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Getting Started for Developers

This path is for building a first Product on the Polkadot Products Devnet. The basic loop is small: build a static web app, give it a .dot name, publish the bundle, and use the SDK when the app needs platform services.

This is a devnet

Tokens on this network have no real value, and flows may change. Never commit or print mnemonics, seed phrases, or private keys.

The shape of a first app

flowchart LR
  A[Build web app<br/>@parity/product-sdk] --> B[Produce static dist/]
  B --> C[Register a .dot name<br/>@parity/dotns-cli]
  C --> D[Publish bundle to Bulletin<br/>+ bind name<br/>pad]
  D --> E[Live at name.dot in the app<br/>and https://name.dev-dot.li]
  A -. optional .-> F[Deploy contracts<br/>cdm]
  F --> A

A Product is a static web app: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It runs inside a host — the Polkadot app or the web gateway at https://dev-dot.li — which provides the wallet, signing prompts, storage, and chain access. Publishing means making the bundle available on the Devnet and pointing a .dot name at it.

1. Install the tooling

The developer packages are published to npm.

# Product SDK (typed access to chains, wallet, storage, identity)
npm i @parity/product-sdk

# Host API (transport used when your app runs inside the Polkadot app)
npm i @novasamatech/host-api

# CLIs (install globally)
npm i -g @parity/dotns-cli          # dotns — register/manage .dot names
npm i -g @parity/polkadot-app-deploy # pad   — publish app bundles
npm i -g @polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-cli            # cdm    — build/deploy/register contracts

2. Choose a network preset

Each CLI selects a network with a preset flag. Use the preset provided for the public Polkadot Products Devnet and keep it consistent across tools.

  • pad and dotns take --env <network>.
  • cdm takes -n/--name <preset> instead (for example -n paseo).

Tip

Ask the network operator which preset maps to the public dev-dot.li Products Devnet, then use it consistently across every command below.

3. Build a web app with the Product SDK

The Product SDK (@parity/product-sdk) gives your app typed access to the host: wallet information, storage, chain calls, contracts, identity, and React helpers.

import { createApp } from "@parity/product-sdk";

const app = await createApp({ name: "my-app" });

// Read/write chain, cloud storage, wallet, etc.
const cid = await app.cloudStorage.upload("hello world");

Run inside a host

SDK calls expect the Polkadot app or the web gateway to provide the host connection. For a starting point, use the dotli-starter template. For automated tests, use @parity/host-api-test-sdk.

Build your app to a static directory (the reference template uses vite build → dist/).

4. Register a .dot name

Your deploy account must own the .dot name before you can publish to it. Register it with the DotNS CLI.

dotns register domain --name my-app --env <network>

Public names go through a commit-reveal flow and must be at least three characters. Short or reserved names are gated by proof of personhood. See Naming (DotNS) for the classification rules.

5. Publish the bundle with pad

pad publishes your static build and updates the .dot name so clients know which bundle to open.

pad ./dist my-app.dot --env <network>

Two prerequisites

Your signing account must own my-app.dot and have permission to upload app content on the Devnet. If publishing fails because storage authorization is missing or expired, refresh that authorization and run the command again.

To list your app in the Browse directory, add --publish. Your app is then reachable as my-app.dot in the Polkadot app and at https://my-app.dev-dot.li on the gateway.

6. Optional — deploy contracts with cdm

Smart contracts on this Devnet are PolkaVM contracts on Asset Hub. The Contract Dependency Manager helps you build, deploy, publish metadata, and register addresses so downstream apps can find the contracts they depend on.

cdm init -n <preset>       # scaffold a project
cdm deploy -n <preset>     # build, deploy, publish metadata, register

Downstream projects can consume a published contract package with cdm install. Browse published contracts at https://contracts.dev-dot.li.

Try the reference apps

To test as an end user, install the app: Android (Play), Android APK, iOS TestFlight, or Desktop. Fund a devnet account at the faucet (some builds also auto-fund new accounts). See Getting started for users.

Learn more