Jan Data Folder

Jan stores all your data locally on your computer. No cloud storage, no external servers - everything stays on your machine.

Quick Access

Via Jan Interface:

Go to Settings () > Advanced Settings
Click the folder icon

Open Jan Data Folder

Via File Explorer:


%APPDATA%\Jan\data

Monitoring Server Logs

When Jan's local server is running, you can monitor real-time activity in the logs folder:

API Server Logs

Live Log Monitoring

Real-time logs show:

API requests and responses
Model loading and inference activity
Error messages and warnings
Performance metrics
Connection attempts from external applications

Accessing logs:

In Jan: System Monitor (footer) > App Log
File location: /logs/app.log

Log Categories

Log Type	What It Shows	When It's Useful
[APP]	Core application events	Startup issues, crashes, general errors
[SERVER]	API server activity	Connection problems, request failures
[SPECS]	Hardware information	Performance issues, compatibility problems
[MODEL]	Model operations	Loading failures, inference errors

Data Structure


jan/
├── assistants/          # AI personality settings
│   └── jan/
│       └── assistant.json
├── engines/             # Engine configurations
│   └── llama.cpp/
├── extensions/          # Add-on modules
│   └── extensions.json
├── logs/               # Server and application logs
│   └── app.log         # Main log file
├── models/             # Downloaded AI models
│   └── huggingface.co/
└── threads/            # Chat conversations
    └── thread_id/
        ├── messages.jsonl
        └── thread.json

Key Folders Explained

`/logs/` - Server Activity Hub

Contains all application and server logs. Essential for troubleshooting and monitoring API activity.

What you'll find:

Real-time server requests
Model loading status
Error diagnostics
Performance data

`/models/` - AI Model Storage

Where your downloaded models live. Each model includes:

model.gguf - The actual AI model file
model.json - Configuration and metadata

`/threads/` - Chat History

Every conversation gets its own folder with:

messages.jsonl - Complete chat history
thread.json - Thread metadata and settings

`/assistants/` - AI Personalities

Configuration files that define how your AI assistants behave, including their instructions and available tools.

Privacy & Security

Your data stays local:

No cloud backups or syncing
Files stored in standard JSON/JSONL formats
Complete control over your data
Easy to backup or migrate

File permissions:

Only you and Jan can access these files
Standard user-level permissions
No elevated access required

When using cloud AI services through Jan, those conversations follow the cloud provider's data policies. Local model conversations never leave your computer.

Common Tasks

Backup Your Data

Copy the entire Jan data folder to backup:

All chat history
Model configurations
Assistant settings
Extension data

Clear Chat History

Delete individual thread folders in /threads/ or use Jan's interface to delete conversations.

Export Conversations

Thread files are in standard JSON format - readable by any text editor or compatible with other applications.

Troubleshooting Data Issues

Check /logs/app.log for error messages
Verify folder permissions
Ensure sufficient disk space
Restart Jan if files appear corrupted

Uninstalling Jan

If you need to completely remove Jan and all data:

Keep data (reinstall later): Just uninstall the application Remove everything: Delete the Jan data folder after uninstalling

Detailed uninstall guides:

Local AI Engine Server Settings