> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thornode.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart: RPC and WebSocket

> Send a JSON-RPC request over HTTPS and open a slot subscription over WSS with the URLs copied from one location.

In about five minutes you will receive a blockhash over HTTPS and live slot notifications over WSS from one ThorEdge location.

## Before you start

You need:

* An active pass or rental with a location token ([create one](/getting-started/quickstart))
* The complete **RPC** and **WS** URLs from the **SSL** column of that location
* `curl`, `jq`, and Node.js 22 or newer

```bash theme={null}
export THORNODE_RPC_URL='<copied-https-url>'
export THORNODE_WS_URL='<copied-wss-url>'
```

Both URLs carry the location token. Keep them out of source control and logs.

## Send a request

```bash theme={null}
curl --fail-with-body "$THORNODE_RPC_URL" \
  --header 'content-type: application/json' \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"getLatestBlockhash"}' \
  | jq '.result.value'
```

Output; the values change every slot:

```json theme={null}
{
  "blockhash": "7QuAFmCFhvbiCtELkNmhgMTeDgBSGiKreVtSuMSk5w9B",
  "lastValidBlockHeight": 417795822
}
```

## Open a subscription

Save this as `slots.mjs`:

```javascript theme={null}
const ws = new WebSocket(process.env.THORNODE_WS_URL);

ws.onopen = () =>
  ws.send(JSON.stringify({ jsonrpc: "2.0", id: 1, method: "slotSubscribe" }));

ws.onmessage = (event) => console.log(event.data);
ws.onerror = (event) => console.error(event.message);
```

Run it:

```bash theme={null}
node slots.mjs
```

The first line is the subscription id; each following line is one slot:

```text theme={null}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","result":3065,"id":1}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"slotNotification","params":{"result":{"slot":439745191,"parent":439745190,"root":439745159},"subscription":3065}}
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"slotNotification","params":{"result":{"slot":439745192,"parent":439745191,"root":439745160},"subscription":3065}}
```

Stop with `Ctrl+C`. You are connected when notifications keep arriving with increasing slots.

## Next steps

* [Every HTTP method ThorEdge serves](/api-reference/thoredge-rpc/http-methods)
* [WebSocket methods and the subscription cap](/api-reference/thoredge-rpc/websocket-methods)
* [Run in production](/products/thoredge-rpc#run-in-production)