Aura Start 2.1.1 user guide

Getting Started

Aura Start replaces your browser new tab page with clean nested groups of links. It works locally by default and does not require an account.

Install Aura Start

Install from the Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome or a compatible Chromium browser, or use Firefox Add-ons for Firefox 142 or newer. This guide describes version 2.1.1; store availability may differ. For a local source build, follow these steps:

Open the Aura Start repository on GitHub.
Follow the build instructions in the README.
For Chrome or Chromium testing, open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, and load the generated Chrome build folder.
For Firefox testing, use about:debugging and load the generated Firefox build manifest. This is a temporary installation; use the signed store package for normal persistent use.

Firefox homepage and new windows

Starting with 2.1.1, Aura Start also provides Firefox's homepage, used by new windows and the Home button. Approve Firefox's change prompt if one appears. You can review or change the homepage in Firefox Settings under Home (or Home and startup). Choosing to reopen previous windows and tabs still restores your previous session; Aura Start does not change that preference. Chromium builds continue to replace only the new tab page.

Choose how to start

On first run, Aura Start can start fresh, restore an accessible existing Google Drive sync file, import from A Fine Start, or import a ZIP or JSON backup file. If you choose Google Drive restore and no sync file exists, Aura Start shows a clear error and leaves local data unchanged.

Demo groups are available from the empty state after explicit user action. Aura Start does not add demo data automatically.

Create groups and links

Create groups for areas like Work, Reading, Tools, or Research.
Create nested groups when one level of structure helps, such as Research -> Deep dives.
Add links with titles, URLs, optional descriptions, and optional tags.
Use edit mode when you want to reorder groups or links with drag and drop, including moving a group into or out of a parent group.
Use compact mode or configurable columns when you want a denser layout.

Find links quickly

Search can match link title, URL, description, and tags. It uses fuzzy matching for small typos, keeps parent groups visible when a nested child matches, shows result counts, and can be narrowed with quick filters.

Command Palette is available from the Aura Start UI. Ctrl+K or Cmd+K opens it when the browser assigns that extension shortcut to Aura Start. Review shortcut conflicts at chrome://extensions/shortcuts in Chromium or Manage Extension Shortcuts in Firefox's Add-ons Manager. Letter shortcuts use physical key codes, so they continue to work on Latin and Cyrillic keyboard layouts when focus is inside the Aura Start page.

Save open tabs

If the Save open tabs feature is enabled in Settings, Aura Start can preview tabs from the current window and save them into a new group. It asks for the optional tabs permission at runtime, filters duplicates and unsupported browser pages, and creates a restore point before saving.

Personalize the page

Choose a light, dark, or system theme and one of seven interface languages. Set an automatic or one-to-six-column layout, compact mode, and whether links open in a new tab. Settings also include built-in background images, custom local background upload, blur, dim, and positioning controls. Your saved custom image also syncs to connected devices when Google Drive sync is enabled. Optional widgets can show a header clock, Markdown notes with optional Google Drive sync, a Pomodoro timer, and Countdown with a customizable completion sound. All widgets are off by default.

Notes, Clock, and Pomodoro

Clock appears in the header. Notes saves text as you edit, up to 12,000 characters; switch to its preview for headings, bullet lists, bold, italics, and inline code. This is a small Markdown subset. Hiding Notes keeps its saved text, and changes still sync when Drive is connected. Concurrent edits to the same note resolve to one value; text is not combined character by character. Check Restore Timeline for a recovery point if a remote update or another open editor replaced your text.

Pomodoro alternates focus and break periods, with durations of 5–90 and 1–30 minutes. Its active session belongs to the open page and resets on reload. Its settings can sync; use Countdown for an alarm and a timer that survives a reload.

Use Countdown

Enable Countdown in Settings, choose a duration from 1 second to 24 hours, then start, pause, resume, or reset it. The built-in completion signal has volume control and can be replaced with your own audio file. Files up to 20 MiB are prepared locally; Aura Start keeps the original and uses a portable WAV copy of its first 60 seconds for playback. WAV, MP3, Ogg, FLAC, AAC/M4A, AIFF, WMA, and many other formats are supported by browser audio or a packaged fallback decoder. Unsupported, protected, or damaged files leave your previous sound intact.

Keep the widget enabled and an Aura Start page open for its signal; a background tab works subject to browser scheduling. Sleep or suspension can delay playback, and the timer does not sound while every Aura Start page is closed. Reloading retains the local countdown, shared between this profile's Aura Start tabs. Browser audio restrictions may require pressing Play signal after reopening. When Google Drive sync is enabled, timer preferences and the selected audio sync to other devices even while the widget is hidden; the active countdown remains local. Full Backup ZIP v2 includes only the currently selected original sound file; playback is rebuilt on import, and other historical sounds are omitted.

Keep backups

Use Export / Backup regularly if your start page contains important links. Full Backup ZIP contains links, settings, notes, Restore Points, background files, and the selected original custom alarm sound. Settings and links only (JSON) keeps links, settings, notes, and history without image or audio files. Older 2.0.5 JSON backups remain importable, but did not contain notes text or the actual background image. See Export / Backup.

Import preview offers Merge or Replace. Merge adds groups and links while retaining current settings and notes; Replace restores the backup's setup. Both protect the current state with a local restore point and keep this installation's Drive connection. A synchronized import also reaches your other connected devices.

Connect other devices

Google Drive sync is off by default and needs your explicit connection. Update every installation to 2.1.1, then connect the same Google account in Settings. Groups, links, settings, notes, the saved background image, and the selected Countdown sound share one aura-start-sync.json in normal Google Drive. Connected pages that are visible and online check for changes about every five seconds; background checks continue about once a minute while the browser runs. Network and browser scheduling can delay delivery. The running timer and Restore Timeline stay local. See Google Drive Sync for migration, reconnecting, and cloud deletion.

Aura Start uses local storage and an alarm permission for connected background sync; Chromium builds also use identity for Google sign-in. Save open tabs requests optional tabs access only when used. Custom backgrounds, sound preparation, and backups require no additional browser permission. The Privacy Policy explains Google API host access and the data transferred after connection.

Firefox may ask you to approve optional data collection when connecting Drive, separately from Google's sign-in prompt. The declared categories cover saved links and synchronization metadata sent to your Google Drive. Local use requires no data collection; Aura Start does not read browsing history or add analytics.