Omni Notes for Creators & Teams
Sora is Officially Offline: How to Export Your Data and Migrate to Omni
A practical Sora discontinuation guide for creators: key shutdown dates, how to export Sora videos, how to preserve prompts, and how to rebuild your workflow in omni-video.ai.
Key Takeaways
- OpenAI's Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026.
- OpenAI says the Sora API will be discontinued on September 24, 2026.
- If you created Sora content, export it now. OpenAI says Sora data will be permanently deleted after discontinuation and any final export window.
- For migration, do not only save video files. Save prompts, aspect ratios, reference images, seed notes, shot lists, and review notes.
- omni-video.ai can replace the everyday creative workflow around prompt writing, image-to-video, multi-scene planning, and ad-ready exports, even while official model names and platform specs continue to change.
Sora Shutdown Timeline
The Sora shutdown has two dates creators need to separate:
| Date | What changes | What creators should do |
|---|---|---|
| April 26, 2026 | Sora web and app experiences discontinued | Export existing Sora generations and archive project context immediately |
| September 24, 2026 | Sora API discontinued | Move any automated video generation, prompt testing, or batch workflows to another provider before this date |
This matters because a creator with finished videos has a different risk profile from a developer with Sora API jobs in production. Finished videos need asset export. API users need endpoint migration, cost review, QA, and replacement monitoring.
OpenAI's Help Center says users can export Sora content by visiting sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and clicking Export. It also notes that an email is sent when the export is ready.
Step-by-Step Data Export
Use this checklist while your account export is still available.
1. Start the Official Sora Export
Go to:
https://sora.chatgpt.com/sunset
Click Export, then wait for the email attached to your OpenAI account. Export timing may vary, especially if you generated many videos.
2. Save Individual High-Value Assets First
Before relying on a bulk archive, manually download your highest-value outputs if the interface still exposes them in your region. Prioritize:
- Client-approved videos
- Videos used in ads or landing pages
- Character tests
- Product shots
- Prompt experiments that took many iterations
- Any video with licensing, invoice, or campaign value
3. Preserve the Context, Not Only the MP4
A video file is useful, but it is not enough for migration. Create a simple archive folder for each project:
| Folder item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
final.mp4 | The generated video asset |
prompt.txt | The original Sora prompt |
settings.txt | Aspect ratio, duration, style, generation date, and model notes |
references/ | Uploaded images, product photos, or visual references |
notes.md | What worked, what failed, and what you would change |
license.txt | Client rights, usage terms, and publishing notes |
This is the difference between backing up files and preserving a production workflow.
4. Export OpenAI Account Data Separately if Needed
The Sora export is the direct path for Sora content. If you need broader OpenAI account records, review OpenAI's privacy export options as well. Keep those archives separate so you do not confuse creative assets with account-level data.
5. Build a Migration Tracker
Create a spreadsheet with these columns:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Project | Spring product launch |
| Original Sora prompt | A cinematic macro shot of... |
| Asset status | Exported / missing / needs rerender |
| Replacement workflow | Omni text-to-video / image-to-video / multi-scene |
| Priority | High / medium / low |
| Notes | Need vertical 9:16 version |
This gives you a working map for rebuilding the projects that still matter.
Why the Migration to Omni?
Most Sora users are not simply looking for another toy. They need a replacement workflow that covers the daily jobs Sora handled:
- Turning scripts into short video concepts
- Testing product ad angles
- Creating social-first vertical clips
- Expanding still images into motion
- Building multi-scene drafts for campaigns
- Iterating prompts quickly without rebuilding a whole production stack
That is where omni-video.ai is positioned. It gives creators a practical workspace for Omni text-to-video, Omni image-to-video, and longer storyboard-style workflows from one site.
The migration question is less "which model name wins this week?" and more "which workflow lets my team keep publishing?" For most creators, the priority is continuity: stable prompts, reusable creative direction, fast exports, and fewer dead ends when a product changes access rules.
Prompt Conversion Guide
Sora prompts often worked well when they described a rich scene in one cinematic paragraph. For migration, restructure those prompts into more explicit production instructions.
Sora-Style Prompt
A sleek electric bicycle moves through a rainy neon city at night, cinematic lighting, reflections on the street, dramatic camera movement, premium commercial style.
omni-video.ai-Ready Prompt
Subject: a matte black electric bicycle with visible frame details
Scene: rainy downtown street at night, neon storefronts, wet asphalt reflections
Camera: low tracking shot moving beside the bicycle, slow push-in at the end
Motion: bicycle glides smoothly through light rain, water spray from tires
Lighting: blue and magenta neon, soft reflections, premium commercial contrast
Output goal: 9:16 vertical ad clip for a product launch
Avoid: warped wheels, unreadable logos, extra riders, distorted frame geometry
The second version is easier to adapt because it separates subject, scene, camera, motion, lighting, output goal, and negative constraints.
Sora Prompt Field Mapping
Use this conversion table when moving old prompts into a new workflow.
| Sora prompt habit | Migration version |
|---|---|
| "Cinematic" | Define lens feel, camera motion, lighting, and color palette |
| "Realistic" | Specify material, scale, physics, and environmental behavior |
| "Social video" | Specify 9:16, pacing, hook frame, and product visibility |
| "Same character" | Repeat wardrobe, hair, age range, face details, and pose notes |
| "Ad style" | Define brand category, CTA moment, product angle, and background simplicity |
| "No weird motion" | Add negative constraints for deformation, extra limbs, broken text, and logo distortion |
Migration Playbook for Professional Creators
For Ad Creators
Start with the offer, not the visual. Your first prompt line should explain the job of the video:
Create a 9:16 product ad opening shot for a premium skincare serum, designed to stop scrolling in the first two seconds.
Then add the visual details.
For Filmmakers
Break the scene into shots. Instead of asking one prompt to handle an entire sequence, define:
- Establishing shot
- Character shot
- Product or object insert
- Motion transition
- End frame
This gives you more control and makes rerenders cheaper emotionally and operationally.
For Agencies
Keep a client prompt library. Store approved wording for brand tone, product descriptions, color constraints, and compliance rules. Model access may change; your brand-safe creative language should not disappear with one platform.
What Not to Do During Migration
- Do not assume your Sora data will remain accessible indefinitely.
- Do not rely on screenshots of prompts when plain text is easier to search and reuse.
- Do not mix final videos and rejected drafts without labels.
- Do not publish old Sora outputs in new campaigns without checking rights and client approval.
- Do not rebuild every old project. Migrate the assets that still have commercial value.
FAQ
Is Sora officially offline?
Yes. OpenAI says the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026.
When does the Sora API shut down?
OpenAI says the Sora API will be discontinued on September 24, 2026.
How do I export Sora videos?
OpenAI's current Help Center guidance says to visit sora.chatgpt.com/sunset, click Export, and wait for the email confirming the export is ready.
What should I save before leaving Sora?
Save final videos, prompts, reference images, settings, client notes, and any usage rights records. Prompt context is often more valuable than a single rendered file.
Can I transfer Sora prompts directly to Omni?
You can reuse the creative idea, but you should rewrite prompts into structured shot instructions. Separate subject, camera, motion, lighting, duration goal, aspect ratio, and negative constraints.
Final Checklist
- Start your Sora export.
- Download high-value videos manually where possible.
- Archive prompts and reference assets beside each video.
- Identify projects that need rerendering.
- Convert Sora prompts into structured production prompts.
- Move active work to a replacement workflow before the Sora API deadline.