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

# Blockscout block explorer

> Blockscout an open source block explorer for the OP Stack.

[Blockscout](https://www.blockscout.com/) is an open source block explorer that supports OP Stack chains.
Keep reading for a quick overview on how to deploy Blockscout for your OP Stack chain.

<Info>
  Check out the [Blockscout documentation](https://docs.blockscout.com) for up-to-date information on how to deploy and maintain a Blockscout instance.
</Info>

## Dependencies

* [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/)

## Create an archive node

Blockscout needs access to an [archive node](https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/archive-nodes#archive-nodes) for your OP Stack chain to properly index transactions, blocks, and internal interactions.
If using `op-geth`, you can run a node in archive mode with the `--gcmode=archive` flag.

<Info>
  Archive nodes take up significantly more disk space than full nodes.
  You may need to have 2-4 terabytes of disk space available (ideally SSD) if you intend to run an archive node for a production OP Stack chain.
  1-200 gigabytes of disk space may be sufficient for a development chain.
</Info>

## Installation

Blockscout can be started from its source code on GitHub.

```sh theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/blockscout/blockscout.git -b production-optimism
cd blockscout/docker-compose
```

## Configuration

Review the configuration files within the `envs` directory and make any necessary changes.
In particular, make sure to review `envs/common-blockscout.env` and `envs/common-frontend.env`.

## Starting Blockscout

Start Blockscout with the following command:

```sh theme={null}
DOCKER_REPO=blockscout-optimism docker compose -f geth.yml up
```

## Usage

### Explorer

After Blockscout is started, browse to [http://localhost](http://localhost) to view the user interface.
Note that this URL may differ if you have changed the Blockscout configuration.

### API

Blockscout provides both a REST API and a GraphQL API.
Refer to the [API documentation](https://docs.blockscout.com/for-users/api) for more information.