Claude Code
There are several good ways to browse Claude Code history: desktop apps, terminal tools, editor extensions, and HTML generators. Each has its strengths. SessionViewer is different in one specific way — it turns a local Codex or Claude Code session into a hosted link that anyone can open without installing anything, and the AI can upload it for you.
Drop a session file here
Codex and Claude Code .jsonl (.gz works too), or click to pick one
Codex: ~/.codex/sessions/ Claude Code: ~/.claude/projects/
Want to try it? Drop a JSONL file here — parsed locally, nothing uploaded unless you share.
The main difference is not how the transcript looks. It is what happens when someone else needs to see it. This table compares SessionViewer with the typical behavior of local desktop apps, CLI/TUI tools, editor extensions, and self-hosted HTML generators.
| SessionViewer | Typical local viewers | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted share link that opens with zero installation | ✓ One-click hosted link | No hosted link; HTML output must be hosted separately |
| Works directly in the browser, no installation | ✓ Drag in a JSONL file and view | App, CLI, extension, or local setup required |
| Lets the AI upload the session | ✓ Codex or Claude Code can follow /llms.txt and return the link | Not supported |
| Supports both Codex and Claude Code | ✓ Auto-detects both formats | Tool-dependent; often one format |
| Local parsing & privacy | ✓ Stays local unless you share | Local-first or offline in most cases |
Desktop viewers such as jhlee0409/claude-code-history-viewer, yanicklandry/claude-code-history-viewer, and CCHV are built for browsing history on your own machine. Tools such as raine/claude-history and codex-session-export fit terminal workflows, while editor extensions keep history inside the IDE. These approaches are a good fit for offline access and local search, but they do not produce an instantly hosted link that another person can open without installing or configuring anything.
HTML-oriented tools — including codex-trace, masonc15/codex-transcript-viewer, and simonw/claude-code-transcripts — can generate browser-readable output. To share that output, though, you still need to run a local service or arrange hosting yourself.
Drop a Codex CLI or Claude Code JSONL file into the browser and SessionViewer renders it as a readable timeline. When you choose to share, it creates a hosted link that opens immediately for teammates, maintainers, clients, or anyone with the URL.
You can also ask Codex or Claude Code itself to share the current session. The agent follows SessionViewer's /llms.txt instructions, finds the session file, uploads it, and returns the link — without making you locate the JSONL manually.
If you mainly want offline browsing, fuzzy search, IDE integration, or support for a wider set of agents, a dedicated local viewer may be the better fit. Those tools are designed for personal workflows and often go deeper in their chosen area.
Choose SessionViewer when the next step is sharing: sending a debugging transcript to a teammate, attaching reproducible context to an issue, showing a client what changed, or letting the agent publish the session for you. You can still inspect files locally first; nothing is uploaded until you choose to share.
It depends on the task. A local desktop app, terminal tool, or editor extension is a strong choice for private offline browsing and search. SessionViewer is designed for cases where you want zero-install browser viewing and a hosted link that someone else can open immediately.
Most Claude Code history viewers are installed and used locally. SessionViewer runs directly in the browser, recognizes both Claude Code and Codex session files, and can create a hosted share link. It can also let Codex or Claude Code find and upload the session by following /llms.txt.
They can create browser-readable HTML, but sharing usually requires you to run a service or host the generated file yourself. SessionViewer provides the hosted link as part of the sharing flow.
No. The JSONL file is parsed locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded unless you explicitly choose to share or ask Codex or Claude Code to perform the upload.
Share links are random strings, never listed or indexed. Every upload returns a delete command you can run any time.