Introduction: Regain control of your chat data

With instant communication tools deeply integrated into work and life today, WeChat chat records have become an important part of personal digital assets. As an open source chat record management tool, Chatlog provides users with a localized and systematic data management solution. This article will introduce in detail how to use this tool to realize the independent management of WeChat chat records and meet the deep needs of individual users for data control.

Analysis of core functions

Multi-platform support and data compatibility

  • Support Windows/macOS dual platform operation
  • Adapt to WeChat 3. x to 4.0 mainstream version
  • Can parse the local database file format
  • Provides dual terminal and command line operation modes

Data interaction ability

  • Built-in HTTP API service interface
  • Support three output formats of JSON/CSV/plain text
  • Realize MCP SSE protocol integration
  • Provide four core query functions：

    1. Chat history retrieval
    2. Contact management
    3. Group chat information query
    4. Recent session tracking

System preparation and environment configuration

Cross-platform installation guide

Source code compilation scheme

go install github.com/sjzar/chatlog@latest

Get the precompiled version

Visit the release page to download the corresponding system version. It is recommended to choose a build package that matches the WeChat client version.

macOS special configuration

  1. Security policy adjustment：

    • Enter recovery mode：

      • Intel chip: Press and hold Command+R when booting
      • Apple chip: Press and hold the power button until the progress bar appears
    • The terminal executes csrutil disable to turn off SIP
    • It is recommended to re-enable SIP after completing the key acquisition

  2. Development environment dependency：

    • Install the full version of Xcode through the App Store
    • Make sure the command-line tool lldb is available
    • It is recommended to reserve more than 20GB of disk space

Actual data migration process

Three-step operation

  1. Data preparation phase
    Mobile phone operation path：
    Settings > General> Chat History Migration and Backup> Migrate to Computer

  2. Tool deployment phase

    • Download the corresponding system version of Chatlog
    • Verify the file signature (Windows needs to pay attention to Defender interception)
    • It is recommended to add the executable file to the system PATH

  3. Key acquisition and decryption

    		 # Extract database key
    		. /chatlog  class=”hljs-keyword”>key
    		# Perform data decryption
    		. /chatlog decrypt

     

Full analysis of terminal operations

Interactive interface operation

  • Arrow keys navigation menu structure
  • Enter key to confirm the selection
  • Esc key to return to superior
  • Ctrl+C exit safely

Command line mode Advanced

 # Specify the time range to export
. /chatlog export  class=”hljs-comment”>–start 2023-01-01 –end 2023-06-30
# Filter records by contact
. /chatlog filter –talker wxid_xxxxxx
data-line-number=”6″>
#Batch export group chat records
. /chatlog batch —type chatroom

 

HTTP API development integration

Service startup parameters

. /chatlog serve --port 8080 --auth-token your_token

Core interface description

End point Function description Example parameters
/api/v1/chatlog Chat history query time=2023-01-01~2023-06-30
/api/v1/contact Contact list format=json
/api/v1/chatroom Group chat information filter=active
/api/v1/session Recent sessions limit=50

Query parameter optimization skills

  • The time range uses the ISO8601 standard format
  • It is recommended for paging queries that limit=100 be incremented with offset
  • Fuzzy query supports automatic matching of nicknames/remarks
  • csv format is recommended for performance-sensitive scenarios

MCP protocol integration practice

SSE endpoint configuration

 # Start SSE service
. /chatlog serve –sse-port 5030

 

Tool integration example

hljs-ln-code” data-line-number=”3″>    “chatlog-integration”: { class=”hljs-ln-line hljs-ln-numbers” data-line-number=”8″>

 {
  “mcpServers”: {
      “command”: “/path/to/mcp-proxy”,
       class=”hljs-attr”>”args”: [“http://localhost:5030/sse”],
      “env”: {“DEBUG”: “false”}
    }
  }
}

 

Smart assistant scene

  1. Combine ChatWise to achieve context-aware query
  2. Call history directly in Claude
  3. Build an automated knowledge base system
  4. Develop a personalized chat analysis dashboard

Safety and Compliance guidelines

Data storage specification

  • Encrypted storage of local database files
  • Instant erasure mechanism of memory data
  • The default local loop binding of the network interface
  • It is recommended to configure HTTPS reverse proxy

Rights management scheme

  • Use JWT token authentication
  • Divide data access domains by user
  • Audit log of sensitive operations
  • Periodic key rotation strategy

Future evolution route

Near-term development plan

  • Multimedia attachment support (picture/video/file)
  • Full-text search engine integration
  • Visual data analysis panel
  • Incremental backup and version control

Architecture optimization direction

  • Distributed storage support
  • Multi-account joint query
  • Containerized deployment scenario
  • WASM compilation target support

Technical Ecology and Thanks

Core dependency

  • Go language high-performance runtime
  • SQLCipher database engine
  • Websocket communication protocol stack
  • LLDB debugging tool chain

Open source thanks

Solutions to common problems

Key acquisition failed

  1. Confirm that the WeChat process is running
  2. Check SIP status (macOS exclusive)
  3. Verify the installation of the Xcode command-line tool
  4. Try to restart the WeChat client

Abnormal data decryption

  • Verify the integrity of the database file
  • Confirm the adaptability of the WeChat version
  • Check disk write permissions
  • Test alternate decryption mode

Service port conflict

 # View the occupied process
lsof -i :5030
class=”hljs-ln-n” data-line-number=”3″>
# Specify an alternate port
. /chatlog serve –port 5040

 

Conclusion: Data Autonomy Practice

Through the Chatlog tool chain, users can realize a complete closed loop from data acquisition, analysis to application integration. This technical solution not only solves the pain points of the management of chat records, but more importantly establishes the technical realization path of personal data sovereignty. With the continuous evolution of subsequent functions, we look forward to seeing more innovative application scenarios based on localized data management.

Project address:https://github.com/sjzar/chatlog