AT Protocol and Bluesky

The AT Protocol is an open standard for social apps. Bluesky is the best-known app that uses it. Other apps use it too, such as Leaflet for writing, Tangled for code and Smoke Signal for events. One AT Protocol account works across all of them. If you have a Bluesky account, you already have an AT Protocol account.

Nectvia works with AT Protocol accounts in two ways. You can sign up and sign in with one. You can also link one to an existing Nectvia account and choose what Nectvia publishes to it.

Account hosts

Every AT Protocol account is kept by an account host. The account host stores your data and controls who may write to it. Bluesky, Eurosky and Blacksky are examples of account hosts.

Technical documentation calls the account host a PDS, short for "personal data server". The two terms mean the same thing. Nectvia uses "account host" on its screens.

Records that Nectvia publishes for you are stored at your account host, not on Nectvia's servers. They stay there if you leave Nectvia.

Handles

A handle is the name an account goes by, such as you.bsky.social or a domain name you own. You enter your handle to sign in to Nectvia with an AT Protocol account. Nectvia finds your account host from the handle.

A handle can change. You can change yours at your account host, for example to use your own domain name.

DIDs

A DID, short for "decentralised identifier", is the permanent identity of an AT Protocol account. It is a long string that starts with "did:". Unlike a handle, a DID never changes, even when the handle does or when the account moves to another host.

Nectvia recognises your account by its DID, never by its handle. If you change your handle, your Nectvia account stays linked and you sign in with the new handle. A handle that cannot be confirmed is not accepted.

When an AT Protocol account is linked, the bar at the top of the page shows its DID with a copy button.

Linking an account

If you signed up with Bluesky, your AT Protocol account is already linked.

If you signed up with an email address, you can link an account in Settings > Connections:

1. Enter your handle in the Bluesky and AT Protocol account section.
2. Choose Link this account.
3. Your account host asks you to approve. Approve it there.

The section then shows the badge Linked.

Linking does not publish anything. Every type of data is switched off until you turn it on. See Publishing to your AT Protocol account.

Nectvia asks your account host for permission to write only the kinds of records you turn on. Some account hosts do not offer that yet and grant broad access instead. The publishing settings page says when this is the case.

Unlinking

To remove the link, choose Unlink account in Settings > Connections. Your Nectvia account stays. Nectvia stops publishing to the AT Protocol account and withdraws its permission at your account host. Records already in that account are not changed or deleted.

If the AT Protocol account is your only way to sign in, Nectvia refuses to unlink it. Set an email address and a password first, so that you can still sign in afterwards.

Bringing records back

Records stay in your account after you unlink it. If you link it again, Import my data on the publishing settings page reads them back into Nectvia without changing the account. See Your data.