Atproto Spaces Alpha Released for Non-Public Data

The Blueksy team announced an alpha release of atproto spaces, a new protocol extension that allows gated, non-public data storage.

All data on the current atproto network is publicly accessible through a distributed firehose, which enables large-scale applications such as Bluesky.

Spaces function as lightweight, self-contained networks that can be accessed only by permitted DIDs; the space authority controls access via a DID list.

The data model remains JSON records defined by Lexicons, and synchronization uses a direct sync protocol rather than the public relay.

An alpha hosted PDS is available for testing, along with SDKs, a sample bulletin app, and a Docker image for self-hosting.

Breaking changes are expected and the hosted service will be discontinued after the alpha period.

Community projects already implementing the spec include ZDS (Zig), atproto-crates (Rust), rsky (Rust), and HappyView (AppView framework).

Developers can install the alpha TypeScript packages and experiment with test data, reporting issues as they arise.

Updates to the hosted PDS and SDKs are planned weekly on Thursdays; the announcement thread on atmosphere.community will track changes.

Use of the alpha is restricted to experimental, non-production purposes; sensitive data should not be uploaded.

The extension is intended to support private data, subscription-only publishing, and community contexts, with broader application development expected later this year.