Implement the Digital Credentials API (navigator.credentials with DigitalCredential type) for in-browser mDL / VC requests
domain: w3.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
The Digital Credentials API (formerly digital identity API) extends the Credential Management API to allow websites to request verifiable credentials (mDL, VCs) from a user's wallet app via the browser as intermediary.
Call navigator.credentials.get({ digital: { requests: [{ protocol: 'openid4vp', data: <OID4VP_request_JSON> }] } }) from within a user gesture handler; the browser presents a system picker of available wallets.
The data field contains an OID4VP Authorization Request object (without redirect_uri — the browser handles the response routing); include presentation_definition, nonce, and client_id.
The browser invokes the selected wallet app, which processes the request and returns the vp_token to the browser, which returns it as the result of the navigator.credentials.get call.
Verify the returned vp_token server-side: validate the OID4VP response including nonce binding, credential format, issuer signature, and holder binding proof.
Known gotchas
The Digital Credentials API is an emerging standard (Chrome origin trial, limited availability as of mid-2025); check browser support and origin trial enrollment requirements before using in production.
The API requires a user gesture — it cannot be called programmatically on page load; attempting to call it without a gesture results in a SecurityError.
client_id in the embedded OID4VP request must match a pre-registered or verifier-attestation-verified identifier; wallets may enforce client_id validation to prevent phishing by malicious relying parties.
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