This guide explains how to connect a Facebook Group to Sharp Archive and how to mute, hide, or disconnect it. Once connected, Sharp Archive archives the group’s content automatically, with no further action required.

It is intended for Sharp Archive users who are members of the Facebook Group they want to archive. The procedure uses the user’s own Facebook login session, exported with the official Sharp Archive Site Storage Export Chrome extension.

1. Process Overview

Connecting a group takes four stages, completed across Chrome, Facebook, and Sharp Archive:

Stage Where Action
1 Chrome Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store, then pin it.
2 Facebook Sign in using an incognito window and export the session as JSON.
3 Sharp Archive Select Add Channel → Social Media → Facebook → Group.
4 Sharp Archive Upload or paste the JSON, complete the captcha, and click Continue.

2. Connecting a Facebook Group

Install and pin the extension

The Sharp Archive Site Storage Export extension is published on the Chrome Web Store. There is no file to download or unzip, and Developer mode is not needed. You only need to do this once per computer.

Add the extension from the Chrome Web Store

  • Open the Sharp Archive Site Storage Export page on the Chrome Web Store: Sharp Archive Site Storage Export
  • Click Add to Chrome, then click Add extension in the confirmation box.
  • Chrome confirms that Sharp Archive Site storage export has been added. The extension updates automatically, so you never need to reinstall it.
The Sharp Archive Site storage export page on the Chrome Web Store
Figure 1: The Sharp Archive Site storage export page on the Chrome Web Store. Click Add to Chrome to install it (once installed, the button changes to Remove from Chrome, as shown here).

Pin the extension to the toolbar

  • Click the puzzle-piece Extensions icon in your Chrome toolbar.
  • Find Sharp Archive Site storage export and click the Pin icon beside it. The Sharp Archive icon now stays visible in the toolbar, ready for Copy selected format or Download selected format.
The extension installed in Chrome and pinned from the Extensions menu
Figure 2: The extension installed in Chrome and pinned from the Extensions menu
NOTE: The connection steps use an incognito window. Click Details on the extension card and turn on Allow in Incognito so the extension is available there.

Export your Facebook session

Export the session from the Facebook Home page in an incognito window, signed in with the account that is a member of the group.

  • Open Chrome, navigate to www.facebook.com, and sign in with the account that belongs to the group.
  • Stay on the Facebook Home page tab and click the pinned Sharp Archive extension icon in the toolbar.
The Sharp Archive extension icon in the Chrome toolbar opened from the Facebook tab
Figure 3: The Sharp Archive extension icon in the Chrome toolbar, opened from the Facebook tab
  • In the Site storage export panel, keep Format set to JSON.
  • Click Copy selected format to copy the JSON to the clipboard, or Download selected format to save it as a .json file.
The Site storage export panel with the JSON format selected
Figure 4: The Site storage export panel with the JSON format selected
IMPORTANT: The export contains your full Facebook session. Do not share, email, or store it anywhere other than Sharp Archive. Delete any downloaded .json file after connecting.

Add the Facebook Group channel

In Sharp Archive, add a new channel of type Social Media → Facebook → Group.

  • Log in to Sharp Archive.
  • Click Add more channels to open the Add Channel panel.
  • Under If you have access, select type:, click Social Media.
Add Channel panel with Social Media selected
Figure 5: Add Channel panel with Social Media selected
  • Under Social Media, click the Facebook icon.
Social Media options with the Facebook icon selected
Figure 6: Social Media options with the Facebook icon selected
  • When prompted Which type of account you want to connect?, click Group.
Facebook account type selection with Group selected
Figure 7: Facebook account type selection with Group selected
NOTE: Adding a new channel may increase your monthly costs. See Billing at the bottom of the Add Channel panel for details.

Submit the session and connect

The Connect to Facebook page opens. Provide the session export obtained from Stage 2, then complete the security captcha:

Provide the session export using one of these options:

  • Upload .json file: Click Choose File and select the downloaded file, or
  • Paste JSON: Paste the copied JSON into the text box. It must contain a non-empty cookies array.
  • Type the captcha characters exactly as displayed.
  • Click Continue.
The Connect to Facebook page with session export fields
Figure 8: The Connect to Facebook page, with the session export fields
Connected: Connecting can take a few minutes. When complete, the group appears in your channel list and Sharp Archive begins archiving its posts, comments, reactions, and attachments automatically.

3. Mute, Hide or Disconnect a Facebook Group

Use Manage status to change how Sharp Archive handles a connected Facebook Group. Content already archived stays in Sharp Archive whichever option you choose.

Option When to use it
Mute Stops reconnection notices and leaves this channel out of connection status reports. Archiving is not affected but billing will continue.
Hide Removes the channel from search, downloads, other features and billing.
Disconnect Stop archiving the group. No new posts, comments, or reactions are collected.

3.1 Open Settings and find the Facebook Group

  • In Sharp Archive, click the Settings (gear) icon in the left-side navigation menu.
  • In the list of accounts, find the row where the Channel column says Facebook for your group. Type the group name in the Search box to find it faster.

3.2 Open Manage status

  • Click the yellow pencil (Edit) icon at the start of the group’s row.
  • In the panel that opens on the right, click Manage status at the bottom to see the three options: Mute, Hide, and Disconnect.

3.3 Give a reason and confirm

  • Choose the option you need (Mute, Hide, or Disconnect) and enter a short reason for the change when asked.
  • Select Mute, Hide, or Disconnect again to confirm.
TIP: After disconnecting, log out of Facebook in Chrome or end the session under Facebook Settings → Where you’re logged in, so the exported session can no longer be used. To reconnect later, repeat sections 2.2 to 2.4 with a new session export.

4. Security and Data Handling

  • Use only the official Sharp Archive Site Storage Export extension to export your session.
  • Treat the exported JSON as a password: never share it, email it, or commit it to any repository.
  • Delete downloaded .json files once connected, and end the Facebook session after disconnecting.