Get started with NEAR Protocol by creating an account, getting testnet tokens, and making your first transaction.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, make sure you have:
- A terminal or command line interface
- Node.js 18+ installed (for JavaScript development)
- Basic familiarity with command line tools
Choose your path
Build a smart contract
Create and deploy your first smart contract
Build a web3 app
Build a frontend that interacts with NEAR
Use AI agents
Deploy multi-chain AI agents
Explore chain abstraction
Learn about multi-chain capabilities
Create a NEAR account
Install NEAR CLI
Install the NEAR command-line interface:curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf \
https://github.com/near/near-cli-rs/releases/latest/download/near-cli-rs-installer.sh \
| sh
Create a testnet account
Create your first account on testnet:near account create-account sponsor-by-faucet-service \
your-account-name.testnet \
autogenerate-new-keypair \
save-to-keychain \
network-config testnet \
create
your-account-name with your desired account name. Verify your account
Check your account details:near account view-account-summary your-account-name.testnet \
network-config testnet \
now
Get testnet tokens
Fund your account with testnet NEAR tokens:
near tokens your-account-name.testnet \
send-near faucet.testnet your-account-name.testnet '1 NEAR' \
network-config testnet
Make your first transaction
Try sending tokens to another account:
near tokens your-account-name.testnet \
send-near your-account-name.testnet receiver.testnet '0.1 NEAR' \
network-config testnet
All testnet transactions are free to experiment with. Use testnet extensively before moving to mainnet.
What’s next?
Build a smart contract
Create your first smart contract in Rust or JavaScript
Build a web3 app
Connect a frontend to NEAR blockchain
Learn the protocol
Understand how NEAR Protocol works
Explore examples
Browse working code examples
Common commands
# View account balance
near account view-account-summary <account-id> network-config testnet
# Export account
near account export-account <account-id>
# Import account
near account import-account
# Send NEAR tokens
near tokens <sender-account> send-near <sender> <receiver> '<amount> NEAR' network-config testnet
# Check balance
near tokens <account> view-near-balance network-config testnet
# Deploy a contract
near contract deploy <account-id> use-file <path-to-wasm> network-config testnet
# Call a contract method
near contract call-function as-transaction <contract-account> <method-name> \
json-args '<args>' prepaid-gas '30 TeraGas' attached-deposit '0 NEAR' \
network-config testnet
# View contract data
near contract call-function as-read-only <contract-account> <method-name> \
json-args '<args>' network-config testnet
Get help
NEAR Discord
Join the community for support and discussions
Documentation
Explore comprehensive guides and references
GitHub Examples
Browse example projects and code samples
Office Hours
Attend developer office hours and workshops