<blockquote>
<p>How do I determine the derivation path for the seed when importing it?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I don't think you can determine the derivation path from the seed phrase, you have to ask the user to choose one from a list or input it if not listed. You can build in a list of derivation paths for popular wallets, the user then has to know the name, and maybe version number, of the wallet that produced the seed they are importing.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>or do i just do a wallet address lookup based on the supported derivation paths and keep searching for about 20 address if it has any transactions on the blockchain ?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That would work in many cases. It assumes you have access to a full copy of the blockchain indexed by all addresses with non-zero balance. It needn't be local but a non-local source might make your seed-importation take a long time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-30T13:00:30.350Z
2020-06-30T13:00:30.350Z
RedGrittyBrick
<p>I am building a bitcoin wallet. I can derive addresses using the derivation paths. How do I determine the derivation path for the seed when importing it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-30T12:11:28.607Z
or do i just do a wallet address lookup based on the supported derivation paths and keep searching for about 20 address if it has any transactions on the blockchain ?
victor bolum
<wallet><wallet-recovery>
When importing a wallet from private key or seed phrase, how do you guess the correct address format?
victor bolum
# When importing a wallet from private key or seed phrase, how do you guess the correct address format?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-06-30)

I am building a bitcoin wallet. I can derive addresses using the derivation paths. How do I determine the derivation path for the seed when importing it?

**Tags:** wallet, wallet-recovery

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: or do i just do a wallet address lookup based on the supported derivation paths and keep searching for about 20 address if it has any transactions on the blockchain ?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-06-30. Score: 1

> How do I determine the derivation path for the seed when importing it?

I don't think you can determine the derivation path from the seed phrase, you have to ask the user to choose one from a list or input it if not listed. You can build in a list of derivation paths for popular wallets, the user then has to know the name, and maybe version number, of the wallet that produced the seed they are importing.

> or do i just do a wallet address lookup based on the supported derivation paths and keep searching for about 20 address if it has any transactions on the blockchain ?

That would work in many cases. It assumes you have access to a full copy of the blockchain indexed by all addresses with non-zero balance. It needn't be local but a non-local source might make your seed-importation take a long time.


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