What to do if you lost ChatGPT PDFs after clearing Chrome data

If you lost ChatGPT PDFs after clearing Chrome data, the library almost certainly lived in that browser profile’s IndexedDB. Clearing site data, cookies, or “cached data” with a broad broom can delete clippings even when you only meant to log out of a website.

Excerpt is local-first, as described on the save AI chat page. That design keeps chats off a vendor cloud—and it also means a profile wipe can remove the only copy unless you exported a backup.

If you lost ChatGPT PDFs after clearing Chrome data

1. Stop clearing more data. Do not reinstall the browser yet if you are still looking for a remnant profile.
2. Check Downloads and any folder where you saved PDF or Markdown exports by hand.
3. If you used Pro backup export, look for that backup file and run import.
4. If no file exists, assume the IndexedDB library is gone. There is no server-side restore to request.

Why this happens

• Chrome (and some “cleaner” utilities) treat site data as disposable.
• A new browser profile, a rebuilt machine, or switching to a different user account will not see the old database.
• Uninstalling an extension does not always delete IndexedDB, but clearing site data for the extension or for related origins can.

If the clippings are already gone and you have no backup, Excerpt cannot reconstruct them. This is the honest limit of local-first storage. Sorry is not a recovery tool—prevention is.

Prevent the next wipe

After you start a new library, export important PDFs to a normal folder, and if you are on Pro, run backup export to a location your computer already backs up. Pro is $29 one-time for unlimited clippings plus backup import/export. Free includes 100 clippings and 5 tags; loose PDF/Markdown files still count as copies you control.

Before you use Chrome’s “clear data” dialog, read the time range and the data types. If you only need to clear cookies for a site, do not also clear “hosted app data” or everything since the beginning of time.

Going forward

Treat the in-browser library as a working index, not as the sole archive of irreplaceable notes. The same advice applies if you use Edge. Excerpt does not ship cloud sync or AI summarization, so a copy you did not make will not appear later on another device.

If you already have a disk image or a copied browser profile from before the wipe, that copy might still contain the database. Excerpt cannot mine that folder for you, and restoring an old profile carelessly can overwrite newer data. Prefer a dedicated library export going forward, stored outside the browser profile.

Questions about a backup file you already have? Email cutchaos@126.com. For a fresh start, install Excerpt for Chrome or Edge and make the first backup before the library matters again.