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wtf is gpt-timekeeper?

gsy503503-zoe/gpt-timekeeper — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

0JavaScriptAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TL;DR

A browser extension that adds explicit timestamps to ChatGPT messages so the model knows exactly when each message was sent, with local timeline export.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((GPT Timekeeper))
    What it does
      Timestamps messages
      Exports timeline
      Local storage only
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Chrome Extension
    Use cases
      Auto timestamping
      Manual timestamp
      Timeline export
    Audience
      ChatGPT users
      Privacy conscious users

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Automatically add a timestamp to every ChatGPT message you send so the model has explicit time context.

REASON 2

Manually insert a timestamp into the message box at any moment during a conversation.

REASON 3

Export the timestamped conversation history, or a specific time range of it, as a text file.

What's in the stack?

JavaScriptChrome Extension

How it stacks up

gsy503503-zoe/gpt-timekeeper00kaku/gallery-slider-block3rd-eden/ircb.io
Stars0
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2021-05-192016-11-16
MaintenanceDormantDormant
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencegeneralgeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Load as an unpacked extension via developer mode in Chrome or Edge, no build step.

MIT license: use, modify, and distribute freely, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

Wtf does this do

GPT Timekeeper is a small browser extension that adds a clear sense of time to long ChatGPT conversations. Normally ChatGPT can recall what was said earlier in a chat, but it has no reliable way of knowing exactly when each message was sent, since it only sees the words themselves. This extension fixes that by adding a plain text timestamp to the start of each message before it is sent, so the time is written directly into what the model reads. You can set it to automatically add a timestamp to every message you send, or add one manually to a single message at any time, even if the message box is empty. The extension also keeps a local record of the timestamps for messages already loaded in the page, and lets you export that record as a plain text file. You can export the entire currently loaded conversation, or just a chosen time range, and the exported file includes a summary with the conversation title, the export time, how many turns were included, and how many came from the user versus the assistant. There is an honest limitation described in the README: no browser extension can reliably rewrite ChatGPT's own hidden system context, so the only dependable method is putting the timestamp inside the visible message text itself. The small time badges shown in the interface are only for the person using the extension to read, not something the model can see. Tracking also only starts once the extension is installed and opened on a conversation, so it cannot recover exact times for messages that were already there beforehand. To install it, you load the unpacked extension folder into Chrome or Edge through the browser's developer mode, then open ChatGPT as usual. On the privacy side, everything stays in the browser's local extension storage: there is no server involved, no account tokens are read, and message text itself is not stored by default, only details like role, position, and timestamps. The project has no build step, so anyone editing the code can just reload the extension directly in the browser to test changes, and a small test file is included to check the core timestamp logic. It is released under the MIT license.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Help me load this unpacked Chrome extension in developer mode and get it running on chatgpt.com.
Prompt 2
Explain how GPT Timekeeper decides whether to add a timestamp badge to a user or assistant message.
Prompt 3
Show me how to export just a specific time range of my ChatGPT conversation using this extension.
Prompt 4
Walk me through running the core.test.js tests for this extension's timestamp logic.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is gpt-timekeeper?

A browser extension that adds explicit timestamps to ChatGPT messages so the model knows exactly when each message was sent, with local timeline export.

What language is gpt-timekeeper written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Chrome Extension.

What license does gpt-timekeeper use?

MIT license: use, modify, and distribute freely, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is gpt-timekeeper to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is gpt-timekeeper for?

Mainly general.

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