1. Introduction
Before deploying to Polkadot mainnet, developers test their applications on Paseo, Polkadot’s community-run testnet. Paseo uses tokens called PAS. They work the same way DOT does on mainnet, covering fees and enabling you to interact with the network, but they carry no real value and exist only for testing.
This guide walks through the full process: installing a wallet, connecting it to Paseo, and requesting PAS from the official faucet. For background on what a testnet is and why it matters, see the companion article: What Is a Testnet? A Guide for Polkadot Developers.
2. Understanding Paseo and PAS Tokens
Paseo is the main testnet for Polkadot developers. It mirrors Polkadot’s mainnet software and runs under real network conditions, so developers can test against something that closely resembles production.
Source: Paseo
Every transaction on Paseo requires PAS to cover fees. No PAS means no ability to interact with the network, same as DOT on mainnet. PAS tokens are free, cannot be traded, and cannot be converted into DOT or any real asset. They have one purpose: letting developers test without spending anything.
3. What You Need Before Requesting PAS Tokens
Before visiting the faucet, two things need to be in place.
A Substrate (Polkadot-compatible) wallet. The ecosystem supports several options: Talisman, SubWallet, Nova Wallet, PolkaGate, and the Polkadot.js browser extension. All of them can generate an account and connect to Paseo.
The wallet must be set to Paseo. Polkadot wallets can connect to multiple networks and default to Polkadot mainnet. If the wallet is pointed at the wrong network, PAS tokens will not show up even if the faucet request went through correctly. Before doing anything else, open the network selector inside the wallet and switch it to Paseo.
Once set up, copy the wallet’s public address. This is what gets pasted into the faucet. It is safe to share publicly. It is completely separate from the private key or seed phrase, which should never be shared with anyone under any circumstances.
4. Step-by-Step: How to Get PAS Tokens from the Polkadot Faucet
Source: Polkadot Faucet
Step 1: Go to https://faucet.polkadot.io in your browser. This is the only official faucet for PAS tokens. Do not use any unofficial site claiming to distribute them.
Step 2: Find the network selector in the faucet interface and choose Paseo. Paseo includes several chains, such as the Relay Chain, Asset Hub, and Bridge Hub, so also select the specific chain where tokens are needed. For most testing, the Paseo Relay Chain is the right starting point.
Step 3: Paste your Paseo wallet address into the address field. Check it matches what your wallet shows while connected to Paseo.
Step 4: Complete the captcha and submit. The faucet will send 5,000 PAS to the address provided. It usually arrives within a few moments.
Step 5: Open your wallet and check the balance. If the tokens are not showing, confirm the wallet is still set to Paseo and refresh. One important thing to know: PAS balances are chain-specific. Funding an account on the Paseo Relay Chain does not fund the same account on Paseo Asset Hub. If testing on multiple chains is needed, each one needs its own funding.
5. Faucet Limits and How to Plan Around Them
Each request sends 5,000 PAS. The faucet applies a 24-hour cooldown per account across all Paseo chains. If PAS is requested for the Relay Chain, the same account cannot request again for Asset Hub or any other Paseo chain until 24 hours have passed. The cooldown is account-wide, not chain-specific.
The simplest way around this for developers needing PAS on multiple chains at once is to use a separate account per chain, or to spread requests across consecutive days. Submitting multiple requests quickly does not bypass the limit.
6. Verifying Your PAS Token Balance Onchain
After receiving PAS, the transaction can be confirmed using a block explorer that supports Paseo. Paste the wallet address into the explorer and look for the faucet transaction in the account history. It will show the amount received, the block it was included in, and the timestamp.
This is optional but worth doing at least once. Reading a transaction in a block explorer is a basic skill for anyone working with blockchain networks, and Paseo is a good place to get comfortable with it.
7. Conclusion
Getting PAS takes about two minutes. Install a Substrate (Polkadot-compatible) wallet, connect it to Paseo, and request tokens at https://faucet.polkadot.io.
PAS has no real value and only works on Paseo. That is exactly the point. It gives developers a realistic place to test where nothing is at stake, so that by the time an application reaches mainnet, the obvious problems are already gone.