WaitingAds

Earn while coding with Codex and Claude Code.

WaitingAds turns the little waiting moments in VS Code and Cursor into paid developer attention. When Codex or Claude Code is thinking, WaitingAds can show a tiny, tasteful sponsored line from developer tools, infra companies, AI labs, design tools, and startup platforms. Install it, link your WaitingAds account, and eligible impressions count toward payouts, with the product targeting a $50 average developer payout as the marketplace grows.

No account is needed to try it. Anonymous installs can see real ads immediately. WaitingAds creates an anonymous installation identity on first activation, then lets you link and confirm your account when you want future valid views to become earnings.

How It Works

1. Install WaitingAds in VS Code or Cursor.
2. Keep coding with Codex and Claude Code like normal.
3. While the agent thinks, WaitingAds displays a compact sponsored line.
4. Link your account to make future eligible impressions payout-ready.
5. Track earnings and set up payouts in the WaitingAds dashboard.

Features

• Built for Codex and Claude Code users in VS Code and Cursor.
• Get paid for eligible ad impressions after you link a confirmed account.
• Target $50 average developer payouts as advertiser demand ramps.
• See ads anonymously first, then link when you are ready to earn.
• Pause or resume anytime from the command palette.
• Clean, low-friction placements that stay out of your code.
• Privacy-first diagnostics: no code, prompts, files, terminal contents, clipboard contents, selections, or editor text.

Preview

Sanitized listing assets are available in media/marketplace/ for extension status, user earnings, advertiser reporting, and an animated Marketplace preview. They use sample data only. Inline README images are intentionally deferred until WaitingAds has an approved public repository or image base URL for Marketplace packaging.

Commands

• WaitingAds: Show Placement
• WaitingAds: Link Device
• WaitingAds: Unlink Device
• WaitingAds: Pause Ads
• WaitingAds: Resume Ads
• WaitingAds: Check Status
• WaitingAds: Open Dashboard
• WaitingAds: Copy Diagnostics
• WaitingAds: Restore Target

Account And Payouts

The extension does not require an account to show ads. Anonymous impressions help advertisers understand reach, but they are not payout eligible. To earn, create a WaitingAds account, confirm your email address, complete payout onboarding, and link this editor from the portal. Future valid impressions from that linked install can then accrue toward payout eligibility.

WaitingAds is designed around an average $50 developer payout target, subject to advertiser demand, valid inventory, account status, earning caps, payout thresholds, and fraud checks.

Privacy

WaitingAds does not read or transmit code, prompts, file contents, terminal contents, clipboard contents, editor selections, or workspace files. Telemetry is limited to extension state, ad decision ids, impression/click events, placement metadata, version information, and diagnostics needed to operate the marketplace.

FAQ

Do I need an account?

No. The extension can show ads anonymously. Anonymous impressions may be reported to advertisers, but they are not payout eligible. Link a confirmed WaitingAds account only when you want future valid impressions to count toward payouts.

Does it work in Cursor?

Yes. WaitingAds is packaged for VS Code-compatible editors and is tested for VS Code and Cursor install paths.

Does it work with Codex and Claude Code?

Yes. WaitingAds is built for developer waiting states around Codex and Claude Code.

Do clicks pay more?

No. Clicks are reporting-only in Phase 2. Advertisers can see click activity, but clicks are not separately billed and users do not earn extra for clicking ads.

What data does the extension send?

The extension sends operational marketplace data: installation state, extension version, supported surface, ad decision ids, impression/click outcomes, timing, and support-safe diagnostics when you explicitly copy diagnostics. It does not send source code, prompts, completions, chat content, file contents, terminal contents, clipboard contents, selections, or workspace files.

How do I pause or restore it?

Use WaitingAds: Pause Ads to stop local ad requests and WaitingAds: Resume Ads to turn them back on. WaitingAds: Restore Target is available for safety; the current package does not patch editor, terminal, or workspace content, so restore is a no-op unless a future target adapter documents otherwise.

How do I uninstall?

Uninstall WaitingAds from the Extensions view in VS Code or a compatible editor. Uninstalling stops local ad requests. If you linked the extension to an account, you can also revoke the device from the WaitingAds portal.

Why are earnings limited or delayed?

Earnings are only created for valid linked impressions from a confirmed account. Anonymous impressions, capped impressions, blocked accounts, invalid events, fraud holds, and payout setup issues are non-earning or held states. Available payouts require email confirmation, payout onboarding, the configured hold period, and the minimum payout threshold.

Local Development

For local backend testing, override the API base URL in VS Code settings:

{
  "waitingads.apiBaseUrl": "http://127.0.0.1:8001/api/v1"
}

Public publishing waits until local VSIX validation and dev-mode verification pass.