Spinback adds two unobtrusive ad placements to VS Code — a status bar slot and a Source Control panel section. You earn 60% of every impression. No interruptions. No code access. Works alongside Kickbacks or any other extension you already have.
No conflicts with Kickbacks · VS Code 1.85+ · Free forever
revenue share to you
ad placements Kickbacks doesn't have
minimum payout via Stripe
Two VS Code-native surfaces. No webview patching. No reading your code or prompts. The ads sit in the UI — you see them, you earn.
A Spinback section appears inside the Source Control sidebar — the panel developers open every time they review changes and commit code. It shows your current earnings and the sponsored message. No dropdown, no click required to see it — it's just there when you review a diff.
This surface doesn't exist in Kickbacks or any other extension.
A persistent ad slot in the VS Code status bar at the bottom of the window. It's always visible while you code — not just when an AI is thinking. That means impressions from every minute of your session, regardless of which tools you're using.
Rotating rainbow highlight keeps it visible without being annoying.
If you use Claude Code, Spinback also injects a sponsor verb into the thinking spinner — the same placement that Kickbacks uses, but a separate Spinback ad running simultaneously. Two networks, two impression streams, one machine.
Already running Kickbacks? This adds on top of it without conflicts.
One click from the marketplace. No configuration. Works whether you use Claude Code, Copilot, Cline, or nothing at all.
One OAuth flow, no passwords. GitHub account must be at least 30 days old — keeps the network clean for advertisers.
Status bar and SCM panel earn every session. If you use Claude Code, the spinner placement adds on top. 60% of every Spinback impression goes to you.
Request a payout when you hit $20. Manual payouts during beta — we'll contact you when processed.
Already using Kickbacks? Good. Run both — they don't conflict. Spinback fills placements Kickbacks has never shipped.
| Placement | Kickbacks | + Spinback |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code spinner verb | ✓ earning | ✓ adds 2nd ad alongside |
| VS Code status bar | ✗ not shipped | ✓ live — 60% to you |
| Source Control / git panel | ✗ not shipped | ✓ live — 60% to you |
| Works without Claude Code | ✗ Claude-only | ✓ any VS Code install |
| Payout | their schedule | + Stripe at $20 |
We never read your files, prompts, completions, or editor content. The extension only tracks impression counts and click events on the ads themselves.
Spinback's placements are pure VS Code extension API — no modifying other extensions' internals. Status bar and SCM panel views are registered the standard way.
The installed .vsix is a zip archive — rename it to .zip and inspect extension/extension.js directly. No obfuscation, no bundler. Read exactly what runs on your machine.
The goal isn't to get rich. It's to claw back the cost of your tools. At scale, it happens.
Beta network — impressions tracked from real developer sessions.
Every Spinback impression is tied to a real developer action — a file save, a build completion, a git commit — from an authenticated GitHub account. Not a pageview. Not a scroll. Someone was literally writing code when your sponsor appeared.
Impressions are weighted by event quality. A git commit scores 10× a file save. You buy developer-attention points, not raw impressions — and points correlate with real intent.
Pay only when a developer signs up, deploys, or starts a trial. Talk to us — this is the higher-value tier and where early advertisers get the best deal.
Active developers, event breakdown, click-through, spend. You can see exactly what kind of coding activity preceded every impression.
Status bar + SCM panel, every session, regardless of your AI tool.
Install Free — start earning