Getting Started: Scholar
For: People who use AI tools daily and want a searchable memory of their conversations. Setup time: 5 minutes. What you need: Chrome browser. At least one AI tool (Claude.ai or ChatGPT).
What you get
The Scholar tier gives you:
- Full-text search across every conversation you have with Claude or ChatGPT
- A ⌘K overlay that works directly on AI chat pages
- A side panel for browsing, filtering, and tagging your history
- Local storage: your data stays on your machine, in your browser
No accounts. No cloud sync. No API keys. Just install and use.
Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Browser | Chrome 120+ (or any Chromium-based browser: Brave, Arc, Edge) |
| AI platform | Claude.ai and/or ChatGPT |
| Desktop app | Optional: enhances search but not required |
Installation
loci is in developer preview. The Chrome Web Store listing is pending review. For now, install from source.
Step 1: Get the extension files
Download or clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/huximaxi/Loci.git
cd LociOr download the ZIP from GitHub and extract it.
TIP
Full installation instructions with screenshots: INSTALL.md on GitHub
Step 2: Load in Chrome developer mode
- Open Chrome and navigate to
chrome://extensions - Enable Developer mode (toggle in the top-right corner)
- Click Load unpacked
- Select the
extension/folder inside the cloned repository - The loci icon appears in your toolbar
Step 3: Pin the extension
Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar. Find loci and click the pin icon. This keeps the extension icon visible for quick access to the side panel.
First use
Automatic indexing
Visit claude.ai or chat.openai.com. loci detects the page and begins indexing automatically.
The extension reads conversation turns as they appear: your messages and the AI's responses. It extracts:
- Conversation title (auto-generated from your first message)
- Message content (full text)
- Timestamp
- Platform identifier
WARNING
loci does not retroactively index conversations that happened before installation. It captures new activity from the moment you install. A future release will support importing conversation exports.
Visual indicator
A small pulse animation appears on the loci toolbar icon when indexing is active. The badge shows the total indexed conversation count.
The ⌘K overlay
Press ⌘K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) on any supported AI chat page to open the search overlay.
Searching
Type any word, phrase, or fragment. loci searches:
- Conversation titles
- Full message content
- Tags you have applied
Results appear as you type. Each result shows:
| Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Platform icon | Claude or ChatGPT logo |
| Date | When the conversation happened |
| Title | First line of your first message |
| Excerpt | Matched text with highlighted keywords |
Keyboard navigation
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
↑ / ↓ | Move through results |
Enter | Open the selected conversation in a new tab |
Tab | Move to tag filter chips |
Esc | Close the overlay |
Filtering by tag
Type #tagname to filter results to conversations with that tag. Or use the tag chips displayed at the top of the overlay: click a chip to toggle the filter.
The side panel
Click the loci icon in your toolbar to open the side panel. The panel provides a full conversation browser.
Panel sections
Search bar: same full-text search as the overlay, but with more screen space for results.
Tag filters: a list of all tags you have created. Click to filter. Click again to clear.
Conversation list: chronologically sorted. Each entry shows platform, date, title, and tags.
Conversation detail: click any entry to expand it and see message excerpts.
Sorting options
Use the dropdown at the top of the conversation list:
- Most recent: default
- Oldest first
- By platform
- By tag count
Tagging a conversation
Tags help you organise conversations by project, topic, or status.
From the side panel
- Open the side panel
- Click any conversation to expand it
- Type in the tag input field at the top of the detail view
- Press Enter to add the tag
From the overlay
- Press ⌘K
- Search for the conversation
- Hover over a result and click the tag icon
- Enter the tag name
Tags are stored locally in IndexedDB. They sync to the desktop app if installed.
TIP
Use hierarchical tags for organisation: project/loci, status/done, topic/architecture. The / is just a naming convention: loci treats it as a single tag string.
Privacy
loci is designed for local-first, private operation.
What gets stored
| Data | Location | Encrypted |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation index | Browser IndexedDB | No (local only) |
| Search index | Browser IndexedDB | No (local only) |
| Tags | Browser IndexedDB | No (local only) |
| Config | ~/.loci/config.json (if desktop app installed) | No |
What never happens
- No accounts: loci has no sign-in, no user profile, no registration
- No network calls: the extension makes zero external requests
- No telemetry: no usage tracking, analytics, or crash reporting
- No cloud storage: your data exists only on your machine
Deleting your data
Option 1: Uninstall the extension Removing the extension deletes all IndexedDB data automatically.
Option 2: Clear extension data Right-click the loci icon → Manage extension → Clear data.
Option 3: Delete specific conversations Open the side panel → find the conversation → click the trash icon.
Supported platforms
| Platform | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Claude.ai | Supported | Full indexing |
| ChatGPT (chat.openai.com) | Supported | Full indexing |
| Gemini | Planned | v0.2 |
| Perplexity | Planned | v0.3 |
| Custom endpoints | LLMAGE tier | Requires MCP setup |
Troubleshooting
Extension not indexing conversations
Symptom: You visit Claude.ai or ChatGPT but the badge count does not increase.
Solutions:
- Reload the page: the content script activates on page load
- Check that developer mode is still enabled at
chrome://extensions - Verify the extension is loaded (not greyed out or showing errors)
- Check the console (
⌘+Option+J) for error messages from the content script
Search returns no results
Symptom: You search for text you know exists but get "No results."
Solutions:
- Ensure you have had at least one conversation after installing the extension
- Wait a few seconds: indexing is not instantaneous
- Try a simpler query: start with one word
- Check the side panel to verify conversations are appearing in the list
⌘K overlay does not open
Symptom: Pressing ⌘K does nothing on AI chat pages.
Solutions:
- Make sure you are on a supported platform (claude.ai or chat.openai.com)
- Check for conflicts with other extensions that use ⌘K
- Try clicking the loci toolbar icon to verify the extension is active
- Reload the extension from
chrome://extensions
Side panel is blank
Symptom: You click the toolbar icon but the panel shows nothing.
Solutions:
- Close and reopen the panel
- Check IndexedDB storage: DevTools → Application → IndexedDB → look for
loci-*databases - Reinstall the extension if the database is corrupted
Tags not saving
Symptom: You add a tag but it disappears on page reload.
Solutions:
- Check IndexedDB quota: Chrome may be blocking writes if storage is full
- Clear browser cache and retry
- Report the issue on GitHub with console logs
Next steps
- Read the architecture overview to understand how loci stores and searches
- Consider upgrading to Wizard tier for rooms, crystals, and MCP integration
- Join the discussion on GitHub Issues