Ledger Live Integrations – Ledger Developer Portal

Purpose & scope

This guide is a focused companion for teams building Ledger Live integrations — whether you're shipping a dApp that supports Ledger hardware, building a custodial connector that leverages Ledger for secure signing, or integrating device confirmations into a web or native app. It contains recommended libraries, UX patterns, security principles, testing approaches, and release guidance to reduce friction and deliver safe user experiences.

Integration patterns

There are common patterns depending on your architecture:

• Client-side signing: The app composes the transaction and sends it to the device for signing (recommended for non-custodial flows).
• Backend-coordinated flows: A server prepares transaction metadata, but signing still happens on-device; servers coordinate nonce, fee estimation, and broadcast.
• WalletConnect mediation: For mobile wallets, WalletConnect can act as the session layer between dApps and Ledger-enabled wallets.

Choose the pattern that matches your threat model and UX goals. Non-custodial client-side signing gives users maximum control; backend-coordinated flows simplify resumes and multi-step UX for complex contract interactions.

Core technical flow

Typical steps your integration will implement:

1. Discover device and open transport (WebUSB, HID, BLE).
2. Query public keys and account metadata.
3. Construct an unsigned transaction with accurate chain IDs, nonces, and gas/fee parameters.
4. Send transaction to device and prompt user confirmation routed to the Ledger screen.
5. Receive signature(s), verify, and broadcast to the network or relay through your backend.

// Simplified pseudo-code:
const transport = await Transport.create();
const app = new LedgerApp(transport);
const pub = await app.getPublicKey(path);
const tx = buildTx(...);
const sig = await app.sign(path, tx);
verify(sig, tx);
broadcast(tx, sig);

SDKs, libraries & resources

Use maintained libraries and official SDKs where possible. Below are commonly used resources and repositories that accelerate integration:

• ledgerjs (LedgerHQ GitHub)
• LedgerHQ organization
• Ledger Developer Docs
• WalletConnect
• Ledger Live

Other general-purpose resources that help with transport and web patterns: MDN Web Docs and common explorers such as Etherscan for verifying broadcast results.

Security best practices

Security is essential; follow layered controls:

• Never request or persist user seed phrases or private keys.
• Use the device as the signing authority; always display critical transaction details to the user on-device.
• Protect transport channels (TLS for any server communication) and validate all payloads server-side.
• Enforce nonce and chain ID checks to prevent replay attacks.
• Log approvals and keep auditable references (tx hash, signature ID) for user support and dispute handling.

For institutional or high-value flows, introduce multi-sig, time-locks, or hardware-enforced approval chains.

UX & user guidance

Clear UX reduces risk. Provide concise pre-confirmation summaries in-app, then rely on the device to provide the final immutable confirmation. For complex contract calls, show intent and allow users to expand for raw parameters. Make error states (transport lost, user cancel) clear and easy to retry without losing state.

• Show amount, destination, and fees prominently.
• Allow retries and reconnection flows.
• Provide step-by-step troubleshooting (USB permissions, firmware updates) with links to support resources.

Testing & QA

Real hardware testing is essential. Emulators are helpful but do not replace coverage on actual devices with varying firmware and OS combinations. Automate unit and integration tests for signature verification, fee calculation, and broadcast handling. For release candidates, perform manual runs on multiple device firmware versions and operating systems.

Useful test resources include Ledger's GitHub repos and community-driven test suites. Keep a test plan that covers interrupted transports, malformed payloads, and user cancellations.

Distribution & support

When publishing your integration, provide clear onboarding documentation, a troubleshooting knowledge base, and links to official support (Ledger Support and Ledger Academy). Maintain a changelog and announce breaking changes to transports or dependency libraries ahead of time so integrators and users can prepare.

Starter resources: Get started | Ledger Support | Ledger Academy

Ready to begin? Clone official samples, test on real devices, and iterate on UX and security before production release.