Getting Started
Follow these steps to start using the ACTA dApp for credential management.
Step 1: Connect Wallet and Choose Network
The first step is to connect your Stellar wallet to the dApp.
- Visit https://dapp.acta.build
- Click the wallet connection button
- Select your Stellar wallet - Freighter, Albedo, or WalletConnect are supported
- Approve the connection request
- Choose your network (in Settings):
- Testnet - For testing and development (the default)
- Mainnet - For production use
Once connected, your wallet address will be displayed in the header. On your first visit, a guided tour walks you through the main sections.
Step 2: Create Your API Key
Vault and credential operations in the dApp go through the ACTA API, so you need an API key first.
- Navigate to the API Keys section
- Click Create API Key and give it a name (optional)
- Save the key immediately - it is shown only once
You get one key per wallet per network; creating a new one replaces (revokes) the previous key. The dApp keeps the key only for your current browser session.
Step 3: Register Your Issuer DID
To issue credentials, the issuer needs a registered, resolvable did:stellar identity (not a bare wallet address). The dApp guides you through registering it with a single wallet signature. If you only plan to receive and hold credentials, you can skip this step.
Step 4: Create Your Personal Vault
Your vault is your secure storage for credentials. Each owner has their own dedicated single-tenant vault contract, deployed deterministically by a factory behind the scenes.
- Navigate to the Dashboard or Vault section
- If you do not have a vault yet, you will see an option to create one
- Click Create Vault or Initialize Vault
- Sign the transaction with your wallet
- Your vault is now ready to store credentials
The vault creation is a one-time operation per wallet address.
Step 5: Issue Credentials
Once you have a vault, you can start issuing credentials. Issuing charges an on-chain fee paid by the issuer (mainnet: 1 USDC per credential; testnet: 5 XLM).
- Navigate to the Issue section
- Choose a template (built-in templates like course certificates or memberships, or your own custom template)
- Fill in the template's fields and the recipient wallet address (whose vault will receive the credential)
- Click Issue Credential
- Sign the transaction with your wallet
- The credential will be stored in the recipient's vault and marked as valid
The owner's vault receives the credential, while the holder is identified by a DID (the credentialSubject.id); there is no separate wallet or holder field. The credential is now on-chain and can be verified.
Managing Issuer Access
Issuance is open by default: any issuer can issue credentials to your vault without prior approval, so you do not need to pre-authorize anyone. You only manage access when you want to stop a specific issuer.
- Go to the Issuer Access section in the sidebar
- Enter the issuer you want to block
- Click Block Issuer and sign the transaction with your wallet
- The blocked issuer can no longer issue credentials to your vault
- To restore access, unblock the issuer at any time
Note: Because issuance is open by default, blocking is a deny-by-exception control. Anyone can issue to you unless you explicitly block them.
Next Steps
After completing the initial setup:
- View Credentials - Go to the Vault section to see all your credentials
- Share Credentials - Use the share feature to create links and QR codes with selected credential fields; anyone can check them on the public verification page
- Notifications - Watch the bell icon for events like new credentials received
- Explore Settings - Switch network or language (English, Spanish, French)
For more information about specific features, see the guide.