Backref

Turn bug-tracker IDs in GitHub code comments, PR/issue descriptions and comments, and commit messages into clickable links.

Backref turns bug-tracker IDs scattered across GitHub into clickable links straight to your issue tracker. No more copy-pasting an ID into Linear, Jira, or your internal tool — every reference becomes a one-click jump. WHAT GETS LINKED • Code comments (line and block) • PR and issue descriptions • Conversation and inline review comments • Commit titles and bodies • Already-linked text is left alone HOW IT WORKS Define rules in the options page — each rule is a regular expression plus a link template. The regex `\b[A-Z]+-[0-9]+\b` paired with the template `https://linear.app/your-org/issue/{id}/` turns every "BUG-123" on the page into a Linear ticket link. You can add as many rules as you like, and each rule can be scoped to specific hosts — so you can link Linear IDs on GitHub, Zendesk IDs on Linear, and anything else you want, all from one extension. WHY INSTALL • Faster context switching between code and tickets — the link is always there, no manual searching. • Works alongside AI tools: when your AI assistant leaves comments like "// TODO(BUG-123)", those references become instantly navigable for both humans and the next AI session that needs ticket context. • Self-hosted GitHub Enterprise and other Git forges work too — just add the host in settings. PRIVACY Backref runs entirely in your browser. It does not send any data anywhere — your configuration and the page contents stay local. The source is open at https://github.com/alessiob-riverside/backref. FOR ORGANIZATIONS Backref supports Chrome Enterprise managed storage. IT pushes the regex and tracker URL once via policy, and every employee gets the same setup with zero manual configuration. Per-rule host scoping and lock flags are supported.