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TABS DOCUMENTATION

From a page to a Tabs app#

  1. Clone https://github.com/tabschat-at/miniapp-sdk.git and run npm run dev from its root. Open the preview link for Hello Tabs, then its permissions-denied variant.
  2. Copy examples/hello-tabs, examples/shared and src into your publisher's static site, retaining this layout while trying the example. Replace its app ID, name and entrypoint in manifest.json with your domain and page URL.
  3. Add only the permissions you use. Implement an ordinary page with buttons, window.host calls and your own fetch requests. Handle denial gracefully.
  4. Host the page at a stable HTTPS URL with valid TLS and no entrypoint redirect. For another API or asset origin, declare the exact HTTPS origin in networkAccess; the API must also permit your publisher origin through CORS.
  5. Run npm run validate -- /path/to/app-package. Send the manifest and any Lexicons using the app submission form. Local preflight is not registration. Submissions are public; include no credentials.
  6. After approval, open the listing inside Tabs. Accept or decline the first-visit sheet and check native behavior on a real device.

The preview server is HTTP on loopback for desktop development only. An installed Tabs host accepts reviewed HTTPS entrypoints; it does not load the localhost mock. There is currently no user-accessible sideload URL flow or automatic registration endpoint. Host approval is required even for a webapp asking for no capabilities.

With a bundler, install the SDK package instead of copying src:

npm install @tabschat/miniapp-sdk

import { getHost, type HostBridgeV1 } from "@tabschat/miniapp-sdk";
const host: HostBridgeV1 = getHost(window);

TypeScript definitions are bundled; a plain browser can use the ES module directly. The full developer kit and examples are available from the GitHub repository and release download. Deploy the runtime and your page assets, not dev/, tests, server code or mock injection.

The recipe example's /api/recipes must be supplied by your own backend/reverse proxy in production. Its browser preview feed is a separate fixture and does not reflect mock publications. A usable verified backend is included in own-appview.

If you install the package in your app, validate its manifest with npx tabs-miniapp-validate /path/to/app-package. Full preview examples are in the GitHub kit; they are not bundled into the runtime npm package.