How we research and maintain this Instadapp handbook
The process behind every guide and article on this site: how it is researched, checked, reviewed and kept current.
How we research Instadapp's products before writing
Every page starts with the primary source: Instadapp's own documentation, its published smart contract code on GitHub, and where relevant the documentation of the underlying protocols it integrates with, such as Aave or MakerDAO. We treat the product interfaces themselves as a source too, since documentation can lag behind what is actually live in the dashboard.
For comparison articles, we review the competing product's own documentation and interface directly rather than relying on secondary summaries, and we specifically look for areas where the competitor is stronger, since a comparison that only favours one side is not a comparison worth publishing.
How we handle testing and verification
Where a guide describes a step-by-step process, such as creating a smart account or executing a refinance, the sequence is checked against the current live interface rather than written from memory of an older version, since DeFi interfaces change more often than most software. We do not connect wallets with meaningful funds purely for the purpose of writing content, and we are explicit in guides about steps we describe based on documentation and public interface behaviour versus steps drawn from direct use.
For figures that change frequently — fee percentages, supported networks, audit lists — we prefer to describe them qualitatively and point to the authoritative live source, rather than embedding a number that will silently become wrong within weeks.
What an 'updated' date on this handbook means
Every page carries a published date and an updated date. The published date marks when the page first went live; the updated date changes only when a substantive edit is made — a correction, a change reflecting a new product feature, or a revision to a comparison after a competitor changes its offering. Minor formatting or typo fixes do not bump the updated date.
We do not revise pages on a fixed calendar. Instead, we monitor for material changes to the products we cover — a new network deployment, a fee structure change, a reported security incident — and prioritise updates accordingly, since a stale page about a fast-moving DeFi product is worse than no page at all.
Conflict of interest and independence policy
We do not hold a financial position that would benefit from directing readers toward or away from Instadapp or any product we compare it against, and we do not accept payment for favourable coverage. Where we describe risk, we describe it the same way regardless of whether the subject is Instadapp or a competitor.
If our policy on independence or funding ever changes, we will disclose that change on this page rather than leaving it implicit. Readers can also consult our sources page for the specific primary references behind the facts stated across the handbook.
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Frequently asked questions
+How often is this Instadapp handbook updated?
We update pages when something material changes about the product being described, rather than on a fixed schedule. Each page's updated date reflects the last substantive edit, not routine maintenance.
+Do you test Instadapp's features yourself before writing about them?
We verify described processes against the current live interface and official documentation. We are explicit where a description is based on documentation and observed interface behaviour rather than a funded, hands-on transaction.
+Why do some pages avoid giving exact fee numbers?
Fees and similar figures change frequently in DeFi. We prefer to describe them qualitatively and link to the authoritative live source so readers see the current number rather than one that may already be outdated.
+Do you disclose conflicts of interest?
We do not hold positions or accept payment that would bias our coverage of Instadapp or the products we compare it with, and we would disclose any change to that policy on this page.
+What counts as a 'substantive' update to a page?
A substantive update is a correction, a change reflecting a new product feature or network, or a revision to a comparison after a competitor's offering changes. Typo or formatting fixes do not count and do not change the displayed update date.
Primary sources
Everything on this page can be checked against the documentation and code below.
Related material
- Instadapp security and risk: what can actually go wrongThe real risk categories for Instadapp users: smart contract and connector risk, oracle failure, liquidation, automation limits, governance and phishing, with practical mitigations.
- Getting started with Instadapp: your first safe sessionA careful first session with Instadapp: wallet setup, creating a smart account, reading the dashboard, making a first supply and the safety checks to run before every transaction.
- How to use Instadapp Lite: automation without the dashboardA practical guide to Instadapp Lite: how the automated ETH vaults work, how to deposit and withdraw, how net APY is produced and what risks the automation does not remove.