First visit, step by step
You only need Tor Browser. Nothing else, no extensions, no plugins.
Get Tor Browser
Download it from the official site: torproject.org. There is a desktop build for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and an Android app. On iOS the app is called Onion Browser. Do not take it from third-party pages, forums, or Telegram posts. Those are exactly the places where a modified build sneaks in, and a modified build defeats the point of Tor.
Paste the full address
Take the address from the block at the top of this page, or from the addresses page. Open a new tab in Tor Browser and paste the full string, including the .onion part. Do not click links in e-mails or forum posts. That is how people end up on clones: the link looks right, the page looks right, and only the address string gives it away.
Wait out the queue
The first thing you will see is a short access queue page. It asks you not to refresh. It is doing its job: forwarding you to the storefront. The first load takes somewhere between 10 and 60 seconds depending on your circuit. Do not hit reload, do not open a second tab, do not kill the process. If you interrupt it, you just start the queue over.
What a correct load looks like
You should land on the storefront: a category sidebar on the left, product cards with images and prices, a search box, and a banner across the top that shows the canonical onion address. Compare that banner to the string in your browser bar. There is also a link to log in or register. If the page you get looks like the market but the address in the bar does not match, you are on a clone. The check is in how to verify an onion address.
Leave the settings alone
Keep the security level at Standard. Do not install extra extensions. The Safest setting can break the market's scripts, and you will get a half-loaded page that feels like something is wrong when it is just you. A VPN on top of Tor adds nothing. A VPN instead of Tor will not reach .onion addresses at all.
Mistakes that ruin a first visit
- Opening the address in a regular browser with a VPN. .onion does not resolve there, period.
- Clicking a link from Telegram or e-mail instead of pasting the address yourself.
- Refreshing the queue page in a loop. Every reload restarts the wait.
- Buying from the same profile where you also check clearnet mail. Separate profiles, separate concerns.
- Typing the address by hand. It is 56 characters. One wrong character is a different site.
If something goes sideways, troubleshooting lists what usually helps. If you want the bigger picture on how to stay untraceable while using the market, read security.