Repo Foyer

Install the extension

Repo Foyer replaces GitHub’s signed-in home page with your repository lists. It runs in Chrome.

After purchasing, connect GitHub in Polar and accept the private repository invitation. Download the ZIP from Repo Foyer releases and unzip it.

Move the extracted extension folder somewhere permanent, such as Documents. Chrome loads the extension from that folder; deleting or moving it breaks the installation.

1. Open chrome://extensions.
2. Enable Developer mode.
3. Click Load unpacked and select the extracted extension folder.
4. Open Chrome’s puzzle menu and click Repo Foyer to open settings.

Connect GitHub

The settings page needs a GitHub token to read repositories. The supported setup uses a classic token with repo scope. That scope includes access to private repositories, so keep the token private and paste it only into the extension settings. Create it through GitHub’s token settings.

If an organization requires SAML single sign-on, authorize the token for that organization too. Otherwise those repositories may be missing.

Save the connection, then visit the signed-in GitHub home page. Logged-out visits keep GitHub’s normal page. The token stays in Chrome’s extension storage and is sent to GitHub’s API.

Find and open a repository

The search box has focus when the page opens. Suppose your repositories include weekend-notes and weekend-site. Type weekend to narrow the results. Search matches names and descriptions across repositories you own, organization repositories and repositories where you collaborate.

Key	Action
Up / Down	Move through search results
Enter	Open the selected repository
Command-Enter on Mac	Open in a new tab
Ctrl-Enter on Windows or Linux	Open in a new tab
Escape	Clear the search

Hover a repository to read its description. A Private label distinguishes private repositories.

Keep a favorite at the top

Hover a repository in a list or search result and click ☆. It stays at the top of Most used. Click ★ to remove that preference.

These stars belong to Repo Foyer. They do not star the repository on GitHub or change its public star count.

Understand the lists

Most used combines your default-branch commits from the last 90 days, browser visits and recent pushes. Older visits and pushes contribute less. Visits less than 30 minutes apart count once, so repeated navigation inside a repository does not dominate the ranking.

Recently created shows your newest repositories, leaving out forks.

Getting traction compares recent stars on public repositories you own or that belong to your organizations. It looks at recently pushed repositories and their newest stars. It is a quick indication of recent attention rather than an exhaustive GitHub popularity report.

Each list shows up to ten repositories. Search still covers repositories beyond those lists.

Refresh and troubleshoot

The extension shows cached lists first. When the cache is older than five minutes, it refreshes in the background. Click Refresh at the bottom to request a new result immediately.

If repositories are missing, check the token’s access and organization authorization. If the normal signed-in home page remains visible, check that the extension is enabled in chrome://extensions, reload the GitHub tab, and confirm you selected the folder containing the extension manifest.

Settings includes Clear visit history. It removes the extension’s locally recorded visits. Visit records keep the repository name and visit time, with the last 50 visits per repository and removal after 180 days without a visit.

Update the extension

Download a new release and copy its files into the same permanent extension folder. Click its reload arrow in chrome://extensions, then reload GitHub. Using the same installation keeps the token, favorites and visit history.

Keep credentials out of screenshots and shared copies of your Chrome profile. The extension has no separate hosted account or analytics service.