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Substrate Archive

Substrate Archive is a Rust CLI indexing engine that runs alongside a Substrate-backed blockchain and stores its block, state and extrinsic data in PostgreSQL.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Substrate Archive — OpenViST project profile in Explorers & Analytics.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use it when you can operate a Substrate-based chain with RocksDB and archive pruning and want its indexed records in PostgreSQL for further analysis.

Who it is for

  • Operators who need a self-hosted PostgreSQL record of data from a Substrate-based chain.
  • Developers and analysts building database-backed querying or analysis on indexed chain records.

Documented uses

  • Index blocks, state and extrinsics from a running Substrate chain into PostgreSQL.
  • Build a historical data store for downstream querying and chain analysis.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

  • The chain must use RocksDB and run with --pruning=archive.
  • The database must be ready for substantial incoming data; the README estimates about 60 GB of free disk space depending on the chain.
  • The repository identifies the project as currently unmaintained and asks users to fork it.
  • The CLI is designed to work without writing Rust code, but still requires PostgreSQL setup and configuration-file changes.
  • The project is licensed under GPL-3.0.

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

Start the Polkadot archive indexer

Use the documented quick-start sequence to launch the Polkadot node with archive pruning and start the Substrate Archive CLI.

Before you start

  • A Substrate-based blockchain using RocksDB and running with archive pruning.
  • PostgreSQL with a database ready to receive substantial data.
  • About 60 GB of free disk space, depending on the chain.
  • A cloned Substrate Archive repository and a configured CLI file.

Steps

  1. Clone the repository and use its database setup script as a convenience helper; consult the wiki for complete database setup.

  2. Change to the Polkadot archive CLI directory.

  3. Start the Polkadot node with polkadot --chain=polkadot --pruning=archive.

  4. Start the indexer with the command below.

    Documented command
    cargo run --release -- -c test_conf.toml --chain=polkadot

Expected outcome

The documented sequence starts a Polkadot node configured for archive pruning and launches the Substrate Archive CLI to index chain data into PostgreSQL.

Guide limitations

  • The database setup scripts are not intended to be complete.
  • The repository says the project is currently unmaintained and invites users to fork it.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
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Sources checked
15 October 2026
Original website title
paritytech/substrate-archive · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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