What is a Decentralized Web Node?
A Decentralized Web Node (DWN) is a data storage and message relay mechanism used to locate and exchange public or private permissioned data related to a decentralized identity. The Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) publishes the DWN specification as a draft technical specification for this model.
The important idea is that a user's data does not have to be defined only by the URL of one company's database. A DWN provides an application-facing interface for data and messages associated with an identity, with authorization rules and protocols describing who can perform which actions.
Specification note: The DIF DWN specification is currently a draft. This page explains the concept and describes MILAN's product architecture; it is not a replacement for the specification.
DWN vs. a traditional centralized database
| Area | Traditional social platform | DWN-oriented model |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Usually a platform account is the primary anchor. | A decentralized identity can be treated as a separate identity layer. |
| Data | Application data is commonly centered on the platform's database. | Applications can interact with data associated with a user's decentralized node. |
| Permissions | Access rules are defined inside the service. | DWN protocols can describe roles, actions and authorization rules for records. |
| Portability | Moving data often depends on platform export tools. | The architecture is designed to separate data and identity from a single application endpoint. |
DWN and DID: how they fit together
A Decentralized Identifier (DID) is an identifier designed for decentralized identity systems. DID Core defines the DID syntax, data model, core properties and resolution model.
A DWN works at a different layer: it is about data and message storage/relay. In a decentralized application, the identity layer and data layer can therefore be connected without making them the same thing.
Think of it as: DID = identity anchor. DWN = data and message layer. Application = the experience that uses both.
How MILAN uses DWN
MILAN is a privacy-first decentralized social network. Its public product pages describe a model where users have a decentralized identity and a user-centered data layer based on Decentralized Web Nodes.
Identity
MILAN uses decentralized identity concepts, including DID-based identity, as a foundation for user accounts and identity-aware sharing.
Data
MILAN's architecture is designed around a per-user data space rather than treating the social feed as the only home of a user's content. Posts, media and other records are handled according to the access model chosen by the user.
Sharing
MILAN's privacy documentation describes private, public and DID-based sharing modes. The practical product goal is to make access decisions explicit instead of making every social interaction public by default.
Read the product's Privacy Policy for the current storage and sharing claims, or explore the Decentralized Social Network page for the wider application architecture.
Why DWN matters for social networking
DWN changes the architectural question from “Which platform stores my social data?” toward “Which applications can interact with data associated with my identity, and under what rules?” That distinction is useful when designing privacy-first social products.
For MILAN, this supports a product thesis: social networking can remain familiar to users while the underlying relationship between identity, data and permissions is made more explicit.
Primary technical references
DIF Decentralized Web Node specification — the current draft specification for DWN.
DIF Decentralized Web Node Companion Guide — a non-normative implementation-oriented guide.
W3C DID Core — the W3C specification for Decentralized Identifiers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Decentralized Web Node?
A DWN is a decentralized data storage and message relay layer used with decentralized identity systems.
How is DWN related to DID?
DID provides an identity layer; DWN provides a data and message layer associated with that identity.
How does MILAN use DWN?
MILAN describes its social architecture around DID identity, a user-centered DWN data layer and permission-aware sharing.
Is the DIF DWN specification final?
No. The current DIF DWN specification is published as a draft and is under active development.