AnnouncementsEngineering

Automated IPFS: How It Works

Apr 04, 2023·Last updated on Apr 04, 2023

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By Bogdan Gusiev, Director of Engineering, Registry

We're thrilled to announce Automated IPFS, a new way to get the benefits of decentralized storage for your Web3 domain without the hassle. With this update, your new Web3 domains will automatically resolve on Web3-enabled browsers like Brave and Opera, so you can host Web3 websites simply by building your Unstoppable profile.

Introducing Automated IPFS

IPFS, or InterPlanetary File System, is a popular method for decentralized storage of information. It enables users to store and retrieve files in a distributed manner, providing a resilient system.

With Automated IPFS, each minted domain will be preconfigured with an IPFS site that redirects (using HTML metadata) to the domain’s Unstoppable profile. 

This development has three main benefits:

  1. Domains will automatically resolve on supported browsers like Brave or Opera, or on Chrome for users that have enabled the Unstoppable Extension.
  2. Saves time and improves user experience by automating the previously manual process of setting these records.
  3. Aligns with the Unstoppable mission of digital identity and ownership by promoting domain usage and improved visibility of profiles.

How Automated IPFS Works

The IPFS-redirect feature generates a redirect HTML page for each new domain and pins the page to IPFS. 

After the domain, like lisa.x, is minted and the redirect website is pinned in IPFS, users can type lisa.x in Brave or another compatible Web3 browser.

The browser will fetch the corresponding record from the domain records and retrieve the redirect page content from IPFS.

You can update your profile information through your Unstoppable account or even set up a redirect to a custom website.

Build your Web3 Profile on Unstoppable

Haven’t set up your ud.me Unstoppable profile yet? We’ve got you covered! 

  1. Go to “My Domains” under your account on unstoppabledomains.com
  2. Click “Manage” for the Web3 domain you’d like to update.
  3. Click “Profile” and fill in the information you’d like to share.

What’s Next for Automated IPFS

With this version, we will not be updating previously purchased domains to set an IPFS record nor will subdomains have this feature (let us know if you’d like to see these or other features). For previously purchased domains, follow this article on how to manually set up the redirect yourself.  

Automated IPFS is an exciting development in the world of decentralized storage and domain management. By simplifying the process of setting up IPFS records and promoting domain usage and off-chain profiles, we aim to provide a better experience for our community. We will continue to work to improve and expand our offerings to make the decentralized web more accessible and user-friendly.

We’d love for you to try out this new feature and let us know what you think!