copy and paste to a document

  1. Open the Slack conversation in the web or desktop app.
  2. Select the messages you want by clicking and dragging to highlight them.
  3. Copy the selected text (Ctrl+C / Cmd+C).
  4. Paste into Google Docs, Word, or another document editor.
  5. Format as needed and export the document as PDF.

Trade-off: This is manual and tedious but gives you the most control over formatting and which messages to include.

Limitations

Why saving Slack messages as PDF is so frustrating

Slack was not designed with PDF export in mind.

No built-in PDF export

Slack has no native option to export a conversation, thread, or channel as a PDF document. There is no "Save as PDF" button, no export menu for individual conversations, and no way to generate a formatted document from within Slack.

Workspace export produces JSON, not PDF

Slack's workspace export feature is designed for compliance and backup, not for creating readable documents. It produces JSON data files that require technical knowledge to parse and convert into any human-readable format.

Browser print captures the full UI

Using Ctrl+P on the Slack web app captures everything visible in the browser — the channel sidebar, workspace switcher, message input box, reaction buttons, and thread indicators — alongside the actual messages you want.

Thread context is hard to capture

Slack threads are nested under parent messages. When you print the channel view, threaded replies may appear as "X replies" links rather than expanded content. Opening a thread in the side panel only shows that thread, losing the broader channel context.

Free plan limits message history

Slack's free plan limits searchable message history to 90 days. Older messages are not accessible, which means you cannot print or export conversations from before the cutoff. This makes PDF archiving even more urgent for free-tier workspaces.

The easier way

Save Slack conversations as clean PDFs

Just the messages. No sidebar. No input box. No UI clutter.

1

Open the conversation in Slack web

Navigate to the channel, DM, or thread you want to save at app.slack.com. Make sure all the messages you want are loaded and visible.

2

Click the Pretty PDF extension icon

The extension extracts just the message content from the Slack web view — removing the channel sidebar, workspace switcher, message composer, and all interface elements.

3

Choose a template and generate

Pick from five professional templates and click Generate PDF. Your Slack conversation becomes a clean, readable document.

Slack Export vs Pretty PDF

Feature Slack Pretty PDF
PDF export None built-in One-click PDF
Content extraction Full UI or raw JSON Messages only
Templates None 5 professional templates
Admin required Export needs admin Any user
Thread support Collapsed in print Captures visible content

Frequently asked questions

Slack does not have a native PDF export. The closest option is browser print on the Slack web app, which captures the full interface. Pretty PDF extracts just the message content from the Slack web view.
Open the thread in Slack's web app so it appears as the main view, then use Pretty PDF to capture just the thread content. Browser print would include the full Slack UI.
Yes. Workspace owners can export all messages via Slack's Workspace settings > Import/Export. However, this exports JSON data, not formatted PDFs. You would need to convert the JSON separately.
Pretty PDF works with any Slack workspace accessible via the web app (app.slack.com). It captures what is visible in your browser, regardless of your Slack plan tier.

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Save Slack conversations as clean PDFs

Free — 3 PDFs per month. No credit card required.

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