Inoreader Unread Count Badge by Folder

WHAT IT DOES

Inoreader Unread Count Badge by Folder reads unread article counts from the Inoreader sidebar and adds persistent, color-coded badges directly to folder and subscription names. Each badge displays the exact number of unread articles, making it easy to see which folders and feeds need attention at a glance. Badges are color-coded by urgency—red for high counts (over 20), orange for medium (5-20), and blue for low (1-4). Zero counts can be shown as a subtle indicator or hidden entirely. A statistics panel shows total unread articles, the number of folders with unread items, and the number of subscriptions with unread items. Badges update automatically as you read articles, providing real-time feedback. A refresh button lets you manually update all badges at any time.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension works on all Inoreader pages at inoreader.com and its subdomains, specifically on the main reader view where the sidebar folders and subscriptions are displayed. It runs on the homepage, the folder view, and any page showing the folder tree. The extension operates entirely within your browser and does not access Inoreader's servers directly—it reads only what is visible on the page you are viewing. It works alongside the free BotGentz extension, which provides the necessary scripting environment.

HOW TO USE

Install the extension, then navigate to inoreader.com and open your reader. The extension automatically scans the sidebar and adds unread count badges to all folders and subscriptions. Click the extension's icon in your browser toolbar to open the settings panel. Use the "Refresh Badges" button to manually update all counts. Choose the badge color using the dropdown menu—default (context-aware), blue, purple, red, green, or orange. Toggle "Show zero counts" to control whether folders and subscriptions with no unread articles show a zero badge or remain unbadged. The "Update interval" setting lets you control how often badges auto-refresh. The stats panel displays total unread articles, folder counts, and subscription counts.

DOM OBSERVER WITH DEBOUNCED MUTATION HANDLING

Unlike simple periodic scrapers, this extension uses a MutationObserver with a debounced callback to detect DOM changes in the Inoreader sidebar. Inoreader dynamically updates folder and subscription elements as articles are read, feeds refresh, and the user navigates. The observer monitors the entire sidebar subtree for additions, removals, and attribute changes. When a change is detected, the callback is debounced to prevent excessive re-rendering, allowing the extension to batch updates together and apply badges efficiently. This approach catches every update—whether triggered by reading articles, marking items as read, or feed updates—and re-applies badges automatically without manual intervention or page reloads. The debounce window of 500 milliseconds ensures smooth performance even during rapid changes.

THE PANEL

The panel supports drag-to-move anywhere on the page. It remembers its position per site, so it stays where you placed it on inoreader.com. Click the panel header to collapse it down to just the minimized bubble, or click the expand handle to show the full panel. The panel can be resized by dragging the bottom-right corner. Press the Escape key to close the expanded panel and return to the minimized state. All panel settings, including position, size, collapsed state, badge color, zero count visibility, and update interval, are saved per site and persist across browsing sessions.

PLEASE NOTE

This extension requires the free BotGentz extension to be installed and active, as it provides the underlying DOM injection and script execution environment. Inoreader's website changes periodically, and sidebar element structures, class names, and data attributes may be updated. When that happens, the extension may stop detecting unread counts until an update is released. The extension stores your badge color preference, zero count toggle, update interval, and other settings locally in your browser's storage using GM_setValue. No data is ever sent to any server, and no personal information is collected. The extension does not read or store your Inoreader login credentials, email, or any identifying information. It only reads unread count numbers from the page. You can clear all stored settings at any time by clearing your browser data for inoreader.com.