Aura Start

A local-first, private, exportable start page for your browser new tab.

Aura Start replaces the browser new tab page with clean groups of links, local-first storage, and export-first data ownership. Create nested groups, save links, search by title, URL, description, and tags with fuzzy matching, optionally save current-window tabs after an explicit runtime tabs permission prompt, and move faster with Command Palette, a visible palette button, and browser-assigned keyboard shortcuts that handle Latin and Cyrillic keyboard layouts where implemented. Aura Start includes optional background images, lightweight widgets for clock, notes, and Pomodoro, Import from A Fine Start export codes, Full Backup JSON, Browser Bookmarks HTML, Markdown, CSV, and A Fine Start-compatible export code. Restore Timeline helps protect destructive actions, and Duplicate Finder scans local links read-only before any user-confirmed deletion. Aura Start has no required account, no analytics, no tracking, no ads, and no backend. Optional Google Drive backup/sync is off by default. Google Chrome uses the hidden Google Drive appDataFolder scope for Aura Start's own `aura-start-sync.json` file; compatible fallback builds use Device OAuth with `drive.file` only for Aura Start's own sync file. After the user connects Google Drive, local changes are backed up automatically. On first run, users can also restore an existing Aura Start Drive sync file; if no file exists, Aura Start shows a clear error and leaves local data unchanged. Aura Start is open-source under the MIT License. It is an independent project and is not affiliated with A Fine Start. Feature Bullets: - Organize links into clean nested groups - Search by title, URL, description, tags, supported query modifiers, and fuzzy matches - Customize the start page with built-in or local background images - Optional widgets: clock, Markdown notes, and Pomodoro timer - Optionally save current window tabs into a new group after explicit tabs permission approval - Import from A Fine Start export codes - Export Full Backup JSON, Browser Bookmarks HTML, Markdown, CSV, and A Fine Start-compatible code - Restore Timeline before destructive actions - Command Palette, visible UI access, and browser-assigned keyboard shortcuts - Duplicate Finder with read-only scan and user-confirmed deletion - Optional Google Drive backup with automatic sync after connection - No account, no analytics, no tracking - Open-source under the MIT License What's new in 2.0.1 - Fixed bookmark group drag-and-drop so groups keep their new position after being dropped. - Fixed reordering groups upward, downward, and between nested group levels. - Fixed order normalization so saved group order is no longer reverted during the save cycle. - Improved migration handling for older data where top-level groups did not yet have parentId set. - Fixed Chromium/Helium Manifest V3 compatibility by removing Firefox-only background.scripts from Chromium builds. - Added release validation guards to prevent Chromium and Firefox background manifest formats from being mixed again.