Build Read-Only Features

Retrieve existing public or private data without configuring a wallet or an upload payment flow.

This guide covers read-only retrieval through the antd REST API and CLI. For application code, see SDK retrieval or Direct Rust. SDK client package versions are independent of antd; follow the language-specific installation instructions.

Why this matters

Read-only features have fewer security and operational requirements than upload-enabled features.

If your application only reads data that has already been written to the Autonomi Network:

• you do not need ANT

• you do not need gas

• you do not need a wallet

• you do not need upload permissions

This keeps retrieval-only tools, dashboards, and content browsers separate from wallet keys and token approvals.

Prerequisites

• A 64-character public address, or a hex-encoded DataMap for private data

• For REST: the antd v0.14.0 binary running on http://127.0.0.1:8082

• For CLI: ant installed using npm or your operating system's installer

• A known copy of the expected content if you want to verify its bytes

You do not need AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY, SECRET_KEY, ANT, gas, or token approval for these retrieval operations.

Steps

1. Retrieve public data through antd

The streaming endpoint writes the decrypted bytes directly instead of returning a base64 field inside JSON.

Set ADDRESS to a real public address, then run:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${ADDRESS:?Set ADDRESS to a 64-character public address}"

curl --fail --show-error \
  "http://127.0.0.1:8082/v1/data/public/${ADDRESS}/stream" \
  --output downloaded.bin

test -s downloaded.bin
printf 'Downloaded %s bytes\n' "$(wc -c < downloaded.bin)"

Expected output:

Downloaded <non-zero number> bytes

2. Retrieve private data through antd

Keep the DataMap private. It contains the material needed to locate and decrypt the content.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${DATA_MAP:?Set DATA_MAP to the hex-encoded DataMap}"

curl --fail --show-error \
  --request POST \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data "{\"data_map\":\"${DATA_MAP}\"}" \
  http://127.0.0.1:8082/v1/data/stream \
  --output downloaded-private.bin

test -s downloaded-private.bin
printf 'Downloaded %s bytes\n' "$(wc -c < downloaded-private.bin)"

Expected output:

Downloaded <non-zero number> bytes

The buffered endpoints, GET /v1/data/public/{address} and POST /v1/data/get, instead return JSON with the content encoded as base64 in the data field.

3. Retrieve a file with the CLI

The CLI includes built-in bootstrap peers, so no separate connection file is required for normal use. If you supply a custom bootstrap_peers.toml or explicit peer settings, use real network contacts rather than example IP addresses.

Public retrieval:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${ADDRESS:?Set ADDRESS to a 64-character public address}"

ant file download "$ADDRESS" --output downloaded.bin
test -s downloaded.bin

Private retrieval:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${DATA_MAP_FILE:?Set DATA_MAP_FILE to a local .datamap file}"

ant file download --datamap "$DATA_MAP_FILE" --output downloaded-private.bin
test -s downloaded-private.bin

Expected output includes Download complete!, the output filename, its size, and elapsed time.

4. Keep wallet setup out of read-only applications

If your application only reads data that has already been stored, omit:

• AUTONOMI_WALLET_KEY

• SECRET_KEY

• token approvals

• upload payment flows

Add wallet configuration only when the application also uploads.

Verify it worked

Compare the downloaded bytes with a known copy:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

: "${EXPECTED_FILE:?Set EXPECTED_FILE to the known original file}"

cmp "$EXPECTED_FILE" downloaded.bin
printf 'Downloaded content matches the expected file\n'

Expected output:

Downloaded content matches the expected file

Common errors

400 Bad Request: A public address must be exactly 64 hexadecimal characters, and a private DataMap must be valid hex-encoded serialized data.

404 Not Found for missing data: antd returns NOT_FOUND when it finds no public DataMap at the address. Check that the address identifies stored public data. If /health shows no connected peers, a lookup can also report not found; restore connectivity before concluding that the data is absent.

Connection configuration errors: Check custom bootstrap files or explicit peer settings first. Normal CLI use does not require a separate config file; if you selected a local-development manifest, follow that environment's setup instead.

Private retrieval without a DataMap: Private content requires the caller-held DataMap, even though the storage payment has already happened.

Next steps

• Store and Retrieve Data with the SDKs

• Payment Model

• Use the CLI