The PADME experiment at Laboratori Nationali di Frascati is designed to study possible dark matter explanations relying on the presence of a light particle that acts as a mediator between the visible and the hidden sectors. Three data-taking runs have resulted in the collection of more than \(10^{13}\) positrons-on-target. The experimental setup was initially designed to the search for associate dark photon production and later modified for the search for resonant production of a new \(X17\) particle, originally proposed by the ATOMKI Institute. The setup for the different runs, the data taking, and background studies are presented, as well as the first physics results and the prospects for the next run of PADME. Abstract Published by the Jagiellonian University 2025 authors