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Interface: Signer

A Signer represents an account on the Ethereum Blockchain, and is most often backed by a private key represented by a mnemonic or residing on a Hardware Wallet.

The API remains abstract though, so that it can deal with more advanced exotic Signing entities, such as Smart Contract Wallets or Virtual Wallets (where the private key may not be known).

Extends

  • Addressable.ContractRunner.NameResolver

Properties

provider

provider: null | Provider

The [[Provider]] attached to this Signer (if any).

Overrides

ContractRunner.provider

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:18

Methods

call()

call(tx): Promise<string>

Evaluates the //tx// by running it against the current Blockchain state. This cannot change state and has no cost in ether, as it is effectively simulating execution.

This can be used to have the Blockchain perform computations based on its state (e.g. running a Contract's getters) or to simulate the effect of a transaction before actually performing an operation.

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

Returns

Promise<string>

Overrides

ContractRunner.call

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:86


connect()

connect(provider): Signer

Returns a new instance of this Signer connected to //provider// or detached from any Provider if null.

Parameters

provider: null | Provider

Returns

Signer

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:23


estimateGas()

estimateGas(tx): Promise<bigint>

Estimates the required gas required to execute //tx// on the Blockchain. This will be the expected amount a transaction will require as its gasLimit to successfully run all the necessary computations and store the needed state that the transaction intends.

Keep in mind that this is best efforts, since the state of the Blockchain is in flux, which could affect transaction gas requirements.

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

Returns

Promise<bigint>

Overrides

ContractRunner.estimateGas

Throws

UNPREDICTABLE_GAS_LIMIT A transaction that is believed by the node to likely fail will throw an error during gas estimation. This could indicate that it will actually fail or that the circumstances are simply too complex for the node to take into account. In these cases, a manually determined gasLimit will need to be made.

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:76


getAddress()

getAddress(): Promise<string>

Get the address of the Signer.

Returns

Promise<string>

Overrides

Addressable.getAddress

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:27


getNonce()

getNonce(blockTag?): Promise<number>

Gets the next nonce required for this Signer to send a transaction.

Parameters

blockTag?: BlockTag

The blocktag to base the transaction count on, keep in mind many nodes do not honour this value and silently ignore it [default: "latest"]

Returns

Promise<number>

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:34


populateCall()

populateCall(tx): Promise<TransactionLike<string>>

Prepares a TransactionRequest for calling:

  • resolves to and from addresses
  • if from is specified , check that it matches this Signer

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

The call to prepare

Returns

Promise<TransactionLike<string>>

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:42


populateTransaction()

populateTransaction(tx): Promise<TransactionLike<string>>

Prepares a TransactionRequest for sending to the network by populating any missing properties:

  • resolves to and from addresses
  • if from is specified , check that it matches this Signer
  • populates nonce via signer.getNonce("pending")
  • populates gasLimit via signer.estimateGas(tx)
  • populates chainId via signer.provider.getNetwork()
  • populates type and relevant fee data for that type (gasPrice for legacy transactions, maxFeePerGas for EIP-1559, etc)

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

The call to prepare

Returns

Promise<TransactionLike<string>>

Note

Some Signer implementations may skip populating properties that are populated downstream; for example JsonRpcSigner defers to the node to populate the nonce and fee data.

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:60


resolveName()

resolveName(name): Promise<null | string>

Resolves an ENS Name to an address.

Parameters

name: string

Returns

Promise<null | string>

Overrides

ContractRunner.resolveName

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:90


sendTransaction()

sendTransaction(tx): Promise<TransactionResponse>

Sends %%tx%% to the Network. The signer.populateTransaction(tx) is called first to ensure all necessary properties for the transaction to be valid have been popualted first.

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

Returns

Promise<TransactionResponse>

Overrides

ContractRunner.sendTransaction

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:101


signMessage()

signMessage(message): Promise<string>

Signs an [[link-eip-191]] prefixed personal message.

If the %%message%% is a string, it is signed as UTF-8 encoded bytes. It is not interpretted as a [[BytesLike]]; so the string "0x1234" is signed as six characters, not two bytes.

To sign that example as two bytes, the Uint8Array should be used (i.e. new Uint8Array([ 0x12, 0x34 ])).

Parameters

message: string | Uint8Array

Returns

Promise<string>

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:112


signTransaction()

signTransaction(tx): Promise<string>

Signs %%tx%%, returning the fully signed transaction. This does not populate any additional properties within the transaction.

Parameters

tx: TransactionRequest

Returns

Promise<string>

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:95


signTypedData()

signTypedData(domain, types, value): Promise<string>

Signs the [[link-eip-712]] typed data.

Parameters

domain: TypedDataDomain

types: Record<string, TypedDataField[]>

value: Record<string, any>

Returns

Promise<string>

Source

ethers/lib.commonjs/providers/signer.d.ts:116