What is Idlen?

Idlen is a monetization platform that displays relevant developer-tool ads during AI processing wait time in IDEs and browsers. It is available as a VS Code extension (also for Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other VS Code-based editors), a Chrome extension for Chromium browsers, and a Firefox extension. Developers earn money passively while using AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Cursor and Windsurf, and can also integrate Idlen into their own AI apps via an SDK.

How to use Idlen?

1. Install the Idlen extension for VS Code (or Cursor/Windsurf) or add it to Chrome/Firefox. 2. Create an account with email or GitHub and connect a payout method. 3. Keep using your AI tools as usual — ads appear in a small sidebar panel only while the AI is processing. 4. Configure ad formats and triggers if desired. 5. Withdraw earnings via Stripe, PayPal, or convert to API credits with a 10% bonus (€50 minimum).

Core features of Idlen

Passive income while using AI tools (€20–100/month typical)
Non-intrusive ads shown only during AI wait time
Privacy-first: only package.json is analyzed locally, code never leaves your machine
Works with VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Chrome, Firefox and all major AI tools
Configurable ad formats and smart triggers (AI prompt, completion, terminal, git events, idle time)
Flexible payouts via Stripe, PayPal, or API credits with 10% bonus
Referral program: earn 10% from referrals
SDK for AI app builders to monetize their own products with 3 lines of code