SLOPSHOPPER

focus-sidebar

Claude Desktop sidebar that shows only what you work on: one section per project, busiest on top, folders idle a day or more hidden

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v0.5.0MITupdated 2026-10-23zigansh1n/claude-focus-sidebar
A shopper browsing a rack in a slop shop
Preview · a replayed session in a sandbox
claude · ~/work/app · focus-sidebar
› fix the failing auth test and add an audit log call ⏺ Read(src/auth.ts) ⎿ Read 6 lines ⏺ Update(src/auth.ts) ⎿ Added 2 lines, removed 1 line ⏺ Bash(bun test) ⎿ 3 pass, 1 fail ● Done. refresh now rejects expired claims and logs an audit event. ✻ Worked for 42s · done 4:20 PM › /show-folder ⎿ focus-sidebar: No hidden folders. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── › ? for shortcuts
README

Focus Sidebar — a tidy Claude Desktop sidebar for Claude Code

Too many Claude Code sessions and projects in the Claude Desktop sidebar? Focus Sidebar is a Claude Code mod (a hooks plugin) that organizes the Code sidebar by project, keeps the project you are working on right now at the top, and hides folders you have not touched for a working day. It runs on its own, with no clicks.

<img alt="Before: every folder ever opened, in one long list. After: only current projects, busiest on top." src="docs/images/hero.png">

  • One section per project. Sessions are filed by folder (the git repo root, so subfolders and worktrees land together); sessions with no folder go to «💬 No folder», sessions in your home folder to «🏠 Home».
  • What you are on now, on top. Folders worked in during the last hour come first, marked 🔥, newest first; the rest follow by activity (every session counts, recent ones weigh more).
  • Who needs you first. A section with three or more sessions is grouped by state, so the ones waiting for your answer come first («💬 No folder» is grouped by day); smaller sections stay a plain list.
  • When you last worked on it. Each session title ends with the date and time of its last activity, Fix checkout flow · Oct 23, 10:13, in your own time zone, and is updated when the session comes back to life.
  • Idle folders disappear. A folder you left out of a full working day is hidden as a whole: its sessions move to the app's Archived list. Days you did not work at all do not count, so a weekend hides nothing. Nothing is deleted, and each no-folder session counts as its own folder. An idle session the app will not archive (one waiting for your answer) goes to «🧊 Archive» at the bottom instead.
  • Folders come back on their own. Start working in a hidden folder again and its other sessions return with it.
  • Or bring one back by hand. /show-folder lists the hidden folders, /show-folder <name> restores one.
  • Hands off what you arranged. Pinned sessions, nested sessions, routine runs and sessions you filed into your own sections stay where they are.

Install

In a terminal Claude Code session:

/plugin install focus-sidebar --marketplace zigansh1n/claude-focus-sidebar

Answer y to add the marketplace and pick the user scope. Or from a shell:

claude plugin install focus-sidebar --marketplace zigansh1n/claude-focus-sidebar

In the desktop app: click + next to the prompt box, then Plugins, Add marketplace with zigansh1n/claude-focus-sidebar, then Add plugin.

The mod starts working in the next Claude Desktop session you open or resume. It needs a Claude Code build with hooks modules (mods); if nothing happens, see claude --debug for a hooks module focus-sidebar ... loaded line.

FAQ

How do I organize Claude Code sessions by project in Claude Desktop? Install Focus Sidebar. Every session is filed into a sidebar section named after its project folder (the git repo root), and new sessions are filed the same way a few seconds after they start.

How do I hide old Claude Code sessions in the sidebar? Folders you skip for a full working day are hidden automatically: their sessions move to the app's Archived list. Nothing is deleted, and a folder comes back as soon as you work in it again or run /show-folder <name>.

Will a weekend hide all my projects? No. Only days you actually worked count, so after days off the sidebar looks the way you left it.

Does it work with the Claude Code terminal (CLI)? It arranges Claude Desktop's sidebar, so you need Claude Desktop. Terminal sessions on the same Mac load the mod too and can trigger a re-sort while Claude Desktop is running.

How do I uninstall it? claude plugin uninstall focus-sidebar. Hidden sessions stay in the Archived list, where you can restore them.

How it works

The sidebar has no call to reorder sections, but a renamed section keeps its place and a new one is added after the other custom sections. So the mod owns a run of "slot" sections and renames them by rank instead of moving them. It syncs 5 s after a session starts, 2 s after each turn and every 5 minutes; a short lease keeps several open sessions from syncing at once. Log: ~/.claude/focus-sidebar.log.

Test

claude plugin test .

License

MIT

The pictures are rendered from docs/render/sidebar.html.

Source 1 files
hooks/register.ts 404 lines
1import type { EngineInterface, Register } from 'claude-code'
2
3// The sidebar has no "reorder sections" call, but a renamed section keeps its
4// place and a new one lands after the other custom sections. So the mod owns a
5// fixed run of "slot" sections and renames them by rank instead of moving them.
6
7const SIDEBAR = 'ccd_sidebar'
8const SESSIONS = 'ccd_session_mgmt'
9const DAY = 86_400_000
10// A folder left out of this many of your working days is hidden: its sessions are archived
11// (/show-folder brings them back). Days you did not work at all do not count, so a weekend hides nothing.
12const HIDE_AFTER_DAYS = 1
13// Working days remembered, enough to measure any folder still visible.
14const WORK_DAYS_KEPT = 60
15const HEAT_DAYS = 14
16const HALF_LIFE_DAYS = 3
17const FIRST_RUN_MS = 5_000
18const AFTER_TURN_MS = 2_000
19const PERIOD_MS = 5 * 60_000
20// Every open session runs this mod; the lease keeps them from syncing at once.
21const LEASE_MS = 45_000
22const MOVE_BATCH = 100
23// Archived sessions are left out of the listing: with them it outgrows what a tool result may carry.
24const LIST_LIMIT = 300
25// A folder worked in this recently gets 🔥 in its section name.
26const HOT_MS = 60 * 60_000
27// Titles stamped per sync, so a first run over many sessions stays short.
28const STAMP_BATCH = 20
29// Below this many sessions a section's own subheadings cost more room than they save.
30const GROUP_MIN = 3
31
32export const ARCHIVE = '🧊 Archive'
33export const SCRATCH = '💬 No folder'
34export const HOME = '🏠 Home'
35export const COMMAND = 'show-folder'
36export const HOT = '🔥'
37const MONTHS = ['Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun', 'Jul', 'Aug', 'Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec']
38
39export type Session = {
40  sessionId: string
41  title?: string
42  cwd: string
43  lastActivityAt: string
44  isArchived?: boolean
45  pinned?: boolean
46  isRunning?: boolean
47  startedBy?: string
48  // Absent while the app has not reported groups yet: unknown, not ungrouped.
49  group?: { id: string; name: string } | null
50}
51
52type Row = Session & { project: string }
53// Inside a section the app itself groups rows: by state (needs input, running, done) or by day.
54export type Slot = { name: string; sessionIds: string[]; groupBy: 'state' | 'date' | 'none' }
55export type Plan = { slots: Slot[]; hide: string[] }
56/** A hidden folder, by the label /show-folder lists it under. */
57export type Hidden = Record<string, { folder: string; ids: string[] }>
58
59type Section = { id: string; kind: string; name: string; group_by?: string }
60type Result = { isError: boolean; content: { type: string; text?: string }[] }
61
62const textOf = (r: Result) => r.content.map(b => b.text ?? '').join('')
63
64export const homeOf = (path: string): string | null => path.match(/^\/(?:Users|home)\/[^/]+/)?.[0] ?? null
65
66/** The project a session in `cwd` belongs to: its git repo root's name, else the folder's. */
67export const projectOf = async (cwd: string, exists: (p: string) => Promise<boolean>): Promise<string> => {
68  if (!cwd || cwd.includes('/scratch-workspaces/') || /^\/(private\/)?tmp(\/|$)/.test(cwd)) return SCRATCH
69
70  let dir = cwd.replace(/\/\.claude\/worktrees\/[^/]+.*$/, '').replace(/\/+$/, '')
71  const home = homeOf(dir)
72  if (dir === home) return HOME
73
74  for (let q = dir; q.length > (home ?? '').length && q.includes('/'); q = q.slice(0, q.lastIndexOf('/'))) {
75    if (await exists(`${q}/.git`)) {
76      dir = q
77      break
78    }
79  }
80  return dir.slice(dir.lastIndexOf('/') + 1) || dir
81}
82
83/** What is hidden as one: a project, or a single no-folder session's own scratch folder. */
84export const folderOf = (s: Row) => (s.project === SCRATCH ? `${SCRATCH}:${s.cwd}` : s.project)
85
86const labelOf = (s: Row) => (s.project === SCRATCH ? `💬 ${s.title ?? s.sessionId}` : s.project)
87
88/** A session the mod may file: in the sidebar, not pinned or nested, and not filed by hand elsewhere. */
89export const isMovable = (s: Session, owned: ReadonlySet<string>) =>
90  !s.isArchived && !s.pinned && !s.startedBy && s.group !== undefined && (s.group === null || owned.has(s.group.id))
91
92/** The local calendar day of a moment, `2026-10-23`. */
93export const dayOf = (ms: number): string => {
94  const d = new Date(ms)
95  return `${d.getFullYear()}-${String(d.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, '0')}-${String(d.getDate()).padStart(2, '0')}`
96}
97
98/**
99 * The slots top to bottom and the sessions to hide. Folders worked in during the
100 * last hour come first, newest first, marked 🔥; the rest follow by heat (recent
101 * sessions weigh more). A folder is hidden once HIDE_AFTER_DAYS of your finished
102 * working days (`workDays`, today excluded) went by without it. Folders in
103 * `shown` were just brought back and stay. Idle sessions the app would not
104 * archive (`kept`) go to the archive slot instead.
105 */
106export const plan = (
107  sessions: Row[],
108  owned: ReadonlySet<string>,
109  now: number,
110  kept: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(),
111  shown: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(),
112  workDays: readonly string[] = sessions.map(s => dayOf(Date.parse(s.lastActivityAt) || 0)),
113): Plan => {
114  const lastByFolder = new Map<string, number>()
115  for (const s of sessions) {
116    const at = Date.parse(s.lastActivityAt) || 0
117    lastByFolder.set(folderOf(s), Math.max(lastByFolder.get(folderOf(s)) ?? 0, at))
118  }
119  const today = dayOf(now)
120  const days = [...new Set(workDays)]
121  const missedDays = (last: number) => days.filter(d => d > dayOf(last) && d < today).length
122  const isIdle = (s: Row) =>
123    !s.isRunning && !shown.has(folderOf(s)) && missedDays(lastByFolder.get(folderOf(s)) ?? 0) >= HIDE_AFTER_DAYS
124
125  const projects = new Map<string, { heat: number; last: number; ids: string[] }>()
126  const hide: string[] = []
127  const archived: string[] = []
128  for (const s of sessions) {
129    const at = Date.parse(s.lastActivityAt) || 0
130    const p = projects.get(s.project) ?? { heat: 0, last: 0, ids: [] }
131    const ageDays = (now - at) / DAY
132    if (ageDays <= HEAT_DAYS) p.heat += 0.5 ** (Math.max(ageDays, 0) / HALF_LIFE_DAYS)
133    p.last = Math.max(p.last, at)
134    if (isMovable(s, owned)) {
135      if (!isIdle(s)) p.ids.push(s.sessionId)
136      else if (kept.has(s.sessionId)) archived.push(s.sessionId)
137      else hide.push(s.sessionId)
138    }
139    projects.set(s.project, p)
140  }
141
142  const isHot = (name: string, last: number) => name !== SCRATCH && now - last < HOT_MS
143  const slots: Slot[] = [...projects]
144    .filter(([, p]) => p.ids.length > 0)
145    .sort(([an, a], [bn, b]) => {
146      const ah = isHot(an, a.last)
147      const bh = isHot(bn, b.last)
148      if (ah !== bh) return ah ? -1 : 1
149      return ah ? b.last - a.last : b.heat - a.heat || b.last - a.last
150    })
151    .map(([name, p]) => ({
152      name: isHot(name, p.last) ? `${HOT} ${name}` : name,
153      sessionIds: p.ids,
154      groupBy: p.ids.length < GROUP_MIN ? 'none' : name === SCRATCH ? 'date' : 'state',
155    }))
156  if (archived.length > 0) {
157    slots.push({ name: ARCHIVE, sessionIds: archived, groupBy: archived.length < GROUP_MIN ? 'none' : 'date' })
158  }
159  return { slots, hide }
160}
161
162/** `Oct 23, 10:30` in the machine's own time zone. */
163export const stampOf = (iso: string): string => {
164  const d = new Date(iso)
165  const hm = `${String(d.getHours()).padStart(2, '0')}:${String(d.getMinutes()).padStart(2, '0')}`
166  return `${MONTHS[d.getMonth()]} ${d.getDate()}, ${hm}`
167}
168
169const STAMP = / · [A-Z][a-z]{2} \d{1,2}, \d{2}:\d{2}$/
170
171/** The title with its trailing stamp replaced by the session's last activity. */
172export const restamp = (title: string, lastActivityAt: string) => `${title.replace(STAMP, '')} · ${stampOf(lastActivityAt)}`
173
174let logFile: string | null = null
175
176/** Brings the sidebar in line with the plan; resolves what it did, for the log. */
177export async function sync($: EngineInterface): Promise<string> {
178  const log = async (line: string) => {
179    if (!logFile) return
180    try {
181      // Background processes without the sidebar fail the same way every tick: keep one line per change.
182      if ((await $.store.get('lastLog')) === line) return
183      await $.store.set('lastLog', line)
184      const prev = (await $.fs.exists(logFile)) ? await $.fs.read(logFile) : ''
185      await $.fs.write(logFile, (prev + `${new Date().toISOString()} ${line}\n`).slice(-20000))
186    } catch {}
187  }
188  const call = async (server: string, tool: string, args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
189    const r = (await $.mcp.call(server, tool, args)) as Result
190    if (r.isError) throw new Error(`${tool}: ${textOf(r)}`)
191    return textOf(r)
192  }
193  const json = async (server: string, tool: string, args: Record<string, unknown>) => {
194    const text = await call(server, tool, args)
195    try {
196      return JSON.parse(text) as unknown
197    } catch {
198      throw new Error(`${tool}: ${text.slice(0, 160)}`)
199    }
200  }
201
202  try {
203    const now = await $.clock.now()
204    if (Number((await $.store.get('leaseUntil')) ?? 0) > now) return 'leased'
205    await $.store.set('leaseUntil', now + LEASE_MS)
206
207    const others = (await json(SESSIONS, 'list_sessions', { limit: LIST_LIMIT })) as Session[]
208    const self = (await json(SESSIONS, 'get_session', { session_id: 'self' })) as Session
209    const all = [self, ...others.filter(s => s.sessionId !== self.sessionId)]
210
211    const cache = new Map<string, Promise<string>>()
212    const rows: Row[] = await Promise.all(
213      all.map(async s => {
214        if (!cache.has(s.cwd)) cache.set(s.cwd, projectOf(s.cwd, p => $.fs.exists(p)))
215        return { ...s, project: await cache.get(s.cwd)! }
216      }),
217    )
218
219    const sections = (await json(SIDEBAR, 'list_sections', {})) as Section[]
220    const byId = new Map(sections.filter(s => s.kind === 'manual').map(s => [s.id, s]))
221    const owned = (((await $.store.get('slots')) as string[] | undefined) ?? []).filter(id => byId.has(id))
222    // Routine runs look like any other session in the list, yet the sidebar refuses to file them.
223    const refused = new Set(((await $.store.get('refused')) as string[] | undefined) ?? [])
224    const kept = new Set(((await $.store.get('kept')) as string[] | undefined) ?? [])
225    const shownUntil = ((await $.store.get('shownUntil')) as Record<string, number> | undefined) ?? {}
226    const shown = new Set(Object.keys(shownUntil).filter(f => shownUntil[f] > now))
227    const seenDays = rows.map(s => dayOf(Date.parse(s.lastActivityAt) || 0))
228    const workDays = [...new Set([...(((await $.store.get('workDays')) as string[] | undefined) ?? []), ...seenDays])]
229      .sort()
230      .slice(-WORK_DAYS_KEPT)
231    await $.store.set('workDays', workDays)
232    const { slots, hide } = plan(
233      rows.filter(s => !refused.has(s.sessionId)),
234      new Set(owned),
235      now,
236      kept,
237      shown,
238      workDays,
239    )
240
241    const hiddenFolders = ((await $.store.get('hidden')) as Hidden | undefined) ?? {}
242    const byIdRow = new Map(rows.map(s => [s.sessionId, s]))
243    let hidden = 0
244    for (const id of hide.filter(id => id !== self.sessionId)) {
245      try {
246        // A routine's runs belong to the routine: leave its history as the app keeps it.
247        const detail = (await json(SESSIONS, 'get_session', { session_id: id })) as { scheduledTaskId?: string }
248        if (detail.scheduledTaskId) {
249          refused.add(id)
250          await $.store.set('refused', [...refused])
251          continue
252        }
253        await call(SESSIONS, 'archive_session', { session_id: id, reason: `folder idle ${HIDE_AFTER_DAYS}+ day` })
254        const row = byIdRow.get(id)!
255        const entry = hiddenFolders[labelOf(row)] ?? { folder: folderOf(row), ids: [] }
256        if (!entry.ids.includes(id)) entry.ids.push(id)
257        hiddenFolders[labelOf(row)] = entry
258        hidden++
259      } catch {
260        kept.add(id)
261      }
262    }
263    // Working in a hidden folder again brings its other sessions back with it.
264    const liveFolders = new Set(slots.flatMap(slot => slot.sessionIds).map(id => folderOf(byIdRow.get(id)!)))
265    let restored = 0
266    for (const [label, entry] of Object.entries(hiddenFolders)) {
267      if (!liveFolders.has(entry.folder)) continue
268      for (const id of entry.ids) {
269        const r = (await $.mcp.call(SESSIONS, 'unarchive_session', { session_id: id })) as Result
270        if (!r.isError) restored++
271      }
272      delete hiddenFolders[label]
273      await $.store.set('leaseUntil', 0)
274    }
275    if (hidden > 0 || restored > 0) await $.store.set('hidden', hiddenFolders)
276    if (hidden < hide.length) await $.store.set('kept', [...kept])
277
278    while (owned.length < slots.length) {
279      const made = (await json(SIDEBAR, 'create_section', { name: slots[owned.length].name })) as Section
280      owned.push(made.id)
281      byId.set(made.id, made)
282    }
283    await $.store.set('slots', owned)
284
285    let renamed = 0
286    let moved = 0
287    for (const [i, slot] of slots.entries()) {
288      if (byId.get(owned[i])?.name !== slot.name) {
289        await call(SIDEBAR, 'rename_section', { section_id: owned[i], name: slot.name })
290        renamed++
291      }
292      const toMove = slot.sessionIds.filter(id => byIdRow.get(id)?.group?.id !== owned[i])
293      for (let k = 0; k < toMove.length; k += MOVE_BATCH) {
294        const batch = toMove.slice(k, k + MOVE_BATCH)
295        try {
296          await call(SIDEBAR, 'move_sessions', { session_ids: batch, section_id: owned[i] })
297          moved += batch.length
298        } catch {
299          // One refused id fails the whole batch: retry one by one and remember the refusals.
300          for (const id of batch) {
301            try {
302              await call(SIDEBAR, 'move_sessions', { session_ids: [id], section_id: owned[i] })
303              moved++
304            } catch {
305              refused.add(id)
306            }
307          }
308          await $.store.set('refused', [...refused])
309        }
310      }
311    }
312
313    for (const [i, slot] of slots.entries()) {
314      if (byId.get(owned[i])?.group_by !== slot.groupBy) {
315        await call(SIDEBAR, 'set_view', { section_id: owned[i], group_by: slot.groupBy, sort_by: 'recency' })
316      }
317    }
318
319    // Renaming does not count as activity, so the stamp settles once the session goes quiet.
320    // The app regenerates a title after the first exchange; a lost stamp is simply added again.
321    let stamped = 0
322    const stale = slots
323      .flatMap(slot => slot.sessionIds)
324      .map(id => byIdRow.get(id)!)
325      .filter(s => s.title && restamp(s.title, s.lastActivityAt) !== s.title)
326      .slice(0, STAMP_BATCH)
327    for (const s of stale) {
328      try {
329        await call(SESSIONS, 'set_session_title', { session_id: s.sessionId, title: restamp(s.title!, s.lastActivityAt) })
330        stamped++
331      } catch {}
332    }
333
334    const extra = owned.splice(slots.length)
335    for (const id of extra) await call(SIDEBAR, 'delete_section', { section_id: id })
336    await $.store.set('slots', owned)
337
338    const line = `order: ${slots.map(s => s.name).join(' | ')}; renamed ${renamed}, moved ${moved}, removed ${extra.length}, hidden ${hidden}, restored ${restored}, stamped ${stamped}`
339    if (renamed || moved || extra.length || hidden || restored || stamped) await log(line)
340    return line
341  } catch (err) {
342    const line = `skipped: ${String(err).slice(0, 300)}`
343    await log(line)
344    return line
345  }
346}
347
348/** /show-folder: lists the hidden folders, or brings back the ones matching `query` for a day. */
349export async function showFolder($: EngineInterface, query: string): Promise<string> {
350  const hiddenFolders = ((await $.store.get('hidden')) as Hidden | undefined) ?? {}
351  const labels = Object.keys(hiddenFolders)
352  const q = query.trim().toLowerCase()
353  if (!q) {
354    return labels.length === 0
355      ? 'No hidden folders.'
356      : `Hidden folders:\n${labels.map(l => `- ${l}`).join('\n')}\n\nBring one back: /${COMMAND} <name>`
357  }
358
359  const matched = labels.filter(l => l.toLowerCase().includes(q))
360  if (matched.length === 0) return `No hidden folder matches "${query.trim()}". List them: /${COMMAND}`
361
362  const now = await $.clock.now()
363  const shownUntil = ((await $.store.get('shownUntil')) as Record<string, number> | undefined) ?? {}
364  let back = 0
365  for (const label of matched) {
366    const { folder, ids } = hiddenFolders[label]
367    for (const id of ids) {
368      const r = (await $.mcp.call(SESSIONS, 'unarchive_session', { session_id: id })) as Result
369      if (!r.isError) back++
370    }
371    shownUntil[folder] = now + HIDE_AFTER_DAYS * DAY
372    delete hiddenFolders[label]
373  }
374  await $.store.set('shownUntil', shownUntil)
375  await $.store.set('hidden', hiddenFolders)
376  await $.store.set('leaseUntil', 0)
377  await sync($)
378  return `Back in the sidebar: ${matched.join(', ')} (${back} sessions). It hides again after a working day without it.`
379}
380
381export const register: Register = on => {
382  on('session.start', async ($, e, next) => {
383    const started = await next(e)
384    const home = homeOf(e.cwd)
385    logFile = home ? `${home}/.claude/focus-sidebar.log` : null
386    await $.command.register({
387      name: COMMAND,
388      description: 'Bring a hidden folder back to the sidebar (no name: list hidden folders)',
389      argumentHint: '[folder]',
390    })
391    $.clock.after(FIRST_RUN_MS, () => void sync($))
392    $.clock.every(PERIOD_MS, () => void sync($))
393    return started
394  })
395
396  on('turn.complete', async ($, e, next) => {
397    const done = await next(e)
398    $.clock.after(AFTER_TURN_MS, () => void sync($))
399    return done
400  })
401
402  on('command.run', { command: COMMAND }, async ($, e) => ({ text: await showFolder($, e.args) }))
403}
404