<p>There is a manual documenting both examples. The <code>man</code> page for <code>bitcoind</code>.</p>
<p><code>man bitcoind</code> shows me:</p>
<pre><code>       -blocknotify=&lt;cmd&gt;

              Execute command when the best block changes (%s in cmd is replaced by block hash)
        ....
       -walletnotify=&lt;cmd&gt;

              Execute command when a wallet transaction changes (%s in cmd is replaced by TxID)
</code></pre>
<p>They're really not that hard to use.</p>
<p>Note that this machine runs a slightly older version of bitcoind. Newer versions support <code>%w</code> for the name of the wallet, as bitcoind now supports multiple wallets, in addition to <code>%s</code> for the transaction ID.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T09:38:40.910Z
So I'm forced to read the manual locally, and only if I run Linux? That's... interesting.
Mirsab Jastram
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-11-19T11:49:41.523Z
not found......
Niklas Rosencrantz
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T09:22:38.630Z
2020-08-12T14:49:40.443Z
2020-08-12T14:49:40.443Z
Raghav Sood
<p>Most of the documentation about configuration options and RPCs can be found within the software itself.</p>
<p>Both <code>bitcoind</code> and <code>bitcoin-qt</code> have <code>-help</code> and <code>-help-debug</code> startup options. These will print out all of the configuration options and their descriptions.</p>
<p><code>bitcoin-qt</code> additionally displays this information in <code>Help &gt; Command line options</code></p>
<p>For RPCs, you can use the <code>help</code> RPC to list all available RPCs. Doing <code>help &lt;command&gt;</code> will show the help text for that particular command. This help text will include a description of what the RPC does, the options, and what to expect in the result.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-12T17:03:13.533Z
2020-08-12T17:03:13.533Z
Ava Chow
<p>There is <code>man bitcoind</code> but there is also <code>bitcoin-cli help</code> or <code>bitcoin-cli help &lt;command&gt;</code> which can give you more detail. Bitcoincore.org also has explanations of all RPC calls: <a href="https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.19.0/rpc/blockchain/getblockfilter/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.19.0/rpc/blockchain/getblockfilter/</a>
and more info.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T17:42:23.310Z
2020-08-11T17:42:23.310Z
Sachin Meier
<p>This is not the first time I'm desperately searching for Bitcoin Core help and finding none, but look at this: <a href="https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.20.0/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.20.0/</a></p>
<p>That's the closest thing to a &quot;manual&quot; I can find. But it's about RPC commands. I've gone through their entire damn website (both ones, in fact) and made numerous web searches but find nothing resembling a manual. Where is the manual? Is there a manual?</p>
<p>Right now, I'm trying to get official descriptions of these two configuration options:</p>
<ol>
<li><code>blocknotify</code></li>
<li><code>walletnotify</code></li>
</ol>
<p>They are not mention anywhere on that page, and seemingly nowhere else officially. Am I supposed to <em>guess</em> what they mean and try to piece together information from ancient questions asked by random people online? How is anyone supposed to get a Bitcoin payment system running and actually use Bitcoin when there is no manual and a hundred BIPs are released per week?</p>
<p>The lack of information has caused countless of my projects to never get off the ground. I don't understand the mentality that a lot of people have that things are somehow &quot;obvious&quot; or &quot;don't need a manual&quot;. Especially not when it's for a crucial piece of software which we're supposed to use to revolutionize the world.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T09:52:55.153Z
https://manpages.debian.org/testing/bitcoind/bitcoind.1.en.html
RedGrittyBrick
<bitcoin-core><documentation>
Is there really no manual for Bitcoin Core?
Mirsab Jastram
# Is there really no manual for Bitcoin Core?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-11)

This is not the first time I'm desperately searching for Bitcoin Core help and finding none, but look at this: <https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.20.0/>

That's the closest thing to a "manual" I can find. But it's about RPC commands. I've gone through their entire damn website (both ones, in fact) and made numerous web searches but find nothing resembling a manual. Where is the manual? Is there a manual?

Right now, I'm trying to get official descriptions of these two configuration options:

1. `blocknotify`
2. `walletnotify`

They are not mention anywhere on that page, and seemingly nowhere else officially. Am I supposed to *guess* what they mean and try to piece together information from ancient questions asked by random people online? How is anyone supposed to get a Bitcoin payment system running and actually use Bitcoin when there is no manual and a hundred BIPs are released per week?

The lack of information has caused countless of my projects to never get off the ground. I don't understand the mentality that a lot of people have that things are somehow "obvious" or "don't need a manual". Especially not when it's for a crucial piece of software which we're supposed to use to revolutionize the world.

**Tags:** bitcoin-core, documentation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: https://manpages.debian.org/testing/bitcoind/bitcoind.1.en.html  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-11. Score: 3

There is a manual documenting both examples. The `man` page for `bitcoind`.

`man bitcoind` shows me:

```
       -blocknotify=<cmd>

              Execute command when the best block changes (%s in cmd is replaced by block hash)
        ....
       -walletnotify=<cmd>

              Execute command when a wallet transaction changes (%s in cmd is replaced by TxID)

```

They're really not that hard to use.

Note that this machine runs a slightly older version of bitcoind. Newer versions support `%w` for the name of the wallet, as bitcoind now supports multiple wallets, in addition to `%s` for the transaction ID.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So I'm forced to read the manual locally, and only if I run Linux? That's... interesting.  
> **username_3**: not found......  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-08-12. Score: 2

Most of the documentation about configuration options and RPCs can be found within the software itself.

Both `bitcoind` and `bitcoin-qt` have `-help` and `-help-debug` startup options. These will print out all of the configuration options and their descriptions.

`bitcoin-qt` additionally displays this information in `Help > Command line options`

For RPCs, you can use the `help` RPC to list all available RPCs. Doing `help <command>` will show the help text for that particular command. This help text will include a description of what the RPC does, the options, and what to expect in the result.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-08-11. Score: 1

There is `man bitcoind` but there is also `bitcoin-cli help` or `bitcoin-cli help <command>` which can give you more detail. Bitcoincore.org also has explanations of all RPC calls: <https://bitcoincore.org/en/doc/0.19.0/rpc/blockchain/getblockfilter/>
and more info.


---

