Export Chat to PDF

Overview

Flow ID: export-chat-pdf
Category: Chat Interactions
Estimated Duration: 5-10 seconds
User Role: All Users
Complexity: Moderate (due to rendering)

Purpose: Create a formatted, portable document of the conversation, preserving Markdown styles, code blocks, and citations. Ideal for sharing reports or saving research.

Trigger

What initiates this flow:

• User manually initiates

Specific trigger: Chat Menu (three dots) > Export > PDF.

Step-by-Step Flow

Main Path (Happy Path)

Step 1: Initiate Export

• User Action: Select Export to PDF.
• System Response: “Generating PDF…” modal/toast.

Step 2: Formatting (System)

• System Action:
  • Converts Markdown to HTML/PDF.
  • Applies styling (fonts, proper code block highlighting).
  • Includes Header (Chat Title, Date, Model Used).

Step 3: Download/Save

• User Action: System dialog asks where to save.
• User Action: Select location > Save.
• System Response: File saved.

Error States & Recovery

Error 1: Rendering Failure

Cause: Complex LaTeX or huge image in chat
User Experience: “Failed to generate PDF.”
Recovery: Try Export to TXT instead.

Pain Points & Friction

1. Page Breaks: Code blocks cut in half across pages.
   • Mitigation: CSS print styling to avoid breaking inside .code-block.

Related Flows

• Export Chat to TXT

Technical References

• src/utils/pdf-generator.js (e.g., using jspdf or html2pdf)