explaingit

ovity/octotree

23,194JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5StaleLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

Browser extension that adds a file tree sidebar to GitHub, letting you navigate repositories like a code editor instead of clicking through folders one by one.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      File tree sidebar
      One-click navigation
      GitHub integration
    How it works
      Browser extension
      Auto-activates on GitHub
      Shows full structure
    Use cases
      Explore open source
      Code review
      Understand projects
    Supported browsers
      Chrome Firefox
      Edge Safari
      Opera Brave
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Browser APIs

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Explore unfamiliar open-source repositories and understand their folder structure at a glance.

USE CASE 2

Jump between multiple files during code review without repeatedly navigating back to the root directory.

USE CASE 3

Quickly locate files in large projects by viewing the entire tree instead of clicking through folders one at a time.

Tech stack

JavaScriptChrome Extension APIFirefox WebExtensions

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Proprietary software; the full product is distributed through browser extension stores and managed by the Octotree team.

In plain English

Octotree is a browser extension that makes browsing code on GitHub much easier. Instead of clicking through folders one at a time to find a file, Octotree adds a sidebar panel to GitHub that shows the entire repository as a tree of folders and files, similar to how a code editor like VS Code displays your project on the left side. You can navigate directly to any file with a single click. It works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Brave. Once installed, it activates automatically when you visit GitHub, giving you a clearer view of large or unfamiliar repositories without having to keep navigating back and forth. This is useful whenever you are exploring a new open-source project and want to understand its structure quickly, or when reviewing someone else's code and need to jump between files efficiently. It is also helpful for code review, where you need context from multiple files at once. The extension is built in JavaScript. Note that while an older limited version of the source code is publicly available in this repository, Octotree is proprietary software, the full product is distributed through browser extension stores and managed by the Octotree team.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm exploring a large GitHub repository and want to understand its structure. How would I use Octotree to navigate it faster than clicking through folders?
Prompt 2
Show me how to install Octotree on my browser and what the sidebar will look like when I visit a GitHub repo.
Prompt 3
I'm doing a code review and need to jump between files in different folders. How does Octotree make this easier than GitHub's default interface?
Open on GitHub → Explain another repo

Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.