OpenViSTAI · Agents · Blockchain · Crypto
Menu
Storage & Data Availability

Ipfs Mini

Ipfs Mini is a small JavaScript library for querying an IPFS node from browser and Node.js applications. It provides methods to add strings, buffers and JSON, and to retrieve content by IPFS hash.

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Ipfs Mini — OpenViST project profile in Storage & Data Availability.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use it when application code needs a lightweight JavaScript interface for adding content to a configured IPFS node and reading that content back by hash.

Who it is for

  • JavaScript developers adding IPFS content operations to browser applications.
  • Node.js developers building utilities that write to or read from an IPFS node.

Documented uses

  • Add a string or buffer to an IPFS node and obtain its hash.
  • Add a JSON object and retrieve JSON content by hash.
  • Read string content from an IPFS node using an IPFS identifier.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

  • The library is a client for an IPFS node, so a provider host and connection settings are part of setup.
  • Node.js add operations use js-ipfs-api; browser handling uses FormData and Blob.
  • The README reports a 2.76 kB compressed browser build, excluding gzip.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Set up Ipfs Mini to query an IPFS node

Install the library and configure an instance with a provider for later add or retrieval requests.

Before you start

  • A Node.js project using npm, or a browser application that can include the distributed build.
  • An IPFS node provider configuration.

Steps

  1. In a Node.js project, install the package with the command below.

    Documented command
    npm install --save ipfs-mini
  2. Create an Ipfs Mini instance with a provider object containing the node host, port and protocol.

  3. For a browser setup, include the distributed ipfs-mini.min.js build and instantiate the exported IPFS with a provider.

Expected outcome

An Ipfs Mini instance configured to send requests to the specified IPFS provider.

Guide limitations

  • The setup steps do not establish that the configured node is reachable.
  • The library requires a provider; the README's default points to localhost on port 5001 over HTTP.
Source-based practical guide

Add content and retrieve it by IPFS hash

Use the documented methods to add a string or JSON object and request content by its returned hash.

Before you start

  • An Ipfs Mini instance configured with an IPFS provider.
  • A string or JSON object to add.

Steps

  1. Call add with a string, or addJSON with an object.

  2. Capture the returned IPFS hash.

  3. Pass that hash to cat for string data or catJSON for JSON data.

Expected outcome

The add methods return an IPFS hash, and the retrieval methods return the corresponding content in string or JSON form.

Guide limitations

  • The documented examples depend on requests to the configured IPFS node.
  • The guide describes the API sequence rather than verifying a live request.
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
15 October 2026
Original website title
SilentCicero/ipfs-mini · Official homepage title · retained in its source language