Protocols
resource server
The resource server is the x402 role that hosts the paid resource. It returns HTTP 402 with the payment requirements, checks the client's payment, does the work, and returns the body plus a settlement response. It can call a facilitator for verify and settle, or run those steps itself.
Explanation
The other two roles in the specification are the client and the facilitator. The client is any application or agent that wants the resource. The facilitator is optional infrastructure for blockchain IO. The resource server is what the buyer calls. Its requirements say the scheme, network, asset, amount, and payTo. The server is also what chooses the payment flow when the scheme allows more than one.
In this index the resource server is not always visible. Settlement shows the facilitator wallet and the payTo recipient. The URL of the resource comes from the Bazaar catalog when the payee has been crawled. A server that settles through an unregistered wallet does not appear, because the index cannot tell that transfer from an ordinary USDC payment.
Live data
Related terms
Sources
- x402 Protocol Specification, version 2 — Coinbase x402
- How x402 works — Coinbase Developer Platform
- Agent GDP methodology — Agent GDP