Beads tracks work close to the code, but a terminal is not always the best place to scan multiple projects or show progress to a teammate. I wanted a browser view that works with the existing tracker instead of creating another source of truth.
Built a Next.js interface with shadcn/ui and Tailwind, backed by thin routes over the Beads CLI. Project discovery separates repositories from linked worktrees; optional GitHub mirrors read checked-in issue exports without pushing changes back.
Follow the Beads event journal and push updates to open boards, with polling when streams are unavailable. Server-mode projects can use the bd serve HTTP API instead of starting a CLI process for each read. Cloudflare tunnels let teammates view a board without installing the tool.
Packaged the standalone server as the view-beads npm CLI, with Nix support and Vitest/Playwright test workflows. Independent open-source tooling, not an official Beads product.