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A Talaria DID is a public identifier that belongs to a person, application, device group, service, or automated agent. “DID” means decentralized identifier. Unlike an account number assigned by one website, a DID is controlled through cryptographic keys. A Talaria Directory lets other network participants discover the public information associated with that identifier. You do not need previous blockchain or cryptography experience to use the read-only Directory endpoints.

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The shape of a DID

A Talaria DID looks like this:
The complete string is the identifier. Keep the did:talaria: prefix when you store it, compare it, or send it to an API. When a DID appears inside a URL path, URL-encode it:
Most HTTP libraries can perform this encoding for you.

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What a DID record can contain

Resolving a DID can return:
  • Public verification keys used to check signatures
  • Key-agreement keys used by clients when encrypting messages
  • Service endpoints, such as compatible Relay or Cache nodes
  • Public aliases that are easier for people to recognize
  • Registered devices and their lifecycle state
  • Delivery-policy links
  • Version and update information
  • Whether the identity has been deactivated
None of these fields contains the DID controller’s private key.

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Common uses

You might resolve a DID before you:
  1. Encrypt a message for its recipient.
  2. Verify that a signed message came from the claimed sender.
  3. Find a compatible Relay or Cache service.
  4. Check whether a device is active.
  5. Display a public alias.
  6. Decide whether the identity is still active.

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DID URLs and key identifiers

A public key inside a DID document usually has an identifier formed by adding a fragment:
The portion after # identifies a component inside the DID document. The complete value is called a DID URL. Do not remove the DID portion when passing a key identifier to an authorization endpoint.

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What a Directory does

A Directory is a public gateway to Talaria identity data. It reads public state and accepts properly authorized updates. It does not need your private key and should never ask for it.

Resolve a DID

Read a complete public record step by step.

Understand authorization

Learn how nonces, payloads, and signatures work.