Get Started

The following sections provide practical recipes for building parachains on Polkadot—each focused on specific development scenarios with step-by-step, hands-on examples.

Quick Start Guides

Quick start guides help developers set up and interact with the Polkadot parachain ecosystem using various tools and frameworks.

Tutorial	Tools	Description
Set Up the Parachain Template	Polkadot SDK	Learn how to set up and run the Polkadot SDK Parachain Template locally
Launch a Local Parachain	Zombienet, Chopsticks	Set up a local development environment for testing
Fork an Existing Parachain	Chopsticks	Create a local fork of a live parachain for testing

Launch a Simple Parachain

Learn the fundamentals of launching and deploying a parachain to the Polkadot network.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Set Up the Parachain Template	Set up and run the Polkadot SDK Parachain Template locally.	🟢 Beginner
Deploy to Polkadot	Deploy your parachain to Polkadot step-by-step.	🔴 Advanced
Obtain Coretime	Acquire blockspace using Polkadot's coretime model.	🔴 Advanced

Customize Your Runtime

Build custom functionality for your parachain by composing and creating pallets.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Add Existing Pallets	Integrate pre-built pallets from the FRAME ecosystem.	🟡 Intermediate
Add Multiple Instances of a Pallet	Configure and use multiple instances of the same pallet.	🟡 Intermediate
Add Smart Contract Functionality	Enable smart contract capabilities using Contracts or EVM pallets.	N/A

Pallet Development

Deep dive into creating and managing custom pallets for your parachain.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Create a Custom Pallet	Build a pallet from scratch with custom logic.	🟢 Beginner
Mock Your Runtime	Set up a mock runtime environment for testing.	🟡 Intermediate
Unit Test Pallets	Write comprehensive tests for your pallet logic.	🟡 Intermediate
Benchmark a Custom Pallet	Measure and optimize pallet performance with benchmarking.	🔴 Advanced

Testing

Test your parachain in various environments before production deployment.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Fork a Parachain	Create a local fork of a live parachain for testing.	🟡 Intermediate
Run a Parachain Network	Launch a complete parachain test network with Zombienet.	🟡 Intermediate

Runtime Upgrades and Maintenance

Manage your parachain's lifecycle with forkless upgrades and maintenance operations.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Runtime Upgrades	Perform forkless runtime upgrades via governance.	🟡 Intermediate
Storage Migrations	Safely migrate storage when updating runtime logic.	N/A
Coretime Renewal	Renew coretime to ensure uninterrupted parachain operation.	N/A
Unlock Parachains	Understand parachain lifecycle and unlock mechanisms.	N/A

Interoperability

Configure your parachain for cross-chain communication using XCM (Cross-Consensus Messaging).

Title	Description	Difficulty
Get Started	Unlock blockchain interoperability with XCM — Polkadot's Cross-Consensus Messaging format for cross-chain interactions.	N/A
Open HRMP Channels Between Parachains	Establish communication channels with other parachains.	🔴 Advanced
Open HRMP Channels With System Parachains	Connect with Asset Hub and other system parachains.	🔴 Advanced
Register Your Parachain Asset	Register assets created outside of Asset Hub on Polkadot Hub.	🟡 Intermediate

Integrations

Integrate your parachain with essential ecosystem tools and services.

Title	Description	Difficulty
Wallets	Integrate wallet support for user interactions.	N/A
Indexers	Set up indexing solutions for querying blockchain data.	N/A
Oracles	Connect your parachain to off-chain data sources.	N/A