Get the Coil Extension
The Coil Extension tells us when and where to stream payments. For the majority of web monetized sites, you'll need to install the extension for payments to occur.
We've partnered with some services that allow you to sign in with Coil or link your Coil account (like Imgur). When signed in or linked with Coil, you don't need the extension to access their web monetized content. However, you'll need the extension to access all web monetized content outside of these services.
Supported browsers#
Our extension is available for the following browsers. If you use private windows, you might have to give the extension explicit permission to access your online activities while browsing.
Chrome for Brave and desktop#
info
Chrome hides extensions from the toolbar unless they are pinned. If you don't see the extension after installing it, click the Extensions button in the toolbar, then click the pushpin icon for Coil.
Coil
Support websites and creators with Web Monetization.
Edge for desktop#
Microsoft Edge Addons
Make Microsoft Edge your own with extensions that help you personalize the browser and be more productive.
Firefox for desktop#
Coil - Get this Extension for Firefox (en-US)
Download Coil for Firefox. Support websites and creators with Web Monetization.
Puma Browser for iOS#
Puma Browser: Fast & Private
Puma Browser is a fast and privacy focused mobile web browser with access to new Coil.com premium content network and a new way to support creators directly.
Puma Browser for Android#
Puma Browser: Fast & Private
Puma Browser is a fast and privacy focused mobile web browser with access to new Coil.com premium content network and a new way to support creators directly.
How it works#
As you browse, the extension checks whether each page is web monetized by looking for a snippet of code called a Web Monetization meta tag. This snippet must contain a valid payment pointer.
When a page is web monetized, the extension shares an ephemeral (short-lived) identifier with the site, which the site uses to verify that your browsing session is monetized (i.e, that you're a Coil Member). The identifier is random on every page load.
Then, the extension uses the payment pointer to request a temporary, encrypted payment address from the creator’s wallet provider. The extension sends the payment address to Coil's servers, then we stream micropayments over Interledger to the address.
As long as you're active on the page, the extension will continue streaming payments. The extension stops paying if you leave the page, background the page, or are inactive on the page for long enough.
You can tell whether a page is web monetized, and whether the extension is paying, by checking the extension's status.
You're signed in to your Coil account and the site is not web monetized. Coil is not paying.
You are not signed in to your Coil account and the site is not web monetized. Coil is not paying.
You're signed in to your Coil account and the site is web monetized, but Coil is not paying. Reasons can include:
- You have a Coil account but haven’t entered your payment details
- Your trial ended
- Your latest payment failed
You're signed in to your Coil account and the site is web monetized. Coil is paying.
You are not signed in to your Coil account and the site is web monetized. Coil is not paying.
You can also click the extension to see its status.
Browser permissions#
What we ask for#
When you install the Coil Extension, you’re asked to grant the extension certain permissions for it to work. The permissions it requests depends on your browser, and can sound excessive or even scary. For example:
- The Chrome, Brave, and Edge extensions want permission to read and change all your data on the websites you visit.
- The Firefox extension wants permission to access your data for all websites and access browser activity during navigation.
If you dig deeper into Firefox’s “access your data” permission, you’ll see statements like, “Extensions requesting this permission might...read and write details of your username and password.” These descriptions are written by each browser provider and are meant to cover a variety of scenarios.
Why we ask for it#
In short, we ask for these permissions because browser providers don't offer a better choice.
Since browser providers don’t offer a permission that’s specific to how our extension works, we have to use pieces of what's already available. This means we have to use permissions that ask for more than we need and use. That’s the big reason why our extension is open source. You can check the source code to see what it’s doing: https://github.com/coilhq/web-monetization-projects/tree/master/packages/coil-extension. Our extension does not access, record, or transmit any personally identifiable information (like your name, username, or password) nor does it track your browsing history.
For more information about how we respect the privacy of our users, you can check out our CTO’s blog post, Doubling Down on Privacy, and review our Privacy Policy.