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Get started building with XMTP

XMTP (Extensible Message Transport Protocol) is the largest and most secure decentralized messaging network. XMTP is open and permissionless, empowering any developer to build end-to-end encrypted 1:1, group, and agent messaging experiences, and more.

To learn more, see Why build with XMTP?.

🛠️ Phase 0: Explore XMTP developer tools

  • Pick your SDK:

    BrowserNodeReact NativeAndroidiOS

  • To make it easier for you to build with XMTP using LLMs and coding assistants, we offer two AI-ready solutions:

    • A docs MCP server
    • Use case-based llms.txt files

    To learn more, see Use XMTP documentation with AI coding assistants.

  • Use xmtp.chat, the official web chat app for developers, to interact with and test your app

  • Run a local XMTP node for development and testing.

💬 Phase I: Build core messaging

  1. Create an EOA or SCW signer.

  2. Create an XMTP client. Be sure to set the appVersion client option.

  3. Check if an identity is reachable on XMTP.

  4. Create a group chat or direct message (DM) conversation.

    With XMTP, "conversation" refers to both group chat and DM conversations.

  5. Send messages in a conversation.

  6. Manage group chat permissions and metadata.

  7. Manage identities, inboxes, and installations.

  8. Be sure to observe rate limits.

📩 Phase II: Manage conversations and messages

  1. List existing conversations from local storage.

  2. Stream new conversations from the network.

  3. Stream new messages from the network.

  4. Sync new conversations from the network.

  5. Sync a specific conversation's messages and preference updates from the network.

💅🏽 Phase III: Enhance the user experience

  1. Implement user consent, which provides a consent value of either unknown, allowed or denied to each of a user's contacts. You can use these consent values to filter conversations. For example:

    • Conversations with allowed contacts go to a user's main inbox
    • Conversations with unknown contacts go to a possible spam tab
    • Conversations with denied contacts are hidden from view.

  2. Support rich content types.

  3. Implement push notifications, if applicable.

🧪 Phase IV: Test and debug