Introduction — Why the Trezor Suite Developer Portal?
Hardware wallets are the gold standard for long-term private key security. The Trezor Suite Developer Portal is the central place to learn how to integrate your application with Trezor devices and Trezor Suite — whether you're building a web wallet, exchange onboarding flows, custodial tooling, or developer utilities.
What you’ll achieve with this guide
This guide walks you step-by-step from initial setup to production-ready integrations. You'll learn:
- How to install and run Trezor Suite locally
- How to use Trezor Connect and available SDKs
- Authentication and signing flows (best practices)
- Example code patterns and debugging workflows
- Security and UX considerations for users and devs
Getting Started — Setup & prerequisites
Before coding, gather the essentials: a Trezor hardware wallet (Model T or One), a development machine, Node.js (LTS), and basic familiarity with web crypto and USB/WebHID APIs. Trezor Suite and Trezor Connect provide the glue between your app and device.
Install Trezor Suite (Desktop or Web)
You can use Trezor Suite as a desktop app or in-browser. For local development, running the Suite from source helps you inspect network calls and see real device messages.
# clone suite repo git clone https://github.com/trezor/trezor-suite.git cd trezor-suite # install & run npm install npm run dev
Run Trezor Connect for browser apps
Trezor Connect is a JavaScript library that exposes a secure API (hosted by Trezor) which mediates communication between your web app and the device. You can use the hosted service or run your own proxy in development.
# install connect
npm install trezor-connect
// example usage
import TrezorConnect from 'trezor-connect';
TrezorConnect.getFeatures().then(result => {
if (result.success) console.log(result.payload);
});
Core Concepts — How Trezor integration works
At a high level, your app requests operations (getAddress, signTransaction, signMessage) via Trezor Connect or the Suite API. The library prompts the user on their device to confirm details — the device signs and returns the result to your app. This separation keeps private keys strictly on the hardware.
Trust model and user interaction
Always assume network and UI layers can be compromised. The device display is the final truth: it shows what will be signed and asks the user to confirm. Design your UX to surface clear, minimal, and precise transaction details so users can make informed decisions.
API Glossary — Most-used endpoints & commands
Familiarize yourself with these core commands (available via Trezor Connect / Suite):
- getFeatures — read device state and firmware version
- getPublicKey / getAddress — read public keys or addresses for a given path
- signTransaction — construct and request signing of raw transactions
- signMessage — request message signature for proof-of-ownership flows
- applySettings — change device settings (use sparingly)
HD paths and coin support
Trezor supports hierarchical deterministic wallets (BIP32/BIP44/SLIP-0010). Always document and let users choose the right derivation path for their needs. For multi-coin apps, treat each coin’s signing and serialization rules explicitly.
Authentication & Signing Patterns
Two common patterns appear in real-world systems: signature-based login and transaction signing. Both rely on deterministic message formats and careful UX.
Signature-based login (Web)
Use a nonce-based challenge signed by the user's key. Never sign raw server-provided HTML or arbitrary strings with user-supplied content. A typical flow:
- Server generates a nonce + timestamp (JSON) and stores it server-side.
- Client requests the user sign the JSON via Trezor (signMessage).
- Client sends signature + public key + nonce back to server.
- Server verifies signature and nonce freshness — then issues a session token.
Example: nonce payload
{
"domain": "example.com",
"issuedAt": "2025-10-01T16:00:00Z",
"nonce": "c9e4f1a2-... (uuid)",
"action": "login"
}
Transaction signing (Wallet / Exchange)
When signing transactions, always present full human-readable details to the user: destination addresses, amounts, fees, and change outputs. For complex smart contract interactions, decode parameters where possible and display intent in plain language.
Example integration — Minimal web wallet
Below is a simplified flow using Trezor Connect for requesting an address and signing a message. This is intentionally concise; in production you’ll add error handling, UX states, and telemetry.
// request address
TrezorConnect.getAddress({
path: "m/44'/0'/0'/0/0",
coin: "Bitcoin"
}).then(response => {
if (response.success) {
const address = response.payload.address;
// display to user
}
});
// sign message
TrezorConnect.signMessage({
path: "m/44'/0'/0'/0/0",
message: "Login to Example App — " + nonce,
coin: "Bitcoin"
}).then(response => {
if (response.success) {
// send response.payload.signature to server
}
});
Debugging & Development Tips
Debugging hardware interactions can be tricky. Use these strategies:
- Run Trezor Suite in developer mode to view detailed logs.
- Keep device firmware and Suite versions updated in dev and staging.
- Use safe, deterministic test vectors for transactions.
- Test across browsers and platforms — WebHID/USB support varies.
Common pitfalls
- Passing malformed transaction JSON — ensure serialization matches coin's spec.
- Using stale nonces — always include timestamp + server validation.
- Assuming one-size-fits-all UX — mobile, desktop, and power users have different expectations.
Security & Privacy Best Practices
Treat user keys with the utmost care. The hardware wallet design already ensures private keys never leave the device — your responsibility is to preserve that guarantee from the application layer.
Network & server considerations
Use TLS everywhere. Validate server-signed data and avoid signing content that you can’t render to the user. When persisting any public data (addresses, xpubs), store only what’s necessary.
Least privilege principle
When requesting permissions from the user (e.g., exposing an xpub), request the minimum path scope necessary and explain why you need it.
User Experience (UX) Guidelines
Make interactions frictionless without sacrificing clarity. Use clear copy, show device prompts, and display fallback instructions for troubleshooting USB/HID issues.
Design patterns for confirmations
- Summarize the action in one line (bold), then show details.
- Highlight amounts and destination addresses prominently.
- Provide an explicit "What will happen on your device" explainer.
Testing, QA & Release
Test on physical devices, not just emulators. Use a dedicated testnet wallet for coins that support test networks. Automate integration tests for your server-side verification logic (signature verification, nonce replay tests, rate limits).
Release checklist
- Device compatibility matrix (models & firmware versions)
- Browser support matrix (WebHID/WebUSB fallbacks)
- Security review of signing flows and message formats
- Localization of UX copy for confirmations
Advanced topics
Once comfortable with basic flows, explore advanced features:
- PSBT flows for multi-sig and coinjoin scenarios
- Custom plugin integrations with the Suite
- Firmware-aware feature gating (some features depend on firmware)
PSBT example (high-level)
Use PSBT serialization when building workflows that require partially-signed transactions or multi-party signing. Trezor supports PSBT input parsing and signing — construct the PSBT server-side, send it to the client, and request signatures from the device in a predictable order.
Resources & links
Below are ten essential resources (the same curated collection from the header), perfect for bookmarking as you build:
Common use-cases & example scenarios
To make the guidance concrete, here are three short scenarios where Trezor integration adds value:
1. Onboarding users to an exchange
Allow users to connect their Trezor to verify ownership and optionally import a receive-only address (xpub) for deposits. This reduces address management friction and increases trust.
2. Custodial services performing audits
Use signature verification flows to let users cryptographically prove that a custodial provider controls or does not control certain keys. Nonce-based signed statements work well for this.
3. DeFi app requiring transaction verification
For complex contract interactions, decode parameters server-side, present friendly summaries to users, and then call Trezor to sign the raw transaction bytes. Always surface gas and slippage info plainly.
Conclusion — Start small, iterate securely
The Trezor Suite Developer Portal (and ecosystem of tools) makes it achievable to integrate hardware-backed security into consumer and enterprise products. Begin with small, well-tested flows — address retrieval and message signing — then expand into transaction flows and advanced PSBT scenarios. Always center the user's safety and clarity: the device screen is the final arbiter.
Call to action
Clone the example repos, spin up Trezor Suite locally, and try a simple signMessage flow today. Bookmark the documentation, join the community, and treat the device display as the single source of truth for all signatures.