You can export Teams data through an organization’s admin-center migration tool, Microsoft Graph, or Microsoft Purview eDiscovery—but there is no universal self-service export that gives every user all their chats, files, and recordings in one package. Choose the route based on whether you are switching services, extracting data programmatically, or collecting it for legal or compliance work. Files and recordings may need to be retrieved separately from the chat export.
Choose the export method that fits your purpose
| Method | Best suited to | Who can initiate it | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams data export tool in the Teams admin center | Organizations moving away from Teams | A Global Administrator; access to the tool must first be requested through Microsoft support | A ZIP of JSON data, including chat and team information plus links to recordings and transcripts |
| Microsoft Graph Teams Export APIs | Programmatic or recurring message extraction | An application with administrator-approved permissions | Message data and attachment information; eligible scheduled-meeting recording and transcript links can also be returned |
| Microsoft Purview eDiscovery | Legal, investigation, or compliance collection | Authorized users with access to the relevant Purview eDiscovery workflow | Search-based export packages that can include Teams conversations and connected SharePoint or OneDrive content |
These are organizational workflows. Microsoft’s documented options do not establish a universal process for an individual to export everything across personal and work or school Teams accounts. If you use Teams through an employer or school, ask its IT or compliance administrator which route is available.
Export Teams data for a move to another service
Microsoft documents the Teams admin-center export tool for tenants with up to 500 users. The documented limit is a maximum tenant size, not a guarantee that every tenant can immediately use the tool: a Global Administrator must request access through Microsoft’s support form.
- Have a Global Administrator request access to the Teams data export tool through Microsoft support.
- After access is granted, the administrator signs in to the Teams admin center and opens the export tool.
- Select the export date range and start the export.
- When processing is complete, download the ZIP using its available download link and inspect the JSON files and linked content.
The tool covers one-to-one, group, meeting, and channel chats; team and channel structure; rosters; installed apps; and meeting recording and transcript links. The output is structured JSON, not a polished, ready-to-read conversation archive, and the ZIP does not automatically include every recording as a downloaded video file.
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- The download link is available for 24 hours, so retrieve the package promptly.
- Access to the tool lasts up to 90 days.
- Data created after an export starts is not included in that run. Start another export if you need to capture later data.
Use Microsoft Graph for programmatic message exports
Microsoft Graph Teams Export APIs support one-to-one, group, meeting, and channel messages. This option is intended for application-based extraction rather than a user downloading an archive from Teams. An administrator must approve the application permissions, and users whose content is being exported need an active Teams license. Microsoft’s API documentation says these APIs do not require an additional Purview Data Loss Prevention service plan.
For eligible scheduled meetings, the APIs can return recording and transcript links; those files must be downloaded separately. Message exports also provide attachment information. Use the message’s attachments collection to retrieve files: a URL embedded in a message body is not interchangeable with attachment metadata and may not be directly accessible.
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Use Purview eDiscovery for legal or compliance collection
Purview eDiscovery is the search-and-export route for authorized legal, investigation, or compliance work. It can search Teams conversations and connected SharePoint or OneDrive content. Export settings can include Teams conversations around matching items and collect cloud attachments linked from SharePoint or OneDrive.
- Search export packages expire 14 days after creation; download them before they expire.
- ZIP export package size can be configured up to 40 GB in Microsoft Purview’s current documentation (checked in 2026). Large collections may need to be divided into batches.
Retrieve files, recordings, and transcripts separately
Find meeting recordings and transcripts
For work or school meetings, recordings are normally stored in the organizer’s OneDrive Recordings folder. A channel meeting recording is stored in the associated SharePoint site’s Documents library, in a Recordings folder. Microsoft describes meeting recordings and transcripts as being stored in OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint, depending on meeting type.
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As a planning estimate, Microsoft says a one-hour recording is 400 MB. The cited documentation does not specify a year for that estimate, and actual recording sizes can vary; check available storage before collecting a large set.
Locate other meeting artifacts
Tenant administrators can use the Microsoft Teams PowerShell Get-TeamsArtifacts cmdlet to find meeting recordings, transcripts, notes, and whiteboard artifacts. It returns metadata and download URLs and writes the output to artifacts.json. This identifies artifacts and their download locations; it is distinct from receiving the media files themselves in a chat export.
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Collect files shared in chats
Do not assume that exporting messages also exports every file shared in them. Graph attachment information can help locate files attached to messages, while files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint may require separate retrieval. For a compliance collection, Purview’s option to collect linked cloud attachments is a separate setting to consider.
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Check the package before relying on it
- Confirm that the chosen route covers the account and data you need.
- Check whether the result contains the actual files or only metadata and links.
- Download packages before their expiry deadlines and verify the contents while access remains available.
- For an organization migration, account for data created after an export begins.
- For large recording or compliance collections, check storage capacity and plan for separate downloads or batches.
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