Resolve a DID - OpenPayload Developer Network

curl --request GET \
  --url "https://directory.example.com/resolve/did%3Aopenpayload%3A1111111111111111111111"

{
  "owner": null,
  "aliases": ["river.stone"],
  "devices": [
    {
      "deviceId": "mobile-01",
      "addedAt": 1784910600000,
      "tombstoned": false
    }
  ],
  "version": 3,
  "document": {
    "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
    "verificationMethod": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1",
        "type": "Ed25519VerificationKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<ed25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "authentication": [
      "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
    ],
    "keyAgreement": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#x25519-1",
        "type": "X25519KeyAgreementKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<x25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "service": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#relay",
        "type": "OpenPayloadRelayService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://relay.example.com"]
      },
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#cache",
        "type": "OpenPayloadCacheService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://cache.example.com"],
        "authorization": [
          "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "updatedAt": 1784236800000,
  "freshness": "chain",
  "root_pubkey": "0x<64-hex-characters>",
  "deactivated": false,
  "registration_status": "confirmed"
}

curl --request GET \
  --url "https://directory.example.com/resolve/did%3Aopenpayload%3A1111111111111111111111"

{
  "owner": null,
  "aliases": ["river.stone"],
  "devices": [
    {
      "deviceId": "mobile-01",
      "addedAt": 1784910600000,
      "tombstoned": false
    }
  ],
  "version": 3,
  "document": {
    "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
    "verificationMethod": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1",
        "type": "Ed25519VerificationKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<ed25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "authentication": [
      "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
    ],
    "keyAgreement": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#x25519-1",
        "type": "X25519KeyAgreementKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<x25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "service": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#relay",
        "type": "OpenPayloadRelayService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://relay.example.com"]
      },
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#cache",
        "type": "OpenPayloadCacheService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://cache.example.com"],
        "authorization": [
          "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "updatedAt": 1784236800000,
  "freshness": "chain",
  "root_pubkey": "0x<64-hex-characters>",
  "deactivated": false,
  "registration_status": "confirmed"
}

Resolving a DID means asking a Directory for the identity’s current public record. This is usually the first call a compatible client makes before it encrypts a message, verifies a signature, selects a service endpoint, or displays identity information. An OpenPayload DID has three parts:

did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111
│   │       └─ unique Base58 identifier
│   └───────── platform or network name
└───────────── decentralized identifier scheme

The canonical form is did:<platform>:<Base58Address>. The platform is 1–32 lowercase ASCII letters or digits. The Base58 address is 16–96 characters. openpayload is the default platform name rather than a hard-coded requirement. Send the complete identifier. The response can contain public cryptographic keys and network endpoints, but never a private key.

This is a safe, read-only request. You do not need an account, signature, nonce, or OpenPayload SDK.

When to use this endpoint

Resolve a DID when your application needs to:

Find a recipient’s key-agreement key before encrypting a message
Find a Relay, Cache, or Archive service declared by the identity
Verify a signature using a public verification method
Check whether a device has been tombstoned
Display a public alias
Detect a deactivated identity or a newer record version

Request

string

required

The complete canonical DID. URL-encode it in the path.

curl --request GET \
  --url "https://directory.example.com/resolve/did%3Aopenpayload%3A1111111111111111111111"

Example in plain JavaScript

const did = "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111";
const directory = "https://directory.example.com";

const response = await fetch(`${directory}/resolve/${encodeURIComponent(did)}`);

if (!response.ok) {
  throw new Error(`Directory returned HTTP ${response.status}`);
}

const record = await response.json();
console.log(record.document);

Response

string | null

The public chain account that owns the record, when one exists. DIDs registered through a Directory are ownerless; records created directly on chain may have an account owner.

string[] | null

Public aliases assigned to the DID. Do not assume there is only one.

object[] | null

Registered devices. Each item contains deviceId, addedAt, and tombstoned.

number

required

The public record version.

object | null

The public DID document, including verification, key-agreement, authentication, and service entries.

number

required

The update time as Unix milliseconds.

string | null

A label indicating where the Directory obtained the result, when available.

string

required

The public registration state.

string

The 32-byte public root key encoded as 0x-prefixed hexadecimal, when available.

boolean

required

true when the identity has been permanently deactivated.

string

The registration transaction identifier, when available.

string

The current DID-document authorization nonce when document mutation state is available.

string

The nonce reserved by a pending DID-document mutation.

boolean

true when a DID-document mutation is awaiting confirmation.

string

The operation name for a pending DID-document mutation.

string

The transaction hash for a pending DID-document mutation.

string

The submission time for a pending DID-document mutation.

{
  "owner": null,
  "aliases": ["river.stone"],
  "devices": [
    {
      "deviceId": "mobile-01",
      "addedAt": 1784910600000,
      "tombstoned": false
    }
  ],
  "version": 3,
  "document": {
    "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
    "verificationMethod": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1",
        "type": "Ed25519VerificationKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<ed25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "authentication": [
      "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
    ],
    "keyAgreement": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#x25519-1",
        "type": "X25519KeyAgreementKey2020",
        "controller": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111",
        "publicKeyMultibase": "z<x25519-public-key>"
      }
    ],
    "service": [
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#relay",
        "type": "OpenPayloadRelayService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://relay.example.com"]
      },
      {
        "id": "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#cache",
        "type": "OpenPayloadCacheService",
        "serviceEndpoint": ["https://cache.example.com"],
        "authorization": [
          "did:openpayload:1111111111111111111111#keys-1"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "updatedAt": 1784236800000,
  "freshness": "chain",
  "root_pubkey": "0x<64-hex-characters>",
  "deactivated": false,
  "registration_status": "confirmed"
}

200 returns the record. 404 means the DID was not found. 425 means registration is awaiting confirmation.

Account-owned DID operations remain available directly on chain. The Directory registers ownerless DIDs and submits later changes using authorized DID-key proofs.

How to interpret the result safely

Treat null as “not available,” not as an empty public key or service.
Reject or warn before messaging when deactivated is true.
Ignore devices whose tombstoned value is true.
Select keys by their full DID URL, purpose, and type. Do not blindly use the first array item.
Expect new optional public fields in future versions.

Straight to the point

GET /resolve/{url-encoded-did}

Authentication: none
Request body: none
Success: 200 OK
Not found: 404
Registration pending: 425
Primary result: the current public document, aliases, devices, and lifecycle status

New to DIDs?

Read the complete beginner’s explanation of DID structure, keys, services, and common uses.

Complete messaging DID document

See how verification and encryption keys work with Relay, Cache, Archive, and Cache-authorization service entries.

​When to use this endpoint

​Request

​Example in plain JavaScript

​Response

​How to interpret the result safely

​Straight to the point

New to DIDs?

Complete messaging DID document

When to use this endpoint

Request

Example in plain JavaScript

Response

How to interpret the result safely

Straight to the point