Data Storage

Chatelope stores your data locally. This guide covers how data is stored, backed up, and managed.

Storage Location

Default Location

Data is stored in a SQLite database:

• Web app: ./data/chatelope.db
• Mobile: App data directory

Custom Location

Change the database location:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click Change Location
3. Select new directory
4. Data will be migrated

What's Stored

Database

The SQLite database contains:

• Conversations and messages
• Folders and tags
• User preferences
• Sync metadata

Attachments

Files are stored separately:

• Images from imports
• Generated images
• Audio files
• Document attachments

Cache

Temporary data for performance:

• Thumbnails
• Search indexes
• TTS audio cache

Storage Usage

View storage breakdown:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. See usage by category:
   • Database
   • Attachments
   • Cache

Cleaning Up

Free up space:

• Clear cache - Remove temporary files
• Delete unused attachments - Remove orphaned files
• Compress database - Optimize database file

Backup

Manual Backup

Create a backup:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click Create Backup
3. Choose location
4. Backup includes database + attachments

Automatic Backup

Enable scheduled backups:

1. Go to Settings > Data > Auto Backup
2. Enable automatic backups
3. Set frequency (daily/weekly)
4. Choose backup location

Restore

Restore from backup:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click Restore from Backup
3. Select backup file
4. Confirm restore

Export

Full Export

Export all data:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click Export All
3. Choose format (JSON or SQLite)
4. Download the export file

Selective Export

Export specific conversations:

1. Select conversations
2. Right-click > Export
3. Choose format

Export Formats

Import

From Export

Import a previous export:

1. Go to Settings > Data
2. Click Import
3. Select export file
4. Choose merge or replace

Merge Options

When importing:

• Merge - Add to existing data
• Replace - Delete existing, import new
• Deduplicate - Skip existing conversations

Data Retention

Automatic Cleanup

Configure retention policies:

• Keep forever - Never delete
• Archive after X days - Move old conversations
• Delete after X days - Permanent removal

Manual Cleanup

Bulk delete old data:

1. Go to Settings > Data > Cleanup
2. Set date range
3. Preview affected conversations
4. Confirm deletion

Privacy

Data Location

Your data stays local:

• No cloud sync by default
• API keys stored encrypted
• Attachments stored locally

Encryption

Database encryption (optional):

1. Go to Settings > Data > Security
2. Enable Database Encryption
3. Set a password
4. Restart required

Secure Delete

Permanently remove data:

1. Select items to delete
2. Use Secure Delete option
3. Data is overwritten, not just marked deleted

Sync

Cloud Sync

Optional cloud backup:

1. Go to Settings > Sync
2. Connect storage provider
3. Configure sync settings

Supported providers:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• iCloud
• Custom WebDAV

Multi-Device

Sync between devices:

1. Export from source device
2. Import on target device
3. Or use cloud sync