What counts as WhatsApp evidence
A WhatsApp conversation can support claims about what was agreed, when, by whom, and on what terms. In civil and commercial disputes, the most useful evidence is the full exported chat — not screenshots.
The export file contains the raw text log, timestamps, sender identifiers, and optionally media (images, voice messages, videos). Together, these create a coherent record that is far harder to challenge than isolated screenshots.
ThreadRecap adds a second layer: an analysis that extracts the timeline, decisions, verbal agreements (from transcribed voice messages), and unresolved points. You get two artifacts — the raw chat and the structured report — that tell the same story.
Is a WhatsApp export admissible
Admissibility is the court's decision. In most jurisdictions that accept digital evidence, a WhatsApp chat can be submitted, and the court weighs whether it is authentic and complete and whether you can account for where the file came from and show it has not changed since. Authenticity usually relies on metadata (timestamps, phone numbers, device identifiers) and an unbroken narrative (no edits, no gaps).
Screenshots are generally weaker because they can be cropped, edited, or taken out of order. A full export file, backed by a structured analysis that references specific timestamps and quotes, is significantly harder to dispute.
How to prepare your evidence
Export the whole conversation
Open the chat in WhatsApp and choose Export chat. Tick Include media if the recordings or the images matter. On Android the file is only saved once you pick a destination — do not close that panel.
Send it to ThreadRecap
Drop the .zip in. It unzips in your browser: photos and videos stay on the device. What goes up is the text and the audio of every voice message — from a video, only the audio track your browser extracts.
Run the analysis
One click, nothing to configure. You get a structured recap and an AI chat that knows the whole conversation and answers what your case turns on.
Generate the documents
From the chat, download the complete chronological record: every message in order, with the recordings transcribed at the moment they were sent.
Keep both files
Hold on to the original .zip and to the ThreadRecap report. One is the raw source, the other is the narrative. If you go to a lawyer or a mediator, take both.
Common mistakes to avoid
Relying on screenshots
Screenshots can be cropped, edited, or selectively shared. A full export is harder to challenge and more likely to survive scrutiny.
Cherry-picking messages
Selecting only favorable messages breaks the narrative. Judges and mediators are trained to notice — present the full conversation, then direct attention to the key passages.
Ignoring voice messages
Verbal agreements spoken in voice messages carry weight but are invisible unless transcribed. ThreadRecap transcribes voice messages automatically and places them in the timeline.
Missing timestamps
An unanchored quote is weak. Every claim should be tied to a specific date and time visible in the export.
Waiting too long to export
Phones break, accounts get suspended, and chats can be cleared. Export early — you can always re-analyze later.
By dispute type
Reports built for the most common disputes documented in WhatsApp, and the per-case document being designed now.
Business partner disputes
Equity, revenue split, responsibilities, exit terms.
Small claims court
Unpaid work, service disputes, deposit issues.
Landlord and tenant
Deposits, repairs, lease terms, move-out disputes.
Workplace documentation
HR records, harassment, policy discussions, employee agreements.
Freelancer and client
Scope creep, late payment, deliverable disputes.
A dossier for one case
A source reference on every line, the limits printed on it, a page for a signature.
Rules by jurisdiction
A brief overview — always check with a lawyer in your country.
Brazil
Courts weigh WhatsApp conversations in civil, labor, and consumer disputes, and the court decides what they are worth. A complete record shows the whole chat with dates and senders; in high-stakes cases lawyers often add an ata notarial.
United Kingdom
The court decides whether a chat counts and how much. A complete record helps it decide: the full export with dates and senders, rather than screenshots, and an account of where the file came from.
United States
Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, whoever offers a chat must show it is what they say it is (FRE 901), and the court decides. Practice varies by state — check local rules for small claims.
Portugal
The court decides how much a WhatsApp conversation weighs in a civil or labor case. A complete record helps it decide: the whole chat with its dates and senders, and an account of where the export came from.
Presenting your evidence
Lead with the structured report. It gives the reader — whether a mediator, lawyer, or judge — the narrative: what was agreed, when, and by whom.
Reference the raw export for every key claim. A sentence like "on March 5th at 18:45, the partner agreed to a 60/40 split via voice message (transcript in export)" is stronger than a summary without anchors.
Keep a backup of the original .zip and the report PDF in separate locations. If the opposing party challenges authenticity, you can produce the source file.