Branch Barber

Tracking since Apr 14, 2026.

Changelog

• May 9, 2026
  short_description

  Visual conversation tree for ChatGPT and Gemini - track context drift and navigate your thinking.

  Visual conversation tree for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude - track context drift and navigate your thinking.

• May 9, 2026
  host_permissions

  https://chatgpt.com/*, https://chat.openai.com/*, https://gemini.google.com/*

  https://chatgpt.com/*, https://chat.openai.com/*, https://gemini.google.com/*, https://claude.ai/*, https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/*, https://api.anthropic.com/*

• May 9, 2026
  description

  Branch Barber transforms your linear AI chat sessions into a live, interactive conversation tree — so you can see exactly where your thinking branched, navigate back to any point instantly, and never lose context again.
  
  Works on ChatGPT (chatgpt.com) and Google Gemini (gemini.google.com).
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  THE PROBLEM
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  AI conversations drift. You start asking about one thing, get a useful answer, then ask a follow-up on something slightly different, then something completely different — and ten messages later you've forgotten what you originally needed. Standard chat interfaces give you a flat scroll. Branch Barber gives you a map.
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  HOW IT WORKS
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  Every message-response pair becomes a node on a visual tree canvas. Branch Barber automatically measures the topic similarity between each new message and the previous one. When the topic changes significantly, the new node branches to the right — creating a visual fork in the tree. Messages that stay on the same topic flow straight down.
  
  The result is a spatial layout of your entire conversation: you can see at a glance which threads are related, how far each branch has gone, and where you diverged from your original line of thinking.
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  KEY FEATURES
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  ▸ AUTOMATIC TOPIC DRIFT DETECTION
  Branch Barber computes how different each new message is from the previous one using a fast lexical similarity algorithm. When the score exceeds your configured threshold (default: 80%), the node automatically branches right. No manual tagging required.
  
  ▸ LIVE TREE UPDATES
  Nodes appear as soon as the AI finishes responding — no refresh needed, no manual trigger. The tree updates in real time as your conversation progresses.
  
  ▸ MANUAL BRANCHING
  Every AI response has a "✂ Branch Here" button injected directly into the chat page. Click it to manually mark a turn as a branch. Click again to undo. You can also branch, unbranch, detach, or delete any node from the sidebar.
  
  ▸ INTERACTIVE CANVAS
  Pan, zoom, and drag nodes freely. When you drag a node near another, magnetic snap automatically reparents it and shifts the entire subtree — so you can reorganize your tree by hand.
  
  ▸ NODE DETAIL PANEL
  Click any node to see the full prompt, a preview of the AI response, and a topic drift bar. Jump directly to that message in the chat with one click.
  
  ▸ ADJUSTABLE DRIFT THRESHOLD
  Use the Settings slider to control how sensitive branching is. Lower = branches more often (good for focused sessions). Higher = only dramatic topic changes branch (good for wide-ranging exploration). Toggle "Auto-scale" to apply changes retroactively to the entire tree instantly.
  
  ▸ UNDO (20 STEPS)
  Every tree action — branch, unbranch, detach, delete, move — can be undone. Up to 20 steps of history, synchronized with the local database.
  
  ▸ RESIZABLE SIDEBAR
  Drag the sidebar edge to any width. Make it wide enough to show all branch columns side by side.
  
  ▸ 100% LOCAL AND PRIVATE
  All conversation data, embeddings, and settings are stored in your browser's IndexedDB. Nothing is sent to the developer's servers. The on-device embedding model (all-MiniLM-L6-v2) runs entirely in your browser via WebAssembly.
  
  ▸ OPTIONAL AI NODE LABELS (REQUIRES GEMINI API KEY)
  Enable AI mode in Settings and add your own Gemini API key to generate 8-word AI summaries as node labels. Without a key, labels use the first 60 characters of your prompt — fast and private.
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  PERMISSIONS EXPLAINED
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  • storage — saves your tree, settings, and node data locally in IndexedDB
  • activeTab — reads the current tab's URL to associate the tree with the right conversation
  • scripting — injects the sidebar and node buttons into ChatGPT and Gemini pages
  • alarms — keeps the background service worker alive for reliable embedding processing
  • offscreen — runs the on-device ML embedding model in a hidden page (required by Chrome MV3 for WebAssembly)
  
  Branch Barber only activates on chatgpt.com, chat.openai.com, and gemini.google.com.
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  COMING SOON
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  • Export tree as image or JSON
  • Support for additional AI platforms
  • Optional cloud sync for cross-device trees
  
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  OPEN SOURCE
  ────────────────────────────────────────
  
  Branch Barber is built by Yiwen Ding (University of Pennsylvania).
  GitHub: github.com/dingonewen
  Contact: [email protected]

  ✂️ BRANCH BARBER: Map Your AI Mind
  ★ Stop Scrolling. Start Branching.
  
  ★ AI chats are linear. Your thinking isn't. Branch Barber transforms your flat conversations with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude into a live, interactive Conversation Tree. Visualize your thoughts, navigate deep rabbit holes, and never lose the thread of a great idea again.
  
  🌳 THE VISUAL UPGRADE YOUR AI NEEDS
  ● Automatic Drift Detection: As you shift subjects, Branch Barber grows a new branch automatically. See the "DNA" of your conversation at a glance.
  
  ● One-Click Teleportation: Click any node to jump directly to that message. No more scrolling back through 50+ prompts to find that one specific insight.
  
  ● Precision Pruning (Manual Branching): Every AI response gets a "✂️ Branch Here" button. Create intentional threads for different ideas or experiments.
  
  ● Auto-Layout (Dagre Engine): Toggle high-performance hierarchical views to clean up massive trees instantly, or drag nodes to create your own custom mind map.
  
  🧠 TECH-FORWARD & PRIVACY-FIRST
  We built Branch Barber for the power user who refuses to compromise on privacy or performance:
  
  ● On-Device Intelligence: Drift detection uses an on-device ML model (all-MiniLM-L6-v2) running in WebAssembly. Semantic analysis happens 100% in your browser.
  
  ● Zero Data Leaks: No telemetry. No accounts. Your conversation data lives in your browser's IndexedDB—period.
  
  ● Optional AI Labeling: Connect your own Gemini or Claude API key for "Pro Mode" summaries, or stay in "Local Mode" for instant, free, 60-character labels.
  
  ● Developer-Grade Export: Save your trees as high-res PNGs for presentations or JSON files for archiving and external RAG processing.
  
  🎨 DESIGNED FOR AESTHETICS
  ●  Catppuccin Integration: Beautiful Latte and Mocha themes that feel native to your favorite dev tools.
  
  ●  Seamless Support: Works natively on:
  
  ➤ChatGPT (chatgpt.com)
  
  ➤Google Gemini (gemini.google.com)
  
  ➤Claude (claude.ai)
  
  💡 Why "Branch Barber"?
  Because linear chat history is a mess. We’re here to trim the noise and help you grow the ideas that matter.
  
  ✓ Free. Open. Private. No Account Needed.
  ★ Install Branch Barber and map your mind today.

Permissions & access

Permissions

activeTabalarmsoffscreen

Host access

https://chatgpt.com/*, https://chat.openai.com/*, https://gemini.google.com/*, https://claude.ai/*, https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/*, https://api.anthropic.com/*

Screenshots