The Claude Code status line is the single line at the bottom of your terminal that shows what Claude is doing — the active model, your working directory, token usage, and more. It's minimal by default, but it's fully customizable, and a good status line turns idle "thinking" time into glanceable, useful information.
What the status line can show
Claude Code renders the status line by running a command you configure and printing whatever that command outputs. That means it can show almost anything:
- The current model and context-window usage
- Your working directory and git branch
- Live token or cost counters
- Any custom text from a script you write
How to set a custom status line
Open your Claude Code settings at ~/.claude/settings.json and add a statusLine entry that points to a command:
{
"statusLine": {
"type": "command",
"command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh"
}
}
Your script simply prints one line to stdout. Claude Code calls it on every refresh and displays the output. Keep it fast and crash-safe — it runs constantly, so a slow or failing command makes the whole status line lag. Exit quickly, and print an empty line on error.
Turn status-line time into income
Because the status line runs a command you control, you can put anything there — including a single, contextual text ad that pays you while you wait. That's exactly what aicash does: it patches your Claude Code status line to show one relevant, unobtrusive text ad during wait time, and pays you a 70% revenue share from real advertiser revenue.
Setup is three lines:
npm i -g aicash
aicash install
aicash login
aicash install safely patches your status-line config and keeps a backup, so you can remove it anytime with aicash uninstall. No popups, no code in your project, and your API keys never leave your machine.
Tips for a clean status line
- Show only what you actually glance at — model, branch, and one metric is usually enough.
- Cache expensive lookups so the line never blocks a refresh.
- Use color sparingly; the status line is peripheral, not a dashboard.
A good status line keeps you informed without stealing focus — and with aicash, it can quietly earn while your AI agent works. Read the docs or install it now.