Chat Data Integration

title: Chat Data Integration description: Learn how to connect your chat data to Rethink AI category: chatlogIntegration order: 3

This document explains how to connect your chat data to Rethink AI for intelligent querying and analysis.

Integration Methods

Rethink AI supports two methods for accessing chat data. Both are performed locally — no data is uploaded to any server.

Method	Use Case	Dependencies
Local Decryption	IM client already installed on this machine	None
Docker Container	Need isolated IM environment	Docker Desktop

Local Decryption (Recommended)

Local decryption reads and decrypts chat database files directly from your device, without requiring Docker.

How It Works

The IM client stores encrypted SQLite database files locally. Rethink AI uses a native C decryption module to decrypt these databases and extract contacts, group chats, and chat history.

Configuration Steps

Ensure the IM client is installed and logged in on your machine
Open the Rethink AI Settings panel
Find the Local Decryption section
Set the chat database path:
- macOS: Usually auto-detected, located in the IM client's application data directory
- Windows: Usually under the IM data folder in your user documents directory
Click Start Decryption Service
Wait for decryption to complete

Supported Data Types

Contacts: Username, nickname, alias
Group Chats: Group name, member list
Chat History: Message content, timestamps, senders
Images: Supports decryption and viewing of chat images

Docker Container Method

The Docker container method runs the IM client in an isolated environment to access data.

Prerequisites

Docker Desktop installed
Docker service running

Configuration Steps

Open the Rethink AI Settings panel
Find the IM Runtime section
Configure the following:
- Docker Image: Use the default image or specify a custom one
- VNC Port: For remote connection to the IM client interface (default 5900)
- Data Mount Path: Local mapping path for container chat data
Click Start Container
Connect via a VNC client and log in to the IM client
After successful login, data will automatically sync locally

Environment Check

Before starting the container, the app automatically verifies:

Docker service is running
Required ports are available
Image has been downloaded

CDC Real-Time Sync

CDC (Change Data Capture) automatically monitors chat database file changes and decrypts new messages incrementally in real time.

Enabling CDC

Find the CDC Sync configuration in Settings
Turn on the CDC toggle
Configure the watch directory (usually the chat database directory)

How It Works

Event-Driven: Uses file system watchers to detect database file changes
Polling: Reconciliation every 60 seconds
Incremental Decryption: Only processes changed data to save resources
Failure Retry: Exponential backoff strategy, up to 10-minute intervals

Data Storage

All imported chat data is stored in a local SQLite database:

Location: Inside the application data directory
Format: SQLite database files
Cleanup: You can delete the database files manually at any time

FAQ

What if decryption fails?

Confirm the IM client is running and logged in
Verify the database file path is correct
Check application logs for detailed error information
Make sure your client version is compatible

Docker container won't start?

Confirm Docker Desktop is running
Check that required ports (e.g., VNC port) are not in use
Try manually pulling the Docker image

Data sync is delayed?

Enable CDC real-time sync to reduce delays. Without CDC, you need to manually restart the decryption service to get the latest data.

Does it support multiple accounts?

Currently, only a single IM account is supported. To switch accounts, switch in the IM client first, then restart the decryption service.

Next Steps

Once data integration is complete, read the Usage Guide to learn how to query and analyze your chat data through AI conversations.