Atproto Spaces alpha launch lets developers build non-public data apps

The Atproto Spaces alpha introduces a new protocol primitive that enables non-public data storage while preserving atproto’s core features such as portable DIDs and lexicon-defined records. Previously every piece of data on the network was public and broadcast through a global firehose, which prevented apps from handling private settings or gated content. Spaces let developers create miniature atproto networks whose membership is governed by a space authority DID.

To experiment, developers can use the hosted PDS provided by the Bluesky team, obtain an invite code from their BPS account, and pull the spaces-capable Docker image at ghcr.io/bluesky-social/atproto:pds-spaces-alpha. The alpha includes published SDKs, a sample app, and documentation on how to define space schemas and manage authority. Updates to the hosted PDS and SDKs are scheduled for Thursdays, with changes announced on the atmosphere.community thread. Because the release is an alpha, the data model may change, data may be deleted without warning, and running production code against it is discouraged.

Adopting spaces means accepting that the data stored is not encrypted; any user or application granted access can read the contents, so the mechanism provides access control rather than confidentiality. Since there is no relay for space data, synchronization must occur directly between apps and the PDS hosting the space, which changes the networking pattern compared to public data flows. The hosted PDS is a shared sandbox that will be deleted after the alpha period, and abusive or moderation-violating use can lead to a permanent ban from the alpha. Consequently, spaces are suitable for prototypes and experiments but not for long-term, confidential, or production-grade deployments at this stage.