start

name	start
description	Build applications, automations, and AI workflows on the Autonomi Network. Use this skill when the user wants to store or retrieve data, add Autonomi storage to an application, build read-only or upload-enabled features, use the `antd` daemon and SDK bindings, work from the `ant` CLI, build directly in Rust with `ant-core`, or expose Autonomi through an MCP-compatible client. Do not use for Autonomi 1.0, the MaidSafe-era network, `ant-quic`, or general EVM work that is not part of building on Autonomi.
version	0.1.6-draft
license	MIT
repository	https://github.com/WithAutonomi/autonomi-developer-docs
homepage	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers
author	Autonomi Developer Documentation
keywords	["autonomi","ant-sdk","antd","ant-client","ant-core","ant","ant-protocol","mcp","devnet","datamap","self-encryption","uploads","read-only"]
verified_date	2026-07-15
verification_mode	current-merged-truth
verified_commits	{"ant-sdk":"cea1b7ade9a99b60acdf50f1b493824ca3e07950","ant-client":"bcab72ae72f72abcc47bdae1387ebc1deeea6106","ant-node":"bc4c44817fa63c411256af1e015e483aea4356b1","ant-protocol":"83d588e34633c812c329ffb9a2666f5c7387dd7b","self_encryption":"0deb040084f94bea2ebb53bda20fa23464bbcfe0","evmlib":"28fc354b3723850cfa7afea10d07a13a0617a035"}
version_manifest_url	https://raw.githubusercontent.com/WithAutonomi/autonomi-developer-docs/main/skills/start/version.json
canonical_docs_url	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers

Autonomi Developer

This skill makes you effective at building on the Autonomi Network without making the user read the full docs set first. Treat it as an operational guide: pick the correct Autonomi path, fetch one live reference when exact interface details matter, and do not invent Autonomi-specific APIs.

Scope

Use this skill when the task is about:

• storing or retrieving data on Autonomi
• adding Autonomi storage to an application
• building read-only or upload-enabled features
• using antd and the SDK bindings
• using the ant CLI
• building directly in Rust with ant-core
• exposing Autonomi through an MCP-compatible client
• testing with a local devnet before public-network deployment

Do not use this skill for:

• Autonomi 1.0 or anything under the MaidSafe org unless the user explicitly wants historical context
• ant-quic or older transport docs
• general EVM, Arbitrum, IPFS, or Filecoin work unrelated to building on Autonomi

Operating Rules

1. Check whether a newer verified version of this skill exists:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/WithAutonomi/autonomi-developer-docs/main/skills/start/version.json

If the published version is newer, tell the user this copy may be stale and offer to reload it. If the fetch fails, continue silently. For an unpublished draft, that usually means the skill is not on main yet.

2. Pick one path before you start coding: SDK, CLI, Direct Rust, or MCP.

3. Fetch one live reference page once per task when you need volatile details such as install steps, exact REST or gRPC schemas, binding-specific helpers, CLI flags, MCP tool names, devnet-manifest fields, or prepare/finalize payload shapes.

4. Do not invent Autonomi-specific details. If this skill does not name a route, flag, method, env var, or tool and you have not fetched the live reference, do not guess it.

5. For anything that uploads data, start on a local devnet first unless the user explicitly wants public-network work.

6. Ask before installing software, configuring wallets, or touching real ANT on a public network.

Path Selector

Path	Choose it when the user wants to...	Fetch first when details matter
SDK	Build an application in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, Go, Java, C#, Kotlin, Swift, Ruby, PHP, C++, Dart, or Zig through a local daemon	language page plus REST or gRPC reference
CLI	Work from the shell, script uploads or downloads, inspect wallets, or do operational workflows	CLI command reference
Direct Rust	Build daemon-free Rust with direct network control or local devnet helpers	Rust getting-started page plus library reference
MCP	Let an MCP-compatible client talk to Autonomi through antd	MCP setup page plus MCP server reference

If the user has not chosen a path, recommend SDK first. It is the best fit for most application work.

Fast Lookup Discipline

Use this workflow to stay fast without guessing:

1. Decide whether the feature is read-only or upload-enabled.
2. Pick a path.
3. Check the local prerequisite for that path.
4. Fetch one live page for the path-specific details.
5. Reuse that page for the rest of the task instead of re-fetching several pages.

For SDK and MCP work, the fastest first check is usually:

curl http://localhost:8082/health

Expected shape:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "network": "default",
  "version": "0.7.1",
  "evm_network": "arbitrum-one",
  "uptime_seconds": 12345,
  "build_commit": "529280c3",
  "payment_token_address": "0x...",
  "payment_vault_address": "0x..."
}

Treat network as environment-dependent. On a local devnet, it is typically local instead of default, and the payment address fields may be empty strings.

If the user is on a non-default host or port, ask for the base URL instead of assuming localhost:8082.

Path Playbooks

SDK

Choose SDK when the user wants normal application development in a supported language. This path goes through antd.

Current daemon defaults:

• REST: http://localhost:8082
• gRPC: localhost:50051
• several SDKs expose helpers that read the daemon.port file written by antd

Current shared daemon surfaces you can rely on at this commit:

• GET /health
• POST /v1/data/public
• GET /v1/data/public/{addr}
• POST /v1/data
• POST /v1/data/get
• POST /v1/data/cost
• POST /v1/files/public
• POST /v1/files/public/get
• POST /v1/files
• POST /v1/files/get
• POST /v1/files/cost
• GET /v1/wallet/address
• GET /v1/wallet/balance
• POST /v1/wallet/approve
• POST /v1/data/prepare
• POST /v1/upload/prepare
• POST /v1/upload/finalize
• POST /v1/chunks/prepare
• POST /v1/chunks/finalize

Golden public-data round trip:

DATA_B64=$(printf 'Hello, Autonomi!' | base64)

curl -X POST http://localhost:8082/v1/data/public \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"data\":\"$DATA_B64\"}"

curl http://localhost:8082/v1/data/public/<address>

Keep these rules straight:

• REST binary payloads are base64 inside JSON.
• POST /v1/data/public returns a public address.
• POST /v1/data returns a serialized DataMap (the DataMap is not stored on-network).
• POST /v1/data/get retrieves private data; pass data_map in the JSON body (not a query parameter).
• read-only daemon work does not require AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY

Current documented binding entry points:

• Python: AntdClient() or AsyncAntdClient()
• JavaScript and TypeScript: createClient()
• Go: NewClient(...)
• Rust SDK: Client::new(...)

Standalone binding pages also exist for Java, C#, Kotlin, Swift, Ruby, PHP, C++, Dart, and Zig. Fetch the language-specific page when the user is working in one of those SDKs.

The bindings overview is not exhaustive for every standalone binding page. Use the direct language page when one exists instead of assuming the overview lists everything.

Before writing SDK code beyond health checks and the public-data round trip, fetch the binding page for the user's language.

CLI

Choose CLI when the user wants direct shell workflows, scripts, CI automation, wallet inspection, or quick operational tasks without antd in the data path.

Current CLI rules that matter in practice:

• data commands do not require the daemon
• root flags such as --bootstrap, --devnet-manifest, --allow-loopback, and --evm-network come before the subcommand
• the direct-network ant CLI's main top-level groups are file, chunk, wallet, node, and update
• uploads and wallet commands require SECRET_KEY

Golden public-file flow on a local devnet:

SECRET_KEY=0x... ant \
  --devnet-manifest /tmp/devnet.json \
  --allow-loopback \
  --evm-network local \
  file upload photo.jpg --public

ant \
  --devnet-manifest /tmp/devnet.json \
  --allow-loopback \
  --evm-network local \
  file download <address> -o photo_copy.jpg

Keep these rules straight:

• private file uploads save a local .datamap file instead of returning a public address
• private file downloads use --datamap <PATH>
• public downloads do not need a wallet

For anything beyond these patterns, fetch the CLI command reference first.

Direct Rust

Choose Direct Rust when the user wants daemon-free Rust, native Rust types, direct client control, or built-in local devnet helpers.

Current ant-core surfaces you can name safely:

• Client::connect(...)
• with_wallet(...)
• data_upload(...)
• data_download(...)
• file_upload_with_mode(...)
• file_download(...)
• data_map_store(...)
• data_map_fetch(...)
• LocalDevnet::start_minimal()
• LocalDevnet::create_funded_client(...)

Use Direct Rust when the user needs those native surfaces. Do not infer full method signatures or argument shapes from memory; fetch the Rust getting-started page and the library reference before writing the code.

MCP

Choose MCP when an MCP-compatible client should use Autonomi through structured tools instead of raw HTTP.

Current MCP setup facts:

• server command: antd-mcp
• install pattern:

pip install "antd[rest]"
pip install -e antd-mcp/

Run the editable install from an ant-sdk checkout root.

• stdio mode: antd-mcp
• SSE mode: antd-mcp --sse
• daemon discovery still attempts this order:
  • ANTD_BASE_URL
  • daemon.port
  • http://127.0.0.1:8082

antd writes the port file to ant/sdk/daemon.port and antd-mcp reads from the same path, so port-file discovery works without ANTD_BASE_URL when both are installed from the same ant-sdk checkout. Set ANTD_BASE_URL when you need a fixed URL or when running against a daemon on a different host.

Do not memorize MCP tool names or schemas in this skill. Fetch the MCP server reference when the task is MCP-specific.

Concepts That Affect Implementation

Public vs private data

Autonomi has one underlying storage primitive: encrypted chunks. Public and private data differ mainly in where the DataMap lives.

• public data returns an address that can be shared and fetched later
• private data returns a DataMap that the caller must keep
• if private retrieval is failing, check for a missing or wrong DataMap before anything else

Wallet keys vs retrieval material

These are different things:

• AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY pays for uploads through antd
• SECRET_KEY pays for uploads and wallet commands through ant
• an attached Wallet pays for uploads through ant-core
• a public address retrieves public data
• a DataMap retrieves private data

Do not collapse those concepts into one key-handling model.

Read-only vs upload-enabled features

This is the first architectural split to make.

If the feature is read-only:

• no ANT is required
• no gas is required
• no wallet is required
• the daemon can run without AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY

If the feature uploads data:

• local devnet gives you funded local test wallets
• public networks need ANT plus gas on the selected EVM network
• wallet setup becomes part of the feature, not an afterthought

Local devnet first

For upload-enabled work, the shortest safe loop is:

ant dev start --ant-node-dir ../ant-node
ant dev status
ant dev wallet show
curl http://localhost:8082/health

The local environment gives you a running devnet, antd --network local, and a funded local wallet. Stop it with:

ant dev stop

These ant dev commands come from the ant-dev package in ant-sdk, not from the direct-network ant CLI in ant-client.

The devnet-manifest handoff is shared across client and node code. Treat its exact field shape as volatile and fetch the live reference before automating around it.

Payment modes and external signing

Current upload payment modes are:

• auto
• merkle
• single

Use auto unless the user has a reason to force the behavior. If the user wants explicit cost estimation before an upload, use the current cost endpoints or the path-specific reference page.

The prepare/finalize flows are also shared across multiple layers now. Treat exact prepare payload fields, finalize variants, and Merkle versus wave-batch response shapes as volatile and fetch the live reference before writing code around them.

Common Failures

Daemon health check fails

The daemon is not running, it is on a different port, or the task should be using CLI or Direct Rust instead of SDK or MCP.

503 on daemon write routes

antd is reachable but wallet configuration is missing. Check AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY or switch to an external-signer flow.

insufficient funds

Distinguish between missing ANT and missing gas. Do not tell the user to fund the wallet without identifying which balance is missing.

Private retrieval fails

Check the DataMap first. Private content still needs the retrieval metadata even after the content has already been paid for.

CLI command shape looks wrong

Check whether the root flags were placed after the subcommand. In ant, global flags belong before file, chunk, wallet, node, or update.

Tests fail against the daemon surface

Check whether the test expects raw bytes over REST. Current REST binary payloads are JSON with base64 in the data field.

Hard Constraints

• Do not reference Autonomi 1.0 as if it were current.
• Do not reference ant-quic in Autonomi 2.0 work.
• Do not guess endpoints, flags, method names, or contract details.
• Do not put real wallet keys into committed code.
• Do not walk a user into public-network uploads without checking that they understand the money and irreversibility involved.
• Stay on one Autonomi path unless the user explicitly asks for a comparison.

Live References

Use these pages as the first lookup for current details:

Need	Live page
Overview	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers
SDK entry point	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install
SDK first upload	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/store-data-on-the-network
SDK first retrieval	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/retrieve-data-from-the-network
SDK store and retrieve guide	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/how-to-guides/store-and-retrieve-data
SDK daemon as service	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/how-to-guides/use-the-daemon-as-a-local-service
REST API	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/rest-api
gRPC services	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/grpc-services
Daemon command reference	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/daemon-command-reference
Language bindings overview	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/overview
Python SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/python
JavaScript SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/javascript
TypeScript SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/typescript
Rust SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/rust
Go SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/go
Java SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/java
C# SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/csharp
Kotlin SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/kotlin
Swift SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/swift
Ruby SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/ruby
PHP SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/php
C++ SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/cpp
Dart SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/dart
Zig SDK	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/sdk/install/reference/language-bindings/zig
CLI quickstart	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/cli/use-the-cli
CLI command reference	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/cli/command-reference
Direct Rust quickstart	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/developing-in-rust/build-directly-in-rust
Rust library reference	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/developing-in-rust/library-reference
MCP setup	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/mcp/use-the-autonomi-mcp-server
MCP reference	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/mcp/mcp-server-reference
Local devnet	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/set-up-a-local-network
Prepare a wallet	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/prepare-a-wallet-for-uploads
Payments and cost estimation	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/estimate-costs-and-handle-upload-payments
Read-only features	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/build-read-only-features
Testing	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/test-your-application
Deploy to mainnet	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/guides/deploy-to-mainnet
Data types	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/core-concepts/data-types
Keys, addresses, and DataMaps	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/core-concepts/keys-addresses-and-datamaps
Self-encryption	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/core-concepts/self-encryption
Payment model	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/core-concepts/payment-model
System overview	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/architecture/system-overview
Glossary	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/reference-extras/glossary
Source repositories	https://docs.autonomi.com/developers/reference-extras/source-repositories

If Something Conflicts

Trust the live docs over stale memory. If the live docs and this skill disagree, tell the user the skill may be stale, use the live docs for the task in front of you, and update the skill package in this repo afterward.