bb-plugin-sidebar-filter

A bb plugin that replaces the sidebar thread list with a project-grouped version that hides projects without active threads.

If you work across many projects, the built-in sidebar (in its "project" organization mode) shows every project as a collapsible row — including projects whose threads are all archived. This list drops those rows entirely, so the sidebar only shows projects that actually have something in them.

Screenshots

The sidebar with sidebar-filter enabled: project groups, collapsed where idle.

Install

bb plugin install path:path/to/bb-plugin-sidebar-filter
# or
bb plugin install https://github.com/slogsdon/bb-plugin-sidebar-filter

Enable

The sidebar list slot is exclusive and opt-in per client:

1. Open Settings → Appearance → Sidebar.
2. Choose Sidebar Project Filter from the list provider picker.

Until you pick it, the built-in list stays. If the plugin is disabled or crashes, bb falls back to the built-in list automatically.

Configuration

bb plugin config sidebar-filter set hideEmptyProjects true
bb plugin config sidebar-filter set activeMode exists   # or running

| Setting | Default | Meaning | | ------------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | hideEmptyProjects | true | Hide projects with no matching threads. false shows them all. | | activeMode | exists | exists — non-archived thread counts. running — only threads currently running (indicator runtime or live workflows/background agents/goals/plan mode). |

What the list does

• One collapsible row per project, in bb's project order; a project appears only when it has matching threads.
• Pinned threads in their own Pinned section on top, like the built-in list.
• Live updates: projects appear/disappear as threads start, finish, or are archived — no refresh.
• Keyboard support (thread.next / thread.previous / numbered shortcuts) via the host's data-sidebar-thread-* contract.
• Middle-click opens a thread in a split; hover shows the split-drag affordance.
• The host search field filters rows (and projects) live.
• Click a thread row's three-dot button or right-click the row for a menu: pin/unpin, mark read/unread, rename, copy thread ID, archive, and delete (through bb's own confirmation flow).

What it deliberately leaves out

• The New-thread/search row, plugin nav rows, and footer stay host-rendered (bb's thread-list contract forbids plugins from touching them).
• No "chronological sections" or "machine" organization modes — the list is project-organized only. If you want sections, this plugin is not it.
• Child threads render flat inside their project (indented hierarchy is built-in-list behavior; this list keeps it simple).
• The collapse state of project rows persists per client (localStorage).

How it works

• Backend (server.ts): declares the two settings above. Nothing else.
• Frontend (app.tsx): registers the exclusive experimental_threadList slot and renders experimental_useSidebarThreads() data — the exact same live cache the built-in list uses — filtered by the settings.

Development

bb plugin dev    # rebuild + reload on save
bb plugin build .   # emit dist/

Reference: examples/plugins/t3sidebar in the bb repo — the canonical sidebar thread-list replacement.