Trezor Suite® – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

A practical, colorful guide for developers: connect devices, explore the API, build secure flows, and ship integrations with Trezor Suite Developer Portal.

Why the Developer Portal Matters

Hardened security meets modern UX

The Trezor Suite Developer Portal is the central place where you — as an application developer, integrator, or security engineer — can discover APIs, SDKs, examples, and best practices for interacting with Trezor hardware wallets. This portal enables integrations that respect hardware-backed key material while offering the user-friendly features your app needs: transaction signing, account discovery, device firmware checks, and more.

What you’ll learn in this guide

Prerequisites & Account Setup

Accounts, permissions, and developer keys

Before you write code, prepare:

Minimum checklist

Pro tip: Use a clean test wallet for development. Never expose your production seed phrase during testing.
Create API credentials

Many features on the portal require an API key or OAuth client ID. Generate these in your developer dashboard and store them securely — environment variables or secret management tools are recommended.

Connecting a Device: Web & Desktop Flows

Web: Using WebHID / WebUSB

Modern web apps should attempt a native WebHID or WebUSB flow first, falling back to Trezor Bridge when necessary. The general flow:

  1. Prompt user to connect a device using navigator.hid.requestDevice() or WebUSB.
  2. Initialize a Trezor transport and request device info (model, firmware version).
  3. Perform permission checks and show UI to the user about the device state.
// simplified JavaScript pseudo-code for device connection
async function connectTrezor() {
  // try WebHID first
  const devices = await navigator.hid.requestDevice({ filters: [] });
  const device = devices[0];
  await device.open();
  // use a transport library to wrap the raw device
  const transport = await Transport.create(device);
  const info = await Trezor.getDeviceInfo(transport);
  console.log('Connected:', info);
}

Desktop: Trezor Bridge & Native Apps

Desktop applications often rely on the Trezor Bridge service to talk to the device. Bundling a native SDK or calling the Suite APIs over a secure channel is also common for integrated wallets.

Connection checklist

Authentication & Secure Communication

Principles to follow

Security is the primary reason your users choose hardware wallets — maintain it:

Example: challenge-response auth pattern

This pattern uses the device to sign a server-issued challenge to prove ownership of an account without exposing private keys. 

// server issues a random challenge (nonce)
// client asks the device to sign the challenge
// server verifies signature against public key

// pseudo-steps:
// 1. /auth/challenge -> server returns { nonce }
// 2. user signs nonce with device -> signature
// 3. /auth/verify -> server verifies signature and issues JWT/session
Security warnings

Treat any signed token like an authentication bearer token: short TTLs, revoke on logout, and do not embed long-lived secrets in client code.

SDKs, Libraries & Example Code

Available SDK patterns

The Developer Portal typically offers:

JavaScript quick example: fetch accounts

async function fetchAccounts(transport) {
  // ask the device for BIP44 accounts (example)
  const accounts = await TrezorSDK.getAccounts({
    transport,
    coin: 'BTC',
    startIndex: 0,
    count: 5
  });
  return accounts;
}

Integration patterns

Build your app so the device is first-class but not required for read-only operations. Offer onboarding flows that explain how to connect the device and why the device improves security.

UX & Developer Experience (DX) Best Practices

Clear error messages & guided recovery

When a user encounters a firmware mismatch or a failed signature, show concise, actionable messages. Provide a single action per screen (e.g., "Retry connection", "Update firmware", "Use fallback").

Progressive disclosure

Show minimal advanced technical details by default and expose deeper logs for power users or support. This reduces cognitive load for new users and speeds up troubleshooting for developers.

Accessibility

Use accessible colors, keyboard navigation, and screen-reader friendly content in your portal documentation and SDK demos. The color palette used here ensures high contrast and legibility.

Developer & Security Best Practices (Checklist)

Ship with confidence

Release checklist

  1. Security review of authentication flows.
  2. End-to-end tests with Trezor devices or emulators.
  3. UX review for failure states and onboarding language.
  4. Documentation updated in the Developer Portal with code snippets and sample apps.

Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

Common issues & fixes

Device not detected

Check permissions, try a different USB cable, ensure Bridge is running (for desktop), and restart the browser if using WebUSB/WebHID.

Firmware mismatch / outdated firmware

Warn users and provide a one-click link to firmware update instructions. Offer read-only access while blocking signing operations until updated.

Failed signature

Log the canonical payload, confirm user confirmation on device, and ask the user to confirm transaction details on the device screen. Signatures failing often indicate mismatched inputs or nonce issues in advanced coins.

Collecting diagnostics

Implement a UX flow that asks the user to consent to log collection (redact all sensitive fields). This greatly speeds up developer support.

Example Integrations & Use Cases

1. Web wallet connecting Trezor

Use WebHID for fast connection, present account derivation paths clearly, and allow users to sign orders or transactions with device confirmation.

2. Custodial partner using challenge-response

Use device-signed challenges to link a hardware wallet to a custodial account for delegated operations while keeping signing authority with the user.

3. Offline signing flow for high-value transactions

Build a workflow where signing happens on an offline machine with a physically connected Trezor; the signed transaction is then broadcast from an online machine. This reduces attack surface for large transfers.

Resources & Office Links (10)

Replace these placeholders with your portal URLs or keep them as quick jump links for your team:

Office Link 1 Office Link 2 Office Link 3 Office Link 4 Office Link 5 Office Link 6 Office Link 7 Office Link 8 Office Link 9 Office Link 10

Tip: organize these into a "Developer Quick Links" panel in your portal for faster team onboarding.

Conclusion — Getting Started (Quick Recap)

From zero to secure integration

Start with a test account and a test wallet. Prefer WebHID/WebUSB for the best user experience and fall back to Bridge when needed. Use the SDKs to manage transports and signing flows, follow the listed security patterns (never export seeds, use challenge-response), and surface clear UX for users when devices are disconnected or out of date.

Next steps

Want a sample repo or a downloadable checklist (PDF)? Replace the Office Link 5 with your repo URL and add a small "Download checklist" button on the portal.