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

# Validator CLI

> platform validator run: start a normal validator that evaluates challenges and submits weights on-chain.

The `platform validator` group runs the normal validator. Its group help is `Run normal validator components` (`base/src/platform_network/cli_app/main.py:60`).

## platform validator run

Starts a validator that fetches the active challenge set from the registry, runs evaluations through the challenge orchestrator, and submits computed weights on-chain on a fixed interval (`base/src/platform_network/cli_app/main.py:834-854`).

| Option     | Default                         | Source                                          |
| ---------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `--config` | `config/validator.example.yaml` | `base/src/platform_network/cli_app/main.py:835` |

```bash theme={"dark"}
platform validator run --config /etc/platform/validator.yaml
```

## What `run` reads from config

All values come from the `validator.*` section of your settings file (`base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:41-52`).

| Setting                     | Default                          | Role in `run`                                                                           | Source                                                      |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| `registry_url`              | `https://chain.platform.network` | Endpoint the validator polls for the active challenge set.                              | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:42`           |
| `registry_retry_seconds`    | `15`                             | Backoff between registry fetch retries.                                                 | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:43`           |
| `weights_url`               | `None`                           | Override endpoint for fetching master weights; falls back to `registry_url` when unset. | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:44`, `:50-52` |
| `weights_interval_seconds`  | `360`                            | How often `run` submits the latest weights.                                             | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:45`           |
| `weights_timeout_seconds`   | `15.0`                           | HTTP timeout when fetching weights.                                                     | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:46`           |
| `weights_retries`           | `3`                              | Retry count for the weights client.                                                     | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:47`           |
| `weights_freshness_seconds` | `720`                            | Maximum age of weights the validator will accept before treating them as stale.         | `base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:48`           |

<Tip>
  The effective weights endpoint is `weights_url` if set, otherwise `registry_url` (`base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:50-52`). Leave `weights_url` empty to read weights from the same host that serves the registry.
</Tip>

## Wallet and chain

`validator run` builds an on-chain submit runtime, so it needs valid wallet and chain settings from the `network.*` section. See [Settings reference](/reference/settings) for `network.wallet_name`, `network.wallet_hotkey`, `network.chain_endpoint`, and `network.netuid` (`base/src/platform_network/config/settings.py:10-17`).

<Card title="Configure your validator" icon="gear" href="/reference/config-examples">
  See the annotated `validator.example.yaml` for a complete, ready-to-edit configuration.
</Card>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Validator network" icon="shield-halved" href="/architecture/validator-network">
    The submit-only on-chain process `validator run` starts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run a validator" icon="play" href="/validators/running">
    The full operational guide for running a validator.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Weights API" icon="scale-balanced" href="/reference/api-weights">
    The weight vector the validator reads and submits.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>