How it works
How RepoLens turns a repo page into a verdict — and the three ways to connect a model, in plain language.
RepoLens is a browser extension that answers one question on any GitHub, GitLab, npm, or PyPI page: should I use this, and what am I signing up for? You click once; it reads the repo, asks an AI model you've connected, and opens a tab that leads with the answer — not the README's sales pitch.
No account. No server. No telemetry. Your keys and your library live in your browser.
A scan, step by step
- Click the RepoLens icon on a repo page.
- It reads the public README and metadata (file counts, language, stars, license…).
- It asks the model you connected to weigh that evidence.
- It opens a verdict — a fit call (strong / solid / care / risky), a one-line bottom line, the flags worth knowing, and where to start.
- The result is saved locally to a searchable library you own.
Want the deeper, measured version (real dependency graph, tests, secret scan)? That's the optional runner, used by Deep Dive.
Connecting a model — three ways
RepoLens never ships a key. You bring a model, and there are three shapes that fit different needs:
| Way | What it means | Best when… |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in (OAuth) | One click; you approve it on the vendor's site, no key to copy. Available for Grok, OpenRouter, and OpenAI (Sign in with ChatGPT). | The vendor supports third-party OAuth and you'd rather not handle a key. |
| API key | Paste a key from the vendor's console. Works for every provider — Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Groq, and ~20 more. | You already have a key, or the vendor doesn't offer OAuth (e.g. Claude is API-key only). |
| Local | Point at Ollama on localhost. No key, no cloud, no cost. | You want it free and private — the AI step never leaves your machine. |
Why is Claude API-key only? Anthropic binds Claude Pro/Max subscription logins to its own Claude Code app (and, as of 2026, prohibits subscription sign-in in third-party tools). The only way to "fix" that would be to impersonate Claude Code — which violates Anthropic's terms and can get your account banned. So RepoLens connects Claude with a Console API key (
sk-ant-api…) and leaves the spoofing alone. OpenAI, by contrast, offers a supported sign-in — which is why the ChatGPT login exists.
Pick one and you're scanning. See Models for the full provider list and per-vendor recommendations.
One key is enough: the smart fallback chain
You don't have to connect everything. Whatever you connect joins a fallback chain — RepoLens tries providers in order and drops to the next if one errors or isn't set up, so a single key (or a local Ollama) is plenty.
The highest provider in that order that's connected becomes your primary; the rest are automatic backups. Any compatible provider you add (OpenAI, DeepSeek, a local Ollama…) joins as a fallback too.
Want finer control? A scan is really eight parts (core scan, Deep Dive, Versus, …), and you can route each part to a different model — heavy judgment to a big model, bulk re-tagging to a cheap fast one. Each routed part still falls back to the chain, so it can't dead-end.
Run it for $0
Two genuinely-free paths, both first-class:
- Local Ollama — install Ollama, run a model, and RepoLens does the AI step on your own machine. No key, no bill, fully private.
- Gemini's free tier — paste a free Google AI Studio key.
(Only the AI step is local with Ollama — RepoLens still reads the public repo page over the network.)
When RepoLens earns its place
- Evaluating a dependency — "is this library maintained, sane, and worth the lock-in?" before you
npm install. - Triaging a list — scan ten alternatives; the verdict chips + library let you sort by fit at a glance.
- Onboarding to a codebase — Deep Dive walks the core concepts in plain English.
- Comparing two tools — Versus puts them head-to-head on the dimensions that matter.
- Due diligence — license, health signals, and a secret scan in one place.
Roadmap
Where this is heading. Ideas and directions, not promises — and the order will follow what's actually useful.
| Idea | What it would do | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cost preview | Estimate tokens/$ for a scan before you run it. | Exploring |
| Free-starter onboarding | First-run flow that points you straight at Ollama or Gemini's free tier. | Likely next |
| Library sync | Optional shared/synced store so your library follows you across machines (the storage layer already has the seam for it). | Designing |
| Streaming verdicts | Render the verdict as it generates instead of waiting for the whole response. | Considering |
| More one-click sign-ins | Add OAuth for any vendor that ships supported third-party OAuth. | Ongoing |
| Team libraries | Share a curated, annotated library with a team. | Idea |
Have a request? RepoLens is meant to be hackable — see Getting started to run it locally.