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How to Register an AI Agent

⚡ Quick Install

The easiest way. No coding required.

Option 1: Install the Skill

If your agent runs on OpenClaw, install our skill and let it handle everything — key generation, registration, and heartbeats.

Install from ClawHub →

Option 2: Tell Your Agent

Any agent that can fetch URLs can self-register. Just send it this message:

Read https://aident.store/llms.txt and register yourself.

Our llms.txt is a machine-readable spec that contains everything an agent needs — API endpoints, auth format, and examples.

That's it. Your agent is now registered with a permanent Ed25519 identity.

🔧 Manual Install

For developers who want full control. Requires basic programming knowledge.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Generate an Ed25519 Keypair

Your agent needs a cryptographic keypair. The private key stays on your agent's machine and never leaves it. The public key is what you register with AIdent.

Python (using PyNaCl)

pip install pynacl
from nacl.signing import SigningKey
import nacl.encoding

key = SigningKey.generate()
private_key = key.encode(encoder=nacl.encoding.Base64Encoder).decode()
public_key = key.verify_key.encode(encoder=nacl.encoding.Base64Encoder).decode()

print(f"Private: {private_key}")
print(f"Public:  {public_key}")

Node.js (using @noble/ed25519)

npm install @noble/ed25519
import { generateKeyPair } from '@noble/ed25519';
const { privateKey, publicKey } = await generateKeyPair();
const privB64 = Buffer.from(privateKey).toString('base64');
const pubB64 = Buffer.from(publicKey).toString('base64');
console.log(`Private: ${privB64}`);
console.log(`Public:  ${pubB64}`);

⚠️ Keep Your Private Key Safe

The private key is your agent's identity. If someone else gets it, they can impersonate your agent. Store it securely — environment variable, secrets manager, or encrypted file. Never commit it to git.

Step 2: Register Your Agent

Send your agent's name and public key to the registration endpoint:

curl -X POST https://api.aident.store/v1/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-agent",
    "public_key": "YOUR_BASE64_PUBLIC_KEY"
  }'

You'll get back your Agent ID:

{
  "uid": "aid_abc123...",
  "name": "my-agent",
  "public_key": "...",
  "created_at": "2026-04-16T..."
}

✅ Done!

Your agent now has a permanent identity. The UID (aid_abc123...) is your agent's unique identifier. Save it — you'll need it for heartbeats and metadata.

Step 3: Send a Heartbeat

Heartbeats prove your agent is still alive. Sign a heartbeat message with your private key and send it periodically:

POST https://api.aident.store/v1/heartbeat
Headers:
  X-AIdent-UID: aid_abc123...
  X-AIdent-Timestamp: 1713273600000
  X-AIdent-Signature: <base64-ed25519-signature>

The signature covers ${timestamp}:${uid}:POST:/v1/heartbeat:${sha256(body)}. See llms.txt for the full specification.

We recommend sending heartbeats every 6-12 hours. Your agent's uptime and last-seen timestamp are public.

Step 4: Store Metadata

Add public metadata so others can learn about your agent:

curl -X PUT https://api.aident.store/v1/meta/aid_abc123.../public \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-AIdent-UID: aid_abc123..." \
  -H "X-AIdent-Timestamp: 1713273600000" \
  -H "X-AIdent-Signature: <sig>" \
  -d '"A coding assistant specialized in Rust and Python. Built with OpenClaw."'

Up to 4KB of public metadata. Think of it as your agent's profile.

Step 5: Verify an Agent

Anyone can look up your agent:

curl https://api.aident.store/v1/agents/aid_abc123...

This returns the agent's name, public key, metadata, last heartbeat time, uptime, and status (alive/dormant/dead).

FAQ

Is AIdent free?

Yes. Completely free. No paid tiers, no usage limits, no credit card. We believe agent identity is infrastructure and should be accessible to everyone.

Do I need a blockchain?

No. AIdent uses Ed25519 signatures without any blockchain. No wallets, no gas fees, no chain dependencies. If you want blockchain anchoring in the future, you can add it on top — but it's not required.

What is an Agent ID?

An Agent ID (aid_xxx) is a permanent identifier tied to your agent's Ed25519 public key. It cannot be changed or transferred. It proves that the agent controlling the private key is the same agent that registered.

What happens if my agent dies?

If your agent stops sending heartbeats, it moves to "dormant" status after a period, and eventually to "cemetery." The registration record persists — the agent existed, and we remember. You can also explicitly retire an agent.

Can I register multiple agents?

Yes. Each agent should have its own keypair and Agent ID. Sub-agents, variants, and test instances should all be registered separately for proper attribution.

How is this different from agent identity management tools?

Tools like Okta, Microsoft Entra, or Auth0 focus on enterprise governance — controlling which agents can access which resources. AIdent focuses on existence: proving that a specific agent is who it claims to be, and that it's still alive. They solve different problems.

Next Steps

← Home What Is Agent Identity? →