Backref icon

Backref

by Alessio Bazzica · Developer Tools
Manifest V3 Free
View in Chrome Web Store Data as of 16 Oct 2026

Turn bug-tracker IDs in GitHub code comments, PR/issue descriptions and comments, and commit messages into clickable links.

Users
6
+2 in 30 days
Rating
0.0 / 5
unchanged in 30 days
Ratings
0
0 in 30 days
Store rank
#242K
#202K among extensions
Version
0.2.0
updated 8 May 2026

Users

monthly, 5 months
036May 2026Aug 2026Oct 2026
Latest, 16 Oct 2026: 6 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month

Ratings count

monthly, 5 months
001May 2026Aug 2026Oct 2026
Latest, 16 Oct 2026: 0 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month

The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.

About Backref

Backref turns bug-tracker IDs scattered across GitHub into clickable links straight to your issue tracker. No more copy-pasting an ID into Linear, Jira, or your internal tool — every reference becomes a one-click jump. WHAT GETS LINKED • Code comments (line and block) • PR and issue descriptions • Conversation and inline review comments • Commit titles and bodies • Already-linked text is left alone HOW IT WORKS Define rules in the options page — each rule is a regular expression plus a link template. The regex `\b[A-Z]+-[0-9]+\b` paired with the template `https://linear.app/your-org/issue/{id}/` turns every "BUG-123" on the page into a Linear ticket link. You can add as many rules as you like, and each rule can be scoped to specific hosts — so you can link Linear IDs on GitHub, Zendesk IDs on Linear, and anything else you want, all from one extension. WHY INSTALL • Faster context switching between code and tickets — the link is always there, no manual searching. • Works alongside AI tools: when your AI assistant leaves comments like "// TODO(BUG-123)", those references become instantly navigable for both humans and the next AI session that needs ticket context. • Self-hosted GitHub Enterprise and other Git forges work too — just add the host in settings. PRIVACY Backref runs entirely in your browser. It does not send any data anywhere — your configuration and the page contents stay local. The source is open at https://github.com/alessiob-riverside/backref. FOR ORGANIZATIONS Backref supports Chrome Enterprise managed storage. IT pushes the regex and tracker URL once via policy, and every employee gets the same setup with zero manual configuration. Per-rule host scoping and lock flags are supported.

Growth

WindowUsersChangeRatingsRating
7 days0+0.0%00.00
30 days+2+50.0%00.00

Version history

1 versions recorded
0.2.08 May 2026

Details

Category
Developer Tools
First seen
8 May 2026
Size
2.1 MB
Languages
en
Pricing
Free
Support
github.com
Extension ID
mikabafbdpidimofjjekgjplenpopgbb

Permissions and risk

Moderate riskimpact 2, likelihood 2
Permissions
storagescripting
Site access
*://github.com/*

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