<p>Active descriptors are ones from which new addresses are drawn (through the <code>getnewaddress</code> RPC, new receive addresses in the GUI, change addresses if internal, ...).</p>
<p>Active descriptors must be ranged (have a KEY expression with a '*' in it). <code>addr()</code> descriptors are never ranged, so they cannot be active.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-03T17:29:01.020Z
2022-04-03T17:29:01.020Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>this is what documentation says '(boolean, optional, default=false) Set this descriptor to be the active descriptor for the corresponding output type/externality'</p>
<p>Should it be used with addr descriptor ? why? why not?</p>

<output-script-descriptors>
What does 'active' in importdescriptors do/mean?
scagbackbone
# What does 'active' in importdescriptors do/mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-03)

this is what documentation says '(boolean, optional, default=false) Set this descriptor to be the active descriptor for the corresponding output type/externality'

Should it be used with addr descriptor ? why? why not?

**Tags:** output-script-descriptors


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-03. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Active descriptors are ones from which new addresses are drawn (through the `getnewaddress` RPC, new receive addresses in the GUI, change addresses if internal, ...).

Active descriptors must be ranged (have a KEY expression with a '\*' in it). `addr()` descriptors are never ranged, so they cannot be active.


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