--- name: ipfs-b30a3095ef65 description: >- Store and retrieve files on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). Use when a user asks to store files in a decentralized way, pin content on IPFS, upload NFT metadata, or use content-addressed storage. license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: 'Any platform via HTTP API' metadata: author: terminal-skills version: 1.1.0 category: development tags: "ipfs, decentralized, storage, nft, pinning" --- # IPFS ## Overview IPFS is a decentralized file storage protocol. Files are content-addressed (identified by hash, not location). Used for NFT metadata, dApp assets, and censorship-resistant content. Pinning services (Pinata, Storacha, your own Kubo node) ensure files stay available. ## Instructions ### Step 1: Upload via Pinata (v3 API) Create an API key in the Pinata dashboard and export its JWT as `PINATA_JWT`. The v3 endpoint takes a `network` field (`public` or `private`; it defaults to `private`, so set `public` for NFT metadata and anything that must be reachable on the open network). Responses are wrapped in `data`. ```typescript // lib/ipfs.ts — upload files and JSON to public IPFS through Pinata's v3 API const PINATA_JWT = process.env.PINATA_JWT! export async function uploadToIPFS(file: Buffer, name: string): Promise { const formData = new FormData() formData.append('file', new File([file], name)) formData.append('network', 'public') formData.append('name', name) const res = await fetch('https://uploads.pinata.cloud/v3/files', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${PINATA_JWT}` }, body: formData, }) if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Pinata upload failed: ${res.status} ${await res.text()}`) const { data } = await res.json() return `ipfs://${data.cid}` } export async function uploadJSON(content: object, name: string): Promise { const json = JSON.stringify(content) return uploadToIPFS(Buffer.from(json), `${name}.json`) } ``` The same upload with the official SDK (`npm install pinata`, currently 2.x): ```typescript import { PinataSDK } from 'pinata' const pinata = new PinataSDK({ pinataJwt: process.env.PINATA_JWT!, pinataGateway: process.env.PINATA_GATEWAY!, // e.g. aquamarine-casual-tarantula-177.mypinata.cloud }) const upload = await pinata.upload.public.file(new File(['hello'], 'hello.txt')) console.log(upload.cid) await pinata.upload.public.json({ name: 'Pinnie #1', image: `ipfs://${upload.cid}` }) ``` The v3 upload endpoint does not accept folders. For a directory (for example a collection of numbered metadata files) use the legacy `https://api.pinata.cloud/pinning/pinFileToIPFS` endpoint, which is still documented, or add the folder to a Kubo node (Step 4). Files over 100 MB need resumable uploads; the SDK's `upload.public.file()` handles that. ### Step 2: NFT Metadata ```typescript const imageUri = await uploadToIPFS(imageBuffer, 'nft-image.png') const metadata = { name: 'Pinnie the Pinata #1', description: 'First piece of the Pinnie collection', image: imageUri, attributes: [ { trait_type: 'Background', value: 'Blue' }, { trait_type: 'Rarity', value: 'Rare' }, ], } const tokenURI = await uploadJSON(metadata, 'pinnie-1') // Pass tokenURI to your contract's mint function ``` ### Step 3: Retrieve Content Every Pinata account gets a dedicated gateway at `https://aquamarine-casual-tarantula-177.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/` plus the CID. By default it serves only files pinned to your account. Public gateways such as `https://ipfs.io/ipfs/` work without an account but rate-limit heavily (HTTP 429 is common), so use them for spot checks, not production traffic. ```typescript const GATEWAY = process.env.PINATA_GATEWAY! // your dedicated gateway domain export async function getFromIPFS(cid: string) { const res = await fetch(`https://${GATEWAY}/ipfs/${cid}`) if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Gateway returned ${res.status} for ${cid}`) return res.json() } ``` ### Step 4: Run your own node with Kubo Kubo is the reference IPFS implementation. Install it from a package manager (`brew install ipfs`, or the Linux packages listed in the Kubo README) or from the official release page, verifying the published checksum, then: ```console $ ipfs init $ ipfs daemon & $ echo "hello IPFS" | ipfs add -q QmYDAmHsFu5oWsJU21esKnN4ZRyE8txJNvrZxvxXLymC2L $ ipfs cat QmYDAmHsFu5oWsJU21esKnN4ZRyE8txJNvrZxvxXLymC2L hello IPFS $ ipfs add -r ./metadata $ ipfs pin ls --type=recursive ``` `ipfs add` pins by default and produces CIDv0 (`Qm…`) unless you pass `--cid-version=1` (or set `Import.CidVersion`), which gives `bafy…`/`bafkrei…` CIDs like Pinata's. The local gateway listens on 127.0.0.1:8080 and the RPC API on 127.0.0.1:5001; never expose port 5001 beyond localhost, because it controls the node. ## Examples ### Example 1: Upload a collection image and mint metadata User: "Upload art/001.png to IPFS and give me a tokenURI for my ERC-721." Run Steps 1 and 2 with `PINATA_JWT` set. Result: `uploadToIPFS` returns an `ipfs://bafybei…` URI for the image (the CID differs per file), and `uploadJSON` returns another for the metadata; pass the second to `mint`. Open it through your gateway, for example `https://aquamarine-casual-tarantula-177.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/` followed by the CID, to confirm it resolves. ### Example 2: Publish a static folder from a local node User: "Pin my docs/build folder so it stays online." ```console $ ipfs add -r -Q docs/build ``` `-Q` prints only the root CID of the folder; run `ipfs pin ls` with that CID to confirm it is pinned. The node must stay online, or a pinning service must also hold the CID, for others to fetch it. ## Guidelines - A CID is a hash of the content: changing one byte gives a new CID. Content is not permanent until at least one node pins it. - Free-plan quotas and rate limits change; check the provider's current limits page (Pinata's API is 60 requests per minute on the free plan). - `cloudflare-ipfs.com` no longer serves content; do not use it. web3.storage was replaced by Storacha, which uses a different client. - Keep `PINATA_JWT` in environment variables and use scoped API keys; never ship it to browser code. - For mutable pointers use IPNS or ENS; for immutable NFT metadata prefer `ipfs://` URIs over gateway URLs so you are not tied to one host. --- Source attribution: terminal-skills Original project: https://github.com/TerminalSkills/skills/blob/8a9852d489f274538be9bf1c9121aeb403750b1c/skills/ipfs/SKILL.md License: Apache-2.0 License information: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub. ## Upstream license notice Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004 http://www.apache.org/licenses/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION 1. 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See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. # Mega AI Hub resource metadata Creator / publisher: terminal-skills Original project: https://github.com/TerminalSkills/skills/blob/8a9852d489f274538be9bf1c9121aeb403750b1c/skills/ipfs/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Product Management Roles: Backend Developer, ML / AI Engineer, Product Manager Specialties: Backend, API, Cross Platform Tools: Pinata Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source category, role and specialization labels Instruction SHA-256: 42732cc8c2c2109485eb4e6699d3211b0580d9c54f06efb7cdc5e962c42b2616