Download Slack Channel/PrivateChannel/DirectMessage History

slack_history.py

print("UPDATE AUG 2023: this script is beyond old and broken")
print("You may find interesting and more up to date resources in the comments of the gist")
exit()
      
from slacker import Slacker
import json
import argparse
import os

# This script finds all channels, private channels and direct messages
# that your user participates in, downloads the complete history for
# those converations and writes each conversation out to seperate json files.
#
# This user centric history gathering is nice because the official slack data exporter
# only exports public channels.
#
# PS, this only works if your slack team has a paid account which allows for unlimited history.
#
# PPS, this use of the API is blessed by Slack.
# https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us/articles/204897248
# " If you want to export the contents of your own private groups and direct messages
# please see our API documentation."
#
# get your slack user token at the bottom of this page
# https://api.slack.com/web
#
# dependencies: 
#  pip install slacker # https://github.com/os/slacker
#
# usage examples
#  python slack_history.py --token='123token'
#  python slack_history.py --token='123token' --dryRun=True
#  python slack_history.py --token='123token' --skipDirectMessages
#  python slack_history.py --token='123token' --skipDirectMessages --skipPrivateChannels


# fetches the complete message history for a channel/group/im
#
# pageableObject could be:
# slack.channel
# slack.groups
# slack.im
# 
# channelId is the id of the channel/group/im you want to download history for.

def getHistory(pageableObject, channelId, pageSize = 100):
  messages = []
  lastTimestamp = None

  while(True):
    response = pageableObject.history(
      channel = channelId,
      latest  = lastTimestamp,
      oldest  = 0,
      count   = pageSize
    ).body

    messages.extend(response['messages'])

    if (response['has_more'] == True):
      lastTimestamp = messages[-1]['ts'] # -1 means last element in a list
    else:
      break
  return messages

def mkdir(directory):
  if not os.path.exists(directory):
    os.makedirs(directory)

# fetch and write history for all public channels
def getChannels(slack, dryRun):
  channels = slack.channels.list().body['channels']
  
  print("\nfound channels: ")
  for channel in channels:
    print(channel['name'])
  
  if not dryRun:
    parentDir = "channels"
    mkdir(parentDir)
    for channel in channels:
      print("getting history for channel {0}".format(channel['name']))
      fileName = "{parent}/{file}.json".format(parent = parentDir, file = channel['name'])
      messages = getHistory(slack.channels, channel['id'])
      channelInfo = slack.channels.info(channel['id']).body['channel']
      with open(fileName, 'w') as outFile:
        print("writing {0} records to {1}".format(len(messages), fileName))
        json.dump({'channel_info': channelInfo, 'messages': messages }, outFile, indent=4)

# fetch and write history for all direct message conversations
# also known as IMs in the slack API.
def getDirectMessages(slack, ownerId, userIdNameMap, dryRun):
  dms = slack.im.list().body['ims']
  
  print("\nfound direct messages (1:1) with the following users:")
  for dm in dms:
    print(userIdNameMap.get(dm['user'], dm['user'] + " (name unknown)"))
  
  if not dryRun:
    parentDir = "direct_messages"
    mkdir(parentDir)
    for dm in dms:
      name = userIdNameMap.get(dm['user'], dm['user'] + " (name unknown)")
      print("getting history for direct messages with {0}".format(name))
      fileName = "{parent}/{file}.json".format(parent = parentDir, file = name)
      messages = getHistory(slack.im, dm['id'])
      channelInfo = {'members': [dm['user'], ownerId]}
      with open(fileName, 'w') as outFile:
        print("writing {0} records to {1}".format(len(messages), fileName))
        json.dump({'channel_info': channelInfo, 'messages': messages}, outFile, indent=4)

# fetch and write history for all private channels
# also known as groups in the slack API.
def getPrivateChannels(slack, dryRun):
  groups = slack.groups.list().body['groups']
  
  print("\nfound private channels:")
  for group in groups:
    print("{0}: ({1} members)".format(group['name'], len(group['members'])))
  
  if not dryRun:
    parentDir = "private_channels"
    mkdir(parentDir)

    for group in groups:
      messages = []
      print("getting history for private channel {0} with id {1}".format(group['name'], group['id']))
      fileName = "{parent}/{file}.json".format(parent = parentDir, file = group['name'])
      messages = getHistory(slack.groups, group['id'])
      channelInfo = slack.groups.info(group['id']).body['group']
      with open(fileName, 'w') as outFile:
        print("writing {0} records to {1}".format(len(messages), fileName))
        json.dump({'channel_info': channelInfo, 'messages': messages}, outFile, indent=4)

# fetch all users for the channel and return a map userId -> userName
def getUserMap(slack):
  #get all users in the slack organization
  users = slack.users.list().body['members']
  userIdNameMap = {}
  for user in users:
    userIdNameMap[user['id']] = user['name']
  print("found {0} users ".format(len(users)))
  return userIdNameMap

# get basic info about the slack channel to ensure the authentication token works
def doTestAuth(slack):
  testAuth = slack.auth.test().body
  teamName = testAuth['team']
  currentUser = testAuth['user']
  print("Successfully authenticated for team {0} and user {1} ".format(teamName, currentUser))
  return testAuth

if __name__ == "__main__":
  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='download slack history')

  parser.add_argument('--token', help="an api token for a slack user")

  parser.add_argument(
    '--dryRun',
    action='store_true',
    default=False,
    help="if dryRun is true, don't fetch/write history only get channel names")

  parser.add_argument(
    '--skipPrivateChannels',
    action='store_true',
    default=False,
    help="skip fetching history for private channels")

  parser.add_argument(
    '--skipChannels',
    action='store_true',
    default=False,
    help="skip fetching history for channels")

  parser.add_argument(
    '--skipDirectMessages',
    action='store_true',
    default=False,
    help="skip fetching history for directMessages")

  args = parser.parse_args()

  slack = Slacker(args.token)

  testAuth = doTestAuth(slack)

  userIdNameMap = getUserMap(slack)

  dryRun = args.dryRun

  if not dryRun:
    with open('metadata.json', 'w') as outFile:
      print("writing metadata")
      metadata = {
        'auth_info': testAuth,
        'users': userIdNameMap
      }
      json.dump(metadata, outFile, indent=4)

  if not args.skipChannels:
    getChannels(slack, dryRun)

  if not args.skipPrivateChannels:
    getPrivateChannels(slack, dryRun)

  if not args.skipDirectMessages:
    getDirectMessages(slack, testAuth['user_id'], userIdNameMap, dryRun)

Hello, try with new API : https://gist.github.com/benoit-cty/a5855dea9a4b7af03f1f53c07ee48d3c

For people coming from a Google search, I found this script working well: https://github.com/sebseager/slack-exporter

Follow the instructions carefully.