Chat with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini or OpenRouter from the Activity Bar, using your own API key.
⚠️ This extension shows sponsored text
Idlebid can show one short, labelled line of sponsored text under your message while the AI is writing its reply.
It always says "Sponsored - Idlebid" and has a dismiss button. You see it only if you link a device to your Idlebid
account and turn it on. Until then nothing is shown and the extension makes no requests to Idlebid. You can turn it off
at any time, and you earn a share of what advertisers pay when it is on.
The first time you open the chat, the extension tells you this before you can use it.
Features
Model picker with suggestions for each provider, or type any model id.
Attach the active file or your selection. It appears as a chip you can remove before sending.
Insert code at the cursor or copy any code block in a reply.
New chat and local history (stored on your computer only; attached file contents are never saved).
Replies stream as they are written. Stop at any time.
Optional status-bar copy of the sponsored line (off by default).
Privacy
Your messages and attached files go directly from VS Code to the provider you choose. They are never sent to Idlebid,
and the code that shows ads never has access to them.
API keys are stored in VS Code SecretStorage and are never shown to the chat panel.
If you turn sponsored lines on, Idlebid receives only: an anonymous event id, which ad was shown, how long it was visible, a
timestamp and the extension version, signed by this device. No prompts, replies, code or file names.
Ad icons are never loaded in the editor, so advertisers' servers do not see your IP address.
Getting started
Open the Idlebid icon in the Activity Bar and read the notice.
Click the gear, add an API key for your provider (Idlebid: Set API Key also works).
Chat.
Turning on sponsored lines (optional)
Idlebid: Link Device (for sponsored lines). You get a code; enter it at idlebid.com/link while signed in.
Gear → Show sponsored lines in chat, or Idlebid: Turn Sponsored Lines On/Off.
Optional: set idlebid.statusBar.enabled to also see the line in the status bar during our own chat waits.
A line counts as seen only after it has been at least half visible for 5 seconds with the VS Code window focused.
Settings
Setting
Default
idlebid.ads.enabled
false
Show sponsored lines in the chat (also needs a linked device).
idlebid.statusBar.enabled
false
Also show the line in the status bar while the chat waits.
idlebid.apiUrl / idlebid.webUrl
idlebid.com
Where ads and device linking go (machine scope).
Source
All of this extension's code is MIT licensed and bundled into the package: it loads no code from the network.
