diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0db21b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+package chatpb
+
+// functions to import and export the protobuf
+// data to and from config files
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+
+	"go.wit.com/lib/protobuf/bugpb"
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+// write to ~/.config/gemini/ unless ENV{GEMINI_HOME} is set
+func (all *Chats) ConfigSave() error {
+	if os.Getenv("GEMINI_HOME") == "" {
+		homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/gemini")
+		os.Setenv("GEMINI_HOME", fullpath)
+	}
+	if all == nil {
+		log.Warn("chatpb all == nil")
+		return errors.New("chatpb.ConfigSave() all == nil")
+	}
+
+	data, err := all.Marshal()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Info("chatpb proto.Marshal() failed len", len(data), err)
+		// often this is because strings have invalid UTF-8. This should probably be fixed in the protobuf code
+		if err := all.tryValidate(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		} else {
+			// re-attempt Marshal() here
+			data, err = all.Marshal()
+			if err == nil {
+				// validate & sanitize strings worked
+				log.Info("chatpb.ConfigSave() pb.Marshal() worked len", len(all.Chats), "chats")
+				configWrite("gemini.pb", data)
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := configWrite("gemini.pb", data); err != nil {
+		log.Infof("chatpb.ConfigSave() failed len(Chats)=%d bytes=%d", len(all.Chats), len(data))
+		return err
+	}
+	configWrite("gemini.text", []byte(all.FormatTEXT()))
+	log.Infof("chatpb.ConfigSave() worked len(Chats)=%d bytes=%d", len(all.Chats), len(data))
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (all *Chats) tryValidate() error {
+
+	err := bugpb.ValidateProtoUTF8(all)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("Protobuf UTF-8 validation failed: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	if err := bugpb.SanitizeProtoUTF8(all); err != nil {
+		log.Warn("Sanitation failed:", err)
+		// log.Fatalf("Sanitization failed: %v", err)
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// load the gemini.pb file. I shouldn't really matter if this
+// fails. the file should be autogenerated. This is used
+// locally just for speed
+func (all *Chats) ConfigLoad() error {
+	if os.Getenv("GEMINI_HOME") == "" {
+		homeDir, _ := os.UserHomeDir()
+		fullpath := filepath.Join(homeDir, ".config/gemini")
+		os.Setenv("GEMINI_HOME", fullpath)
+	}
+	var data []byte
+	var err error
+
+	cfgname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("GEMINI_HOME"), "gemini.pb")
+	if data, err = loadFile(cfgname); err != nil {
+		// something went wrong loading the file
+		// all.sampleConfig() // causes nil panic
+		return err
+	}
+	// this means the gemini.pb file exists and was read
+	if len(data) == 0 {
+		// todo: add default data here since it's blank? // might cause nil panic?
+		return errors.New("chatpb.ConfigLoad() gemini.pb is empty")
+	}
+	err = all.Unmarshal(data)
+	test := NewChats()
+	if test.Uuid != all.Uuid {
+		log.Warn("uuids do not match", test.Uuid, all.Uuid)
+		deleteProtobufFile(cfgname)
+	}
+	if test.Version != all.Version {
+		log.Warn("versions do not match", test.Version, all.Version)
+		deleteProtobufFile(cfgname)
+	}
+	log.Info(cfgname, "protobuf versions and uuid match", all.Uuid, all.Version)
+	return err
+}
+
+func deleteProtobufFile(filename string) {
+	log.Warn("The protobuf file format has changed for", filename)
+	log.Warn("Deleting old file:", filename)
+	log.Warn("This file will be recreated on the next run.")
+	err := os.Remove(filename)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("failed to remove old protobuf file", "err", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func loadFile(fullname string) ([]byte, error) {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(fullname)
+	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		// if file does not exist, just return nil. this
+		// will cause ConfigLoad() to try the next config file like "gemini.text"
+		// because the user might want to edit the .config by hand
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		// log.Info("open config file :", err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return data, nil
+}
+
+func configWrite(filename string, data []byte) error {
+	fullname := filepath.Join(os.Getenv("GEMINI_HOME"), filename)
+
+	cfgfile, err := os.OpenFile(fullname, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0644)
+	defer cfgfile.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Warn("open config file :", err)
+		return err
+	}
+	if filename == "gemini.text" {
+		// add header
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("# this file is automatically re-generated from gemini.pb, however,\n"))
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("# if you want to edit it by hand, you can:\n"))
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("# stop gemini; remove gemini.pb; edit gemini.text; start gemini\n"))
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("# this will cause the default behavior to fallback to parsing this file for the config\n"))
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("\n"))
+		cfgfile.Write([]byte("# this file is intended to be used to customize settings on what\n"))
+	}
+	cfgfile.Write(data)
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/example.go b/example.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d22f39c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package chatpb
+
+import (
+	"go.wit.com/log"
+)
+
+func ExampleChat() *Chats {
+	conversation := NewChats()
+
+	t := conversation.AddTable()
+	t.AddRow([]string{"apple", "pear"})
+
+	conversation.AddGeminiComment("funny")
+	conversation.AddUserComment("yes")
+
+	conversation.AddGeminiComment("I like astronomy")
+
+	dump := conversation.FormatTEXT()
+
+	log.Println(dump)
+	return conversation
+}