Refined GitHub
A browser extension that cleans up GitHub's interface and adds extra features.
- Stars
- 32.4k
- Forks
- 1.9k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Refined GitHub is a browser extension that changes how GitHub looks and works in your browser. It hides some clutter, fixes annoyances, and adds small features such as showing whitespace characters, showing how far a pull request is behind its base, and adding delete or pull request buttons on branch pages. People use it to make everyday GitHub browsing faster and less frustrating.
- Show whitespace characters in code views to spot formatting problems
- See whether a repository's latest version includes unreleased commits
- Subscribe to opening and closing events of an issue with one click
- Hide every event except comments in issues and pull requests
- Delete the current branch or open a pull request from a branch page
Great for
- Developers who use GitHub daily for code review, issues, and pull requests
- Maintainers who manage many repositories and want quicker actions
- People who use GitHub Enterprise and want the extension to work there too
- Users of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari who want the same tweaks across browsers
Not ideal for
- People who want GitHub to stay exactly as it is by default, since the extension changes the interface
- Users on browsers the README does not list (only Chromium browsers, Firefox including Firefox Android, and Safari are named)
- Anyone who needs an official, GitHub-supported product, since the README says the project is independent and GitHub trademarks are used under license
How to get it
- 1
Use it in the browser (or self-host)
Install from Chrome Web Store (Chrome and Chromium browsers)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/refined-github/hlepfoohegkhhmjieoechaddaejaokhfInstall from Mozilla Add-ons (Firefox)
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/refined-github-/Install from Mac App Store (Safari)
https://apps.apple.com/app/id1519867270 - 2
Run it
- Open the store link for your browser and add the extension.
- Go to github.com while signed in.
- Open a repository, issue, or pull request to see the added features.
- For GitHub Enterprise, follow the enable steps linked in the README.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the whitespace visibility feature when reviewing code diffs
- Turn on the unreleased-commits indicator to check whether a repo's latest version is current
- Use the conversation activity filter to focus on comments in long issues or pull requests
- Enable GitHub Enterprise support through the linked permission toggle if you use a self-hosted instance
Downloads
Strengths
- Covers many small annoyances in one extension, with a feature list in the README
- Available for Chrome and other Chromium browsers, Firefox, and Safari
- Actively maintained, with a recent push date and a large star count
Trade-offs
- Changes GitHub's interface, so some users may find the layout different from what GitHub intends
- Depends on GitHub's page structure, so features may break when GitHub changes its site (inferred from the nature of browser extensions; the README does not discuss this)
- The README is truncated, so the full feature list and settings are not covered here
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| refined-github (this) | 32.4k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who use GitHub daily for code review, issues, and pull requests |
| chatGPTBox | 10.8k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who want an AI chat panel available while browsing |
| plasmo | 13.2k | Framework | intermediate | 6 days ago | Developers building a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox or Edge |
| darkreader | 22.6k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who browse a lot in low light and want darker pages without changing each site themselves |
| ext-saladict | 13.4k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Language learners who read foreign-language websites or PDFs |
| desktop | 22k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who work with GitHub and prefer a visual interface for commits and branches |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.