> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nfh.global/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nfh.global/build/onboarding.md).

# Onboarding on the NFH fabric

Join the NFH fabric as a Network Facilitator Organisation (NFO) or a Network Participant (NP) — on the hosted dedi.global solution or by publishing files on your own domain.

**Your role**

* **Network Facilitator Organisation (NFO)** — you operate a network. You onboard the network onto the NFH fabric and keep a reference registry of the NPs that belong to it.
* **Network Participant (NP)** — you join the NFH fabric by publishing your own subscriber details (endpoint and keys). An NFO includes you in its network by adding a reference to them. You can also onboard without being tied to any NFO, and be added to networks later.

**Your path** — where you publish:

* **Path 1 — Hosted**: on [dedi.global](https://dedi.global). You create your registries there; nothing to host yourself.
* **Path 2 — File-based**: on a domain you control, as DeDi files following the [DeDi protocol specification](https://github.com/LF-Decentralized-Trust-labs/decentralized-directory-protocol).

Pick the guide for your situation:

| Role | Path 1 — Hosted (dedi.global)                                                                                                                                                 | Path 2 — File-based (own domain)                                                       |
| ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| NFO  | [Set up your network](/build/onboarding/hosted.md#if-you-are-an-nfo-set-up-your-network) and [add NPs](/build/onboarding/hosted.md#if-you-are-an-nfo-add-nps-to-your-network) | [Onboard your network](/build/onboarding/file-based.md#if-you-are-an-nfo)              |
| NP   | [Register your subscriber details](/build/onboarding/hosted.md#if-you-are-an-np-register-your-subscriber-details)                                                             | [Onboard by publishing your records](/build/onboarding/file-based.md#if-you-are-an-np) |

The paths mix freely across a network: an NFO can run a file-based network and still accept NPs that are on dedi.global, and vice versa.

{% hint style="warning" %}

1. An entity (NFO or NP) cannot use the hosted (dedi.global) path and the file-based path at the same time for any write operations. Each entity writes on exactly one path.
2. Registry names and file locations in these guides are suggested conventions, not requirements. The hard requirements are that record names are unique within a registry, and that the published URLs (in the index file and in reference records) are correct. A record's name can be reused as the key ID in the publisher's ONIX configuration.
   {% endhint %}

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["You are joining the NFH fabric<br/>(as NFO or NP)"] --> B{"Can you publish files<br/>on your own domain?"}
    B -- "No / prefer hosted" --> C["Path 1 — Hosted<br/>Publish on dedi.global<br/>(you still need access to your<br/>domain's DNS records, to verify<br/>a namespace via TXT record)"]
    B -- "Yes" --> D["Path 2 — File-based<br/>Publish DeDi files on your domain"]
```

See a complete network laid out end to end in the [worked example](/build/onboarding/worked-example.md). To change path later, see [Switching onboarding paths](/build/onboarding/switching-paths.md); to leave, see [Unpublishing your registries](/build/onboarding/unpublishing.md).


---

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