Documentation
Comprehensive documentation for the OrdChan Indexer and the OrdChan protocol.
Introduction
OrdChan Indexer is a specialized application designed to monitor the Bitcoin blockchain for Ordinals inscriptions that conform to the OrdChan protocol, parse these JSON-based messages, and index them in a Supabase PostgreSQL database for efficient retrieval and analysis.
The OrdChan indexer provides a powerful API for developers to access this data, enabling the creation of rich decentralized applications that leverage Ordinals inscriptions without the need for an involved setup process.
Getting Started
To get started with OrdChan Indexer, you need to understand how the protocol works and how to interact with the API.
Protocol Overview
The OrdChan protocol defines a specific structure for JSON-based messages that are inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain using the Ordinals protocol. These messages are used to create and manage decentralized content.
Search Feature
The search feature allows users to quickly find content across all OrdChan boards, threads, and usernames.
How to Use Search
The search feature is accessible from anywhere on OrdChan via the search bar in the top navigation.
- Enter keywords related to the content you're looking for
- Results are categorized by type (board, thread, reply, username)
- Special characters in search terms are handled properly
- Search suggestions appear as you type to help you find content faster
Search Capabilities
OrdChan's search is designed to help you find relevant content quickly:
- Full-text search: Find content based on text within threads, replies, and board descriptions
- Username search: Look up specific usernames or find posts from a particular user
- Board search: Discover boards by name, including those with special characters like $DOG
- Thread title search: Find specific discussions by searching thread titles
Technical Implementation
The search functionality is built on a robust architecture:
- PostgreSQL full-text search for high-performance queries
- Real-time indexing via database triggers that capture content changes
- Support for special characters and URL encoding in search results
- Proper handling of board names with special characters (like $DOG)
Search results always link directly to the correct content using properly encoded URLs, ensuring seamless navigation even for boards and threads with special characters in their names.
Leaderboard Feature
The leaderboard showcases the most active contributors to the OrdChan community, recognizing users who create valuable content and drive engagement.
Understanding the Leaderboard
The leaderboard ranks users based on their total activity across multiple contribution types:
- Threads: New discussion threads started by the user
- Replies: Comments and responses made within threads
- Boards: New communities/boards created by the user
- Total Activity: Combined count of all contribution types
How to Access the Leaderboard
The leaderboard is accessible from the main navigation bar at the top of the page.
- View the top contributors across the entire platform
- Navigate through pages to see more contributors
- Click on a wallet address to view that user's detailed profile and activity
Leaderboard Display
The leaderboard provides a clear and informative view of community contributions:
- Wallet addresses are displayed in a shortened, readable format
- Usernames are shown alongside addresses when available
- Activity counts are broken down by category
- Special styling highlights the top three contributors
Users are primarily identified by their wallet addresses, with usernames shown as supplementary information. This maintains consistency with the Ordinals inscription ID format used throughout the platform.
Technical Implementation
The leaderboard is built on an efficient data aggregation system:
- Direct database queries for accurate activity counting
- Efficient pagination for handling large numbers of contributors
- Real-time data reflecting the latest user activities
- Proper linking to user profiles for easy exploration