Is it safe to show ads in my terminal? What AdsInAgents does and does not do
The AdsInAgents Team · Published
TL;DR
Showing ads in your terminal with AdsInAgents is safe because of what it does not do: it never reads or stores your code, never sees your prompts raw, and never sends raw signals off your device. It shows one line that is always labeled sponsored, the label is hard-coded so it cannot be hidden, and one command removes it and restores your config exactly. The privacy boundary is enforced in the code, not just promised.
Yes, and the reason is what it does not do
It is reasonable to be cautious about anything that runs inside your terminal. The short answer is that AdsInAgents is safe to run, and the reason is the list of things it deliberately does not do. It does not read your code, it does not see your prompts raw, and it does not send raw signals off your machine. It shows one line, always labeled, and it leaves when you tell it to.
What it never touches
- It never reads or stores your code.
- It never sees your prompts in raw form.
- Anything used for ad relevance is redacted on your own device before it leaves.
- Raw code, raw prompts, and keystrokes never leave your machine.
This is the privacy boundary, and it lives in the code, not in a policy page. The relevance redaction happens locally, before any network call.
What it does, and only this
- Adds one line to your agent's status bar.
- Labels that line
sponsored, with the label hard-coded so it cannot be hidden. - Credits you for verified human impressions and clicks.
- Restores your exact config when you run
adsinagents remove.
That is the whole footprint. One honest line in, one clean command out.
Why the label can't be removed
The sponsored label is hard-coded in the rendering layer. We cannot remove it,
and neither can you. That is intentional. The entire idea is one honest line, so
disguising an ad as part of your tooling would break the premise. You always know
exactly which line is an ad and which is your own output.
You stay in control
Installing is one command and so is leaving. adsinagents remove puts your
configuration back exactly as it was, with no leftover settings to hunt down. You
can turn it off any time, which means trying it costs you nothing but a minute.
See how it works and decide for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to show ads in my terminal?
Yes. AdsInAgents never reads or stores your code, never sees your prompts raw, and redacts any relevance signal on your own device before anything leaves. It shows one always-labeled line and removes cleanly with one command, so it cannot quietly change your setup.
Does AdsInAgents read my code or my prompts?
No. It never reads or stores your code and never sees prompts raw. Anything used for ad relevance is redacted on your device before it leaves, and this is enforced in the code rather than stated as a policy.
Can the ad be hidden or made to look like part of my tools?
No. Every ad carries the word sponsored, and that label is hard-coded so neither we nor you can remove it. You always know which line is an ad.
Will it change my agent or terminal config permanently?
No. Installing adds one line to your status line. Running adsinagents remove restores your config exactly as it was, with no leftover settings, so there is nothing to clean up by hand.
Does it slow down my terminal or agent?
No. It is one line of text in the status bar, not a background scanner or a panel of ads. Your workflow and performance are unchanged.
What data leaves my machine?
Only the minimum needed to serve and verify an ad, after on-device redaction. Raw code, raw prompts, and keystrokes never leave. Billing depends on verified human presence, not on collecting your content.