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Packages & tools

Use this page when you are setting up a Product project and need to know which SDK, CLI, or helper package belongs in your workflow. The short version is: install the Product SDK for app code, use the Host API when you need to speak directly to the Polkadot app host, and use the CLIs to register names, publish bundles, and manage contracts.

Developer packages

Most projects only need a few direct dependencies:

Package Install Purpose Bin
@parity/product-sdk npm i @parity/product-sdk TypeScript SDK for building apps: multi-chain access, transactions, signing, contract calls, cloud storage, and identity. —
@novasamatech/host-api npm i @novasamatech/host-api Host↔product transport protocol and typed business methods used by apps running inside the Polkadot app. —
@polkadot-community-foundation/dotns-cli npm i -g @polkadot-community-foundation/dotns-cli CLI for the .dot naming system: register names, set content/address records, manage reverse names and stores. dotns
@polkadot-community-foundation/polkadot-app-deploy npm i -g @polkadot-community-foundation/polkadot-app-deploy Deploy CLI: uploads a built static bundle to Bulletin, binds it to a .dot domain, and optionally lists it. pad-bootstrap (same package) authorizes the Bulletin storage pool. pad, pad-bootstrap
@polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-cli npm i -g @polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-cli Contract Dependency Manager: build, deploy, publish, register, and install PolkaVM contracts. cdm
@polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-env npm i @polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-env Maps a network name to its Asset Hub / Bulletin RPCs, IPFS gateway, and CDM registry address. —

Node.js 22 or newer

pad and cdm require Node 22+ and fail at startup on Node 20 with an unrelated-looking error. Check node --version first.

-n is not the same flag everywhere

All the CLIs select a network preset, and for this Devnet it is devnet: --env devnet for pad and dotns, -n devnet for cdm. Watch the collision — CDM's -n (--name) is the network, while dotns's -n is the domain label. cdm's own --help also lists its presets from a stale set that omits devnet; the preset is valid regardless.

Product SDK family

@parity/product-sdk is the main dependency for Product app code. It gives an app access to wallet, storage, chain, contract, and identity services through the surrounding host: the Polkadot app or the web gateway. That host boundary is intentional. Product apps should not manage private keys or build their own wallet layer.

Package Purpose
@parity/product-sdk Main SDK entry point for Product apps.
@parity/product-sdk-chain-client Typed access to the Devnet chains.
@parity/product-sdk-descriptors Chain descriptors used by the SDK.
@parity/product-sdk-signer Host-backed signing, plus development signers for tests.
@parity/product-sdk-contracts Contract calls and ABI handling for PolkaVM contracts.
@parity/product-sdk-cloud-storage Bulletin-backed content storage helpers.
@parity/product-sdk-host Host detection and host-provided services.

These packages are versioned together in the Product SDK monorepo and are usually pulled in through @parity/product-sdk rather than installed one by one.

Host API packages

Apps that run inside the Polkadot app talk to the host through the Host API. Use this when you need lower-level control over host communication, or when you are testing how your app behaves inside the real host protocol.

Package Install Purpose
@novasamatech/host-api npm i @novasamatech/host-api Typed host methods for accounts, signing, storage, chat, payments, and remote chain access.
@novasamatech/host-api-wrapper npm i @novasamatech/host-api-wrapper Product-side runtime that connects a web app to the host bridge.
@parity/host-api-test-sdk npm i -D @parity/host-api-test-sdk @playwright/test Test host for end-to-end tests without launching the full app. Exports the fixture from /playwright; @playwright/test is a peer you install yourself. 
flowchart LR
  subgraph iframe[Product iframe]
    P[Product code] --> W[host-api-wrapper injects injectedWeb3.spektr]
    W --> T[Transport: SCALE codecs over postMessage]
    T --> HA[createHostApi business methods]
  end
  HA -- host_* / remote_* --> HC[host-container / host-papp]
  HC --> S[Signing UI + permissions]
  HC --> RPC[remote chainHead / chainSpec / tx broadcast]
  RPC --> N[(Devnet chains)]

The host-side stack and shared libraries live in the triangle-js-sdks monorepo.

Command-line tools

CLI Package Bin What it does
Deploy @polkadot-community-foundation/polkadot-app-deploy pad Publishes a built static bundle, stores it on Bulletin, and points a .dot domain at it.
Storage bootstrap @polkadot-community-foundation/polkadot-app-deploy pad-bootstrap Authorizes the Bulletin storage pool pad uploads with, using an authorizer key. Ships in the same package as pad.
DotNS @polkadot-community-foundation/dotns-cli dotns Registers and manages .dot domains: register, lookup, content, primary, transfer, store, pop, and more.
CDM @polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-cli cdm Builds, deploys, publishes, and registers PolkaVM contracts.

A typical deploy invocation binds a built bundle to a name on a chosen network:

pad ./dist my-app.dot --env devnet

Warning

The account pad deploys with must hold a live Bulletin storage authorization — pad never self-authorizes. See Get storage authorization.

CDM libraries

The cdm CLI is built on shared libraries that apps and other tools can reuse:

Package Install Purpose
@polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-env npm i @polkadot-community-foundation/cdm-env Resolves a network name to registry and endpoint information.
@parity/cdm-builder npm i @parity/cdm-builder Shared build, deploy, publish, and install pipeline.
@parity/product-sdk-contracts npm i @parity/product-sdk-contracts Runtime contract resolution and ABI use from Product apps.

Where your app runs

Your Product runs inside the Polkadot app or the web gateway. For download links, deployed reference Products, and source repositories, see More resources.

Learn more