When you tap "Export chat" in WhatsApp and choose to include media, the app hands you a single ZIP file. Most people open it, see a wall of unfamiliar filenames, and close it again. That is a shame, because each file type in that archive represents a distinct layer of information: the written record, the spoken word, the visual context, and the shared documents. This guide walks through every file you are likely to find, explains what it contains, and shows you which parts ThreadRecap can turn into structured output.

_chat.txt: the conversation log

The centrepiece of any export is `_chat.txt`. It is a plain-text file where every message occupies one or more lines in the format:

```

[DD/MM/YYYY, HH:MM:SS] Sender Name: message body

```

A few things are worth knowing about this file:

• Timestamps reflect the local device time at the moment of sending. If participants are in different time zones, the log will mix offsets unless WhatsApp normalises them on export (behaviour varies by platform version).
• Media references appear as inline placeholders, for example `IMG-20240315-WA0002.jpg (file attached)`, rather than embedded data. The actual file sits separately in the ZIP.
• System events such as missed calls, group membership changes, and encryption notices appear as timestamped lines with no sender name.
• Message edits and deletions may appear as `<This message was edited>` or `<This message was deleted>`, depending on the WhatsApp version that produced the export.

For analysis purposes, `_chat.txt` is the backbone. Every ThreadRecap output, from meeting recaps to conflict timelines, is anchored to the timestamps and attribution in this file.

How big can _chat.txt get?

A busy group chat running for a year can easily produce tens of thousands of lines. ThreadRecap processes exports containing 60,000 or more messages, so even the most active team channels or long-running family groups fall within capacity.