Install the Chrome extension
Every Repocellar account includes the extension. It's a ZIP file you download from your dashboard and load into Chrome — about two minutes.
Step by step
- Step 1
Unzip it somewhere permanent
Unzip the download and move the repocellar-extension folder somewhere you won't tidy away, like Documents. Chrome loads the extension from this folder, so if you delete or move it later, the extension stops working.
- Step 2
Open Chrome’s extensions page
Type chrome://extensions into the address bar and press Enter. (Menu ⋮ → Extensions → Manage extensions gets you there too.)
- Step 3
Switch on Developer mode
Use the Developer mode switch in the top-right corner. It only lets Chrome load extensions from a folder; it doesn't change anything else about your browser.
- Step 4
Load the folder
Click Load unpacked and choose the repocellar-extension folder — the one that contains manifest.json. A Repocellar card appears in the list.
- Step 5
Pin it and sign in
Click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin Repocellar. Click it, choose Sign in, and approve the connection in the window that opens. Then open your repositories on github.com — Repocellar's buttons appear next to each repository in the list.
Updating to a new version
Extensions installed from a ZIP don't update themselves. When a new version is out, your dashboard and the extension's popup both say so.
- Download the new ZIP from the Extension page of your dashboard and unzip it.
- Replace the contents of your existing repocellar-extension folder with the new files (keep the folder where it is).
- In chrome://extensions, click the circular arrow on the Repocellar card to reload it. You stay signed in.
If something isn't working
- “Manifest file is missing or unreadable”
- You picked the wrong folder. Choose the repocellar-extension folder itself — the one with manifest.json directly inside — not the folder above it or the ZIP file.
- There’s no Developer mode switch, or Load unpacked is greyed out
- Your Chrome is probably managed by an employer or school, and they’ve turned off loading extensions this way. Use a personal Chrome profile or computer, or ask your IT team.
- The extension disappeared or shows an error after a restart
- The folder was moved, renamed or deleted. Put it back, or download the ZIP again, unzip it, and repeat Load unpacked.
- No Repocellar buttons on github.com
- Make sure you're signed in to the extension (click its icon), then reload the GitHub page. Buttons appear next to repositories in repository lists, such as github.com/your-name?tab=repositories.
- Sign-in window closes without signing in
- Sign in to the Repocellar website in the same Chrome profile first, then click Sign in in the extension again. If it keeps happening, remove the extension’s session in Settings → Connected devices and try once more.
- The dashboard says “not detected” but it’s installed
- The dashboard can only see the extension in the same Chrome profile. Check you’re in the right profile, then reload the page.
Good to know
- Chrome may show a notice about extensions in developer mode, sometimes each time it starts. That's expected for any extension installed from a folder. Choose to keep it.
- Only install Repocellar from the ZIP in your own dashboard. If someone sends you a copy by email or chat, don't use it.
- The extension asks for access to github.com, api.github.com, GitHub's download servers, Repocellar and our storage provider — the sites it needs to copy and upload repositories. It doesn't read other sites.
- Repocellar works in Google Chrome 116 or later. Other Chromium browsers (Edge, Brave, Arc) often work but aren't supported.