Local-first desktop/web app for browsing AI coding assistant history across projects.

The app runs on your computer and scans local files only. No transcript content is sent to an external service.

This is the easiest path for most Mac users.

1. Open the latest release.
2. Download the DMG for your Mac:
   • arm64 for Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, or newer)
   • x64 for Intel Macs
3. Open the DMG.
4. Drag ChatVisualizer to Applications.
5. Open ChatVisualizer.

Current downloadable builds are unsigned preview builds. If macOS blocks the app, Control-click ChatVisualizer, choose Open, then confirm. See Troubleshooting for details.

Use this path if you do not want to use the terminal.

1. Install Node.js 20 or newer from https://nodejs.org/ if you do not already have it.
   • Choose the LTS version.
2. Download ChatVisualizer from GitHub.
   • Open https://github.com/dinakars777/chat-visualizer.
   • Click the green Code button.
   • Click Download ZIP.
3. Open the downloaded ZIP file.
   • macOS usually unzips it automatically.
   • If it does not, double-click the ZIP in Downloads.
4. Open the unzipped folder.
   • It is usually named chat-visualizer-main.
   • If you downloaded from Releases, it may be named like chat-visualizer-0.1.0.
5. Double-click Start ChatVisualizer.command.
6. Your browser should open to http://127.0.0.1:4173.

Leave the terminal window open while using ChatVisualizer. Close that window, or press Control-C, to stop the app.

If macOS blocks the launcher, Control-click Start ChatVisualizer.command, choose Open, then confirm.

If something does not open, see Troubleshooting.

You can also ask Codex, Claude Code, Antigravity, Cursor, Grok Build, or another coding assistant to help install and run ChatVisualizer from the unzipped folder.

Suggested prompt:

Help me install and run this local app. Check that Node.js 20 or newer is installed, run npm install if needed, then start ChatVisualizer. Do not upload, paste, or share any transcript files.

Detected sources:

• Codex JSONL sessions in ~/.codex/sessions and ~/.codex/archived_sessions
• Claude Code JSONL transcripts in ~/.claude/projects
• Cursor composer data in ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/**/state.vscdb
• Grok Build sessions in ~/.grok/sessions/**/summary.json and updates.jsonl
• Antigravity trajectory summaries in ~/Library/Application Support/Antigravity*/User/globalStorage/state.vscdb and artifacts in ~/.gemini/antigravity/brain

ChatVisualizer still opens without these, but some features work better with them:

• sqlite3: needed for Cursor and Antigravity history adapters
• rg / ripgrep: improves deep transcript search

Use this path if you are comfortable with the terminal:

Requirements:

• Node.js 20 or newer

git clone git@github.com:dinakars777/chat-visualizer.git
cd chat-visualizer
npm install
npm start

Then open http://127.0.0.1:4173.

There is no build step. The app serves the local public/ files from server.js.

ChatVisualizer also includes an Electron wrapper for a Mac desktop app.

Run the desktop app from source:

npm install
npm run electron

Build a local Mac app bundle:

npm run package:mac

On Apple Silicon Macs, the packaged app is written to dist/mac-arm64/ChatVisualizer.app.

Build a local DMG:

npm run dist:mac

On Apple Silicon Macs, the DMG is written to dist/ChatVisualizer-0.2.0-arm64.dmg.

The Electron app starts the same local server as the web version. If http://127.0.0.1:4173 is already running, it reuses that server.

Downloadable preview builds are unsigned. Public Mac releases should be signed and notarized before broad distribution.

ChatVisualizer is local-first:

• It reads supported history files from your computer.
• It does not upload transcript content.
• It does not require an account.
• It does not call an AI service.

Large transcripts are loaded in chunks. The index screen stays fast, and opening a very large session shows the first page of messages with a visible notice and a "Load next messages" action.

MIT