The Complete Ikizen Setup Guide: Transform Your Browser Into a Productivity Powerhouse

The Complete Ikizen Setup Guide

You've installed Ikizen. Now what?

Ikizen transforms your browser's new tab page from a distraction gateway into a focused productivity dashboard. But with so many features available, it can be hard to know where to start.

This guide walks you through every Ikizen feature, from the basics to advanced configurations. Whether you prefer the guided onboarding wizard or want to set things up manually, you'll find everything you need here.

Each section covers a specific feature with step-by-step instructions, pro tips, and best practices. Feel free to jump to the sections that interest you most. You don't need to set up everything at once.

Getting Started

Installation

Ikizen is available for:

Chrome: Install from the Chrome Web Store
Firefox: Install from Firefox Add-ons

First Launch

When you open a new tab for the first time after installing Ikizen, you'll see a welcome screen with three options to get started:

Guided Setup: An AI-powered onboarding wizard that asks about your work style, productivity goals, and habits, then generates a personalized dashboard tailored to you.
Load Example Dashboard: Instantly creates a starter dashboard with four widgets (Tracking, Links, Goals, and Inspiration) pre-filled with example content you can customize.
Add Your First Widget: Skip the setup entirely and hand-pick individual widgets to build your dashboard from scratch.

The Dashboard Interface

The header bar gives you quick access to key controls:

Time display: Current time, always visible
Privacy mode toggle: Hide sensitive information (eye icon)
Edit mode: Rearrange and resize widgets (lock icon)
User menu: Account settings, sync options, and preferences

Setting Up the Links Widget

The Links widget gives you one-click access to your most-used websites, without the distraction of a traditional bookmarks bar.

Adding Links

Click the + button on the Links widget (or the "Add links" button if empty)
Enter the link details:
- Title: Display name (e.g., "Gmail")
- URL: Full web address (e.g., "https://mail.google.com")
- Letters: A 2-character code shown on the tile (e.g., "GM")
Click Save to add the link

Keyboard Shortcuts

Links support keyboard shortcuts for lightning-fast access:

Cmd/Ctrl + 1-9: Open links 1-9 in the current tab
Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + 1-9: Open links 1-9 in a new tab

Links are numbered based on their position, so reordering changes the shortcuts.

Organizing Your Links

Click the Edit button (pencil icon) in the widget header
Drag and drop links to reorder them
Click the edit button again or press Escape to exit edit mode

To edit a link's details, click on it while in edit mode. To remove a link, click the × that appears.

Pro Tips

Use meaningful 2-letter codes: GM for Gmail, GH for GitHub, TD for Todoist. These become muscle memory.
Limit your links: Stick to 6-9 links you use daily. More than that defeats the purpose.
Avoid distraction sites: Don't add social media or news sites here. That's what blocking is for.

Setting Up the Goals Widget

The Goals widget keeps your focus areas visible every time you open a new tab. No more forgetting what you're working toward.

Adding Goals

Click + on the Goals widget
Enter your goal text (e.g., "Launch the product by March")
Select an icon from the picker (30 options to choose from)
Click Add to save

Choosing Icons

Icons help you quickly identify goals at a glance. Choose ones that resonate:

🚀 Rocket for launch goals
💪 Fitness for health goals
📚 Book for learning goals
❤️ Heart for relationship goals
🎯 Target for achievement goals

Organizing Goals

Enter edit mode (pencil icon)
Drag goals to reorder by priority
Click on a goal to edit its text or icon
Click the × to remove a goal

Best Practices

Keep it focused: 3-5 active goals is a good target. More than that dilutes your focus.
Be specific: "Exercise 3x per week" beats "Get healthier"
Update regularly: Review and refresh your goals weekly or monthly
Use action words: "Complete", "Launch", "Finish", "Build"

Setting Up the Tracking Widget

The Tracking widget helps you build habits through visual progress and streaks. Track anything: water intake, exercise, reading, meditation.

Adding Trackers

Click + on the Tracking widget
Enter tracker details:
- Name: What you're tracking (e.g., "Water (glasses)")
- Target: Your daily goal (e.g., "8")
- Icon: Choose a visual identifier
Click Add to save

Daily Tracking

Each tracker shows a slider you can drag to update your progress:

Drag the slider to set your current count
The progress bar fills as you approach your target

When all trackers are complete, you'll see a celebration animation.

Understanding Streaks

Streaks reward consistency:

Complete all trackers within a period to extend your streak
If you complete a period without hitting all targets, your streak resets to zero
Your best streak is saved for motivation

Click Complete [Period] when you're done for the day/week/month. This:

Records your progress in history
Updates your streak if all targets were met
Resets trackers for the next period

The Statistics Panel

Click the stats icon to see:

Current streak: How many consecutive periods you've completed
Best streak: Your all-time record
Completion rate: Percentage of periods where all targets were met
Activity grid: Visual history of your progress (like GitHub's contribution graph)

Pro Tips

Start small: Begin with 2-3 habits you want to build
Make targets achievable: Better to exceed easy goals than fail hard ones
Track leading indicators: Track actions (exercise), not outcomes (weight)
Review weekly: Check your stats to identify patterns

Setting Up the Quotes Widget

The Quotes widget displays inspirational quotes to keep you motivated throughout the day.

How It Works

The widget displays your collection of quotes on your dashboard. When you first add the widget, click Load example quotes to populate it with a curated set of motivational quotes from Steve Jobs, Einstein, Churchill, and others.

Privacy Note

Unlike other widgets, the Quotes widget stays visible in privacy mode. Inspirational quotes are considered safe to show even when screen-sharing or in public spaces.

Setting Up the Inspiration Widget

The Inspiration widget displays your personal vision board: images that remind you of your "why" with optional text overlays.

Uploading Images

Click + on the Inspiration widget
Select an image file from your computer
Add optional overlay text
Choose text position and alignment
Click Save

File size limit: 1MB for guests, 15MB for logged-in users.

Adding Text Overlays

Each image can have motivational text overlaid on it:

Enter your text in the input field
The text appears on top of your image
Great for quotes, mantras, or reminders

Text Positioning

Position your text overlay precisely:

Vertical position:

Top of the image
Bottom of the image

Horizontal alignment:

Left
Center
Right

Keyboard Shortcuts (Edit Mode)

When hovering over an image in edit mode:

Arrow Up: Move text to top
Arrow Down: Move text to bottom
Arrow Left: Align text left
Arrow Right: Align text right
C: Center text

Layout Options

In widget settings, enable "Expand to fill space" to make images take up more of the widget area.

Pro Tips

Use images that fire you up: Photos of your goals, dream destinations, or role models
Keep text concise: Short phrases work better than paragraphs
Mix it up: Add multiple images and swipe through them
Consider contrast: Light text on dark images (or vice versa) for readability

Setting Up the Life Left Widget

The Life Left widget (memento mori) provides perspective on time. It's a powerful motivator that helps you prioritize what truly matters.

Initial Setup

Open widget settings
Enter your birth date
Set your life expectancy (default: 78 years)
Choose your preferred visualization mode

Visualization Modes

Progress Bar: A simple linear bar showing how much of your expected life has passed. Clear and direct.

Time Units: See your remaining time in different units:

Years left
Months left
Weeks left
Days left

Perspective: Contextual messages that put your remaining time in relatable terms:

"Enough time to watch a child grow up twice"
"Time to master 15 new skills"
"~45 more vacations with loved ones"

Ticker: A countdown with pulse animation. Updates every minute to remind you that time is always ticking.

Advanced Calculation (Optional)

For a more personalized estimate, switch to Calculated mode and enter:

Gender: Male or Female
Weight: In kg
Height: In cm
Smoking status: Never, Former, or Current
Exercise hours: Weekly average
Alcohol units: Weekly average

The calculation adjusts your life expectancy based on actuarial data and health research.

Simple vs. Calculated Mode

Simple mode: Uses a fixed life expectancy (default 78). Good for most people.
Calculated mode: Estimates based on health factors. More personalized but requires more data.

The Philosophy

This widget isn't meant to be morbid. It's a reminder that:

Time is finite. Use it wisely
Trivial worries matter less in the big picture
The best time to pursue your goals is now

Setting Up the Todoist Integration

The Todoist widget brings your tasks directly into your new tab, keeping your to-do list visible without switching apps.

Getting Your API Key

Log in to Todoist
Go to Settings → Integrations → Developer
Copy your API token

Configuration

Open the Todoist widget settings
Paste your API key
Click Save

Your today and overdue tasks will appear within seconds.

What You'll See

The widget displays:

Today's tasks: Everything due today
Overdue tasks: Anything past its due date
Tasks sorted by priority, then by date

Priority Filtering

Only want to see important tasks? Enable minimum priority filtering:

Set to Priority 1 to only see urgent tasks
Set to Priority 2 to see high and urgent
And so on

Marking Tasks Complete

Click the checkbox next to any task to mark it complete. It syncs back to Todoist immediately.

Caching

Tasks are cached for 5 minutes to keep your new tab fast. The widget refreshes automatically, or click the reload icon on the widget to refresh manually.

Setting Up the Code Activity Widget

The Code Activity widget displays your GitHub and/or Bitbucket contribution history in a familiar grid format, right on your new tab.

GitHub Setup

Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
Click Generate new token (classic)
Give it a name (e.g., "Ikizen")
Select the read:user scope
Generate and copy the token
In Ikizen, open Code Activity widget settings
Enable GitHub and paste your token
Optionally enter your username (auto-detected if not provided)

Bitbucket Setup

Go to Bitbucket Personal settings → API tokens
Create a new API token with read:user:bitbucket and read:repository:bitbucket scopes
Copy the token
In Ikizen, open Code Activity widget settings
Enable Bitbucket and enter:
- API token: The token you just created
- Email: Your Bitbucket account email
- Workspace: (Optional) Limit to a specific workspace

Understanding the Grid

The activity grid shows:

Weeks: Columns from left to right, oldest to newest
Days: Rows from Monday at top to Sunday at bottom
Intensity: Four levels from light (1-2 contributions) to dark (5+ contributions)

Statistics

Below the grid, you'll see:

Current streak: Consecutive days with contributions
Longest streak: Your all-time record
Total contributions: Sum of all activity in the visible period

Caching & Refresh

Activity data is cached for 24 hours since it doesn't change frequently. Click the reload icon on the widget to fetch the latest data manually.

Configuring Site Blocking (Focus Mode)

Site blocking is Ikizen's focus mode. It helps you avoid distracting websites by adding friction or blocking them entirely.

Accessing Block Settings

Click the Ikizen icon in your browser toolbar to open the popup
Scroll to the Blocked Sites section
Click Add Block to create a new rule

Adding a Block

Enter the domain you want to block (e.g., "twitter.com", "reddit.com", "youtube.com"). Don't include "https://" or "www.", just the domain.

Bypass Modes

Choose how strictly you want to block the site:

No bypass (completely blocked): The site is fully inaccessible. You cannot visit it at all during the blocked times.

Click to bypass: A blocking screen appears with your motivation image. One click lets you through. Good for mindless impulse browsing.

Confirm to bypass: You must type a custom phrase to access the site. Creates maximum friction for your worst distractions.

Custom Confirmation Text

When using "Confirm to bypass," set a phrase that makes you pause:

"I am choosing distraction over my goals"
"This will not help me achieve what I want"
"I'm giving up 30 minutes of productive time"

Scheduling Blocks

Not all distractions are equal. You might want to block social media during work hours but allow it in the evening.

Time settings:

Start time: When the block activates (e.g., 09:00)
End time: When the block deactivates (e.g., 17:00)

Day settings:

Select which days the block applies
Uncheck weekends if you want to relax then

Multiple Schedules

You can have multiple timing rules per site. For example:

Block Twitter 9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm (allow lunch break)
Block Reddit weekdays only

Block Images

When a site is blocked, you can display a motivation image from your Inspiration widget. This reminds you why you're focused instead of just showing an error.

In block settings, choose "Block image"
Select from your Inspiration images
Or upload a new image specifically for the block screen

Reminder Notifications

Enable reminders to get periodic nudges when you've bypassed a block. Set any interval in minutes (e.g., 10 minutes for aggressive reminders, 60 for gentle ones). When enabled, the block screen will reappear after the interval has elapsed.

Example Configurations

Social media (maximum friction):

Domain: twitter.com
Mode: Confirm bypass
Text: "I am choosing distraction over my goals"
Schedule: All day, every day

News (work hours only):

Domain: news.ycombinator.com
Mode: Click bypass
Schedule: 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday

Email (controlled access):

Domain: mail.google.com
Mode: No bypass
Schedule: Block 9am-11am and 2pm-4pm (deep work times)

Dashboard Customization

Make Ikizen truly yours by customizing the layout, adding widgets, and adjusting sizes.

Edit Mode

Click the lock icon in the header to enter edit mode. You'll see:

Grid lines appear
Resize handles on widget corners and edges
Widgets become draggable

Press Escape or click the lock icon again to exit.

Moving Widgets

In edit mode:

Click and hold a widget
Drag it to a new position
Release to drop

The grid snaps widgets into alignment automatically.

Resizing Widgets

In edit mode:

Hover over a widget edge or corner
Click and drag to resize
Release when you're happy with the size

Grid System

Ikizen uses a 12-column grid layout. This means:

A widget can be 1-12 columns wide
Widgets can span multiple rows
The grid adapts to your screen size

Adding Widgets

Two ways to add widgets:

From the dashboard: Click "Add more widgets" (if visible)
From settings: Open settings and browse available widgets

Removing Widgets

Open the widget's settings (gear icon)
Scroll to the bottom
Click Remove Widget
Confirm removal

Removed widgets can be re-added later from settings, but their data may be lost.

Privacy Mode

Privacy mode hides sensitive information when you're screen-sharing, presenting, or in a public space.

What Gets Hidden

When privacy mode is active:

✓ Tasks (Todoist widget)
✓ Tracking data and progress
✓ Goals
✓ Links
✓ Inspiration images
✓ Life left visualization

What Stays Visible

✓ Quotes (always visible, considered safe)
✓ Time display
✓ Widget frames and headers

How to Toggle

Click the eye icon in the header to toggle privacy mode on/off. The icon changes to indicate the current state.

Use Cases

Screen sharing: Hide personal tasks during work calls
Presentations: Show your dashboard without exposing goals
Public spaces: Browse safely in coffee shops or co-working spaces

Theme & Appearance

Customize how Ikizen looks.

Theme Options

Light: Bright background, dark text
Dark: Dark background, light text
Auto: Follows your system preference

Where to Change

Click the Ikizen icon to open the popup
Find the Theme section
Select your preference

Cross-Device Sync

With a paid subscription, your theme preference syncs across all your browsers & devices. Change it once, applied everywhere.

Cloud Sync & Data Management

Ikizen works great locally with no account required. All your data is stored in your browser and persists indefinitely.

For users who want more, a paid subscription ($100/year or $300 lifetime) unlocks:

Cross-device sync: Same dashboard on your laptop, desktop, and every browser
Automatic cloud backup: Your settings survive browser reinstalls
Larger image uploads: Upload images up to 15MB (vs 1MB for guests)

Click your user icon in the header (top right) to subscribe.

How Sync Works

Ikizen uses real-time bidirectional replication:

Changes on one device appear on others within seconds
Works even after periods of being offline
Conflicts are resolved automatically

Export/Import

Backup your data manually:

Open the popup → Sync section
Click Export Data
Save the JSON file somewhere safe

To restore:

Click Import Data
Select your backup file
Confirm the import

Data Recovery

Accidentally deleted a widget? You might be able to recover it:

Open popup → Recovery tab
Click Check for Deleted Items
Select items to restore
Click Recover

Force Pull

If your local data seems out of sync:

Open popup → Sync section
Click Force Pull from Cloud
Confirm

This overwrites local data with the cloud version.

Create Clean Database

Need a fresh start?

Open popup → Sync section
Click Create Clean Database
Confirm (this cannot be undone)

All local data is cleared, and you start fresh.

Quick Tips & Keyboard Shortcuts

Dashboard Shortcuts

| Shortcut | Action | |----------|--------| | Cmd/Ctrl + 1-9 | Open link 1-9 in current tab | | Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + 1-9 | Open link 1-9 in new tab | | Escape | Exit edit modes |

Inspiration Widget Shortcuts

When hovering over an image in edit mode:

| Shortcut | Action | |----------|--------| | Arrow Up | Move text to top | | Arrow Down | Move text to bottom | | Arrow Left | Align text left | | Arrow Right | Align text right | | C | Center text |

Troubleshooting

Widget Not Syncing

Check your internet connection
Ensure you're logged in (user menu shows your email)
Try Force Pull from Cloud in popup settings
If issues persist, try logging out and back in

Todoist Not Loading

Verify your API key is correct (copy it fresh from Todoist)
Check that your Todoist account is active
Clear the cache by clicking the reload icon on the widget
Try removing and re-adding your API key

Code Activity Not Updating

Verify your token has the required permissions (read:user for GitHub)
Data is cached for 24 hours. Click refresh for immediate update
For Bitbucket, ensure email matches your account
Check that your username/workspace is spelled correctly

Blocks Not Working

Verify the domain is entered correctly (no "https://")
Check the schedule: is the current time within blocked hours?
Check the days: is today a blocked day?
Ensure bypass mode isn't set to "Click" if you want hard blocking

Conclusion

You now have everything you need to transform your browser into a focused productivity dashboard.

Start with the features that matter most to you. Don't try to set up everything at once. Pick 2-3 widgets that solve your biggest problems, master those, and add more as you go.

Remember: the goal isn't to have the most impressive dashboard. It's to spend less time distracted and more time on what matters.

Ready to take your focus to the next level? Get started with Ikizen and reclaim your attention.

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