---
eip: 1193
title: Ethereum Provider JavaScript API
author: Ryan Ghods (@ryanio), Marc Garreau (@marcgarreau)
discussions-to: https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/eip-1193-ethereum-provider-javascript-api/640
status: Draft
type: Standards Track
category: Interface
created: 2018-06-30
requires: 1102
---

## Summary

This EIP formalizes an Ethereum Provider JavaScript API for consistency across clients and applications.

The provider is designed to be minimal, containing 4 methods: `enable`, `send`, `subscribe`, and `unsubscribe`. It emits 4 types of events: `connect`, `close`, `networkChanged`, and `accountsChanged`.

It is intended to be available on `window.ethereum`.

## API

### Enable

By default a "read-only" provider is supplied to allow access to the blockchain while preserving user privacy.

A full provider can be requested to allow account-level methods:

```js
ethereum.enable(): Promise<Boolean>;
```

This shows a dialog to the user asking if they would like to authenticate any account(s) to the dapp.

Promise resolves with `true` or rejects with `Error`.

### Send

Ethereum API methods can be sent and received:

```js
ethereum.send(method: String, params?: Array<any>): Promise<any>;
```

Promise resolves with `result` or rejects with `Error`.

See the [available methods](https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/JSON-RPC#json-rpc-methods).

### Subscriptions

#### Subscribe

```js
ethereum.subscribe(subscriptionType: String, subscriptionMethod: String, params?: Array<any>): Promise<String>;
```

`subscriptionType` is expected to be `eth_subscribe` or `shh_subscribe`.

See the [eth subscription methods](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/RPC-PUB-SUB#supported-subscriptions) and [shh subscription methods](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/wiki/Whisper-v6-RPC-API#shh_subscribe).

Promise resolves with `subscriptionId: String` or rejects with `Error`.

Results emit on `subscriptionId` using [EventEmitter](https://nodejs.org/api/events.html). Attach listeners with:

```js
ethereum.on(subscriptionId, listener: (result: any) => void): this;
```

The event emits with `result`, the subscription `result` or an `Error` object.

#### Unsubscribe

```js
ethereum.unsubscribe(subscriptionType: String, subscriptionId: String): Promise<Boolean>;
```

`subscriptionType` is expected to be `eth_unsubscribe` or `shh_unsubscribe`.

Promise resolves with `success: Boolean` or rejects with `Error`.

All [EventEmitter](https://nodejs.org/api/events.html) listeners on `subscriptionId` will also be removed.

### Events

Events are emitted using [EventEmitter](https://nodejs.org/api/events.html).

#### connect

The provider emits `connect` on connect to a network.

```js
ethereum.on('connect', listener: () => void): this;
```

You can detect which network by sending `net_version`:

```js
const network = await ethereum.send('net_version');
> '1'
```

#### close

The provider emits `close` on disconnect from a network.

```js
ethereum.on('close', listener: (code: Number, reason: String) => void): this;
```

The event emits with `code` and `reason`. The code follows the table of [`CloseEvent` status codes](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CloseEvent#Status_codes).

#### networkChanged

The provider emits `networkChanged` on connect to a new network.

```js
ethereum.on('networkChanged', listener: (networkId: String) => void): this;
```

The event emits with `networkId`, the new network returned from `net_version`.

#### accountsChanged

The provider emits `accountsChanged` if the accounts returned from the provider (`eth_accounts`) changes.

```js
ethereum.on('accountsChanged', listener: (accounts: Array<String>) => void): this;
```

The event emits with `accounts`, an array of the accounts' public keys.

### Constructor

```js
ethereum.constructor.name;
> 'EthereumProvider'
```

## Examples

```js
const ethereum = window.ethereum;

// A) Primary use case - set provider in web3.js
web3.setProvider(ethereum);

// B) Secondary use case - use provider object directly
// Example 1: Log last block
ethereum
  .send('eth_getBlockByNumber', ['latest', 'true'])
  .then(block => {
    console.log(`Block ${block.number}:`, block);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(
      `Error fetching last block: ${error.message}.
       Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
    );
  });

// Example 2: Enable full provider
ethereum
  .enable()
  .then(success => {
    if (success) {
      console.log(`Ethereum provider enabled enabled!`);

      // Example 3: Log available accounts
      ethereum
        .send('eth_accounts')
        .then(accounts => {
          console.log(`Accounts:\n${accounts.join('\n')}`);
        })
        .catch(error => {
          console.error(
            `Error fetching accounts: ${error.message}.
          Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
          );
        });
    }
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(
      `Error enabling provider: ${error.message}.
      Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
    );
  });

// Example 4: Log new blocks
let subId;
ethereum
  .subscribe('eth_subscribe', 'newHeads')
  .then(subscriptionId => {
    subId = subscriptionId;
    ethereum.on(subscriptionId, block => {
      if (block instanceof Error) {
        const error = result;
        console.error(
          `Error from newHeads subscription: ${error.message}.
           Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
        );
      } else {
        console.log(`New block ${block.number}:`, block);
      }
    });
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(
      `Error making newHeads subscription: ${error.message}.
       Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
    );
  });
// to unsubscribe
ethereum
  .unsubscribe('eth_unsubscribe', subId)
  .then(result => {
    console.log(`Unsubscribed newHeads subscription ${subscriptionId}`);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error(
      `Error unsubscribing newHeads subscription: ${error.message}.
       Code: ${error.code}. Data: ${error.data}`
    );
  });

// Example 5: Log when accounts change
const logAccounts = accounts => {
  console.log(`Accounts:\n${accounts.join('\n')}`);
};
ethereum.on('accountsChanged', logAccounts);
// to unsubscribe
ethereum.removeListener('accountsChanged', logAccounts);

// Example 6: Log if connection ends
ethereum.on('close', (code, reason) => {
  console.log(`Ethereum provider connection closed: ${reason}. Code: ${code}`);
});
```

## Specification

### Enable

The provider supplied to a new dapp **MUST** be a "read-only" provider: authenticating no accounts by default, returning a blank array for `eth_accounts`, and rejecting any methods that require an account with Error code 4100.

If the dapp has been previously authenticated and remembered by the user, then the provider supplied on load **MAY** automatically be enabled with the previously authenticated accounts.

If no accounts are authenticated, the `enable` method **MUST** ask the user which account(s) they would like to authenticate to the dapp. If the request has been previously granted and remembered, the `enable` method **MAY** immediately return.

The `enable` method **MUST** return a Promise that resolves with true or rejects with an `Error`. If the accounts enabled by provider change, the `accountsChanged` event **MUST** also emit.

### Send

The `send` method **MUST** send a properly formatted [JSON-RPC request](https://www.jsonrpc.org/specification#request_object).

If the Ethereum JSON-RPC API returns a response object with no error, then the Promise **MUST** resolve with the `response.result` object untouched by the implementing Ethereum Provider.

If the Ethereum JSON-RPC API returns response object that contains an error property then the Promise **MUST** reject with an Error object containing the `response.error.message` as the Error message, `response.error.code` as a code property on the error and `response.error.data` as a data property on the error.

If an error occurs during processing, such as an HTTP error or internal parsing error, then the Promise **MUST** reject with an `Error` object.

If the implementing Ethereum Provider is not talking to an external Ethereum JSON-RPC API provider then it **MUST** resolve with an object that matches the JSON-RPC API object as specified in the [Ethereum JSON-RPC documentation](https://github.com/ethereum/wiki/wiki/JSON-RPC).

If the JSON-RPC request requires an account that is not yet authenticated, the Promise **MUST** reject with an `Error`.

### Subscriptions

The `subscribe` method **MUST** send a properly formatted [JSON-RPC request](https://www.jsonrpc.org/specification#request_object) with method `subscriptionType` (`eth_subscribe` or `shh_subscribe`) and params `[subscriptionMethod: String, ...params: Array<any>]`. It **MUST** return a Promise that resolves with `id: String` or rejects with an Error object.

The `unsubscribe` method **MUST** send a properly formatted [JSON-RPC request](https://www.jsonrpc.org/specification#request_object) with method `subscriptionType` (`eth_unsubscribe` or `shh_unsubscribe`) and params `[subscriptionId: String]`. It **MUST** return a Promise that resolves with `result: Boolean` or rejects with an Error object.

If the `unsubscribe` method returns successfully with a `True` result, the implementing provider **MUST** remove all listeners on the `subscriptionId` using `ethereum.removeAllListeners(subscriptionId);`.

If an error occurs during processing of the subscription, such as an HTTP error or internal parsing error then the Promise **MUST** return with an Error object.

The implementing Ethereum Provider **MUST** emit every subscription response `result` to the eventName of the `subscriptionId`.

If an error occurs or the network changes during the listening of the subscription, the Ethereum Provider **MUST** emit an Error object to the eventName of the `subscriptionId`.

If the implementing provider does not support subscriptions, then it **MUST** leave the `subscribe` and `unsubscribe` methods undefined.

### Events

If the network connects, the Ethereum Provider **MUST** emit an event named `connect`.

If the network connection closes, the Ethereum Provider **MUST** emit an event named `close` with args `code: Number, reason: String` following the [status codes for `CloseEvent`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CloseEvent#Status_codes).

If the network the provider is connected to changes, the provider **MUST** emit an event named `networkChanged` with args `networkId: String` containing the ID of the new network (using the Ethereum JSON-RPC call `net_version`).

If the accounts connected to the Ethereum Provider change, the Ethereum Provider **MUST** send an event with the name `accountsChanged` with args `accounts: Array<String>` containing the accounts' public key(s).

### Class

The name of the constructor of the Ethereum Provider **MUST** be `EthereumProvider`.

### web3.js Backwards Compatibility

If the implementing Ethereum Provider would like to be compatible with `web3.js` prior to `1.0.0-beta37`, it **MUST** provide two methods: `sendAsync(payload: Object, callback: (error: any, result: any) => void): void` and `isConnected(): Boolean`.

### Error object and codes

If an Error object is returned, it **MUST** contain a human readable string message describing the error and **SHOULD** populate the `code` and `data` properties on the error object with additional error details.

Appropriate error codes **SHOULD** follow the table of [`CloseEvent` status codes](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CloseEvent#Status_codes), along with the following table:

| Status code | Name                       | Description                                                                                             |
| ----------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 4001        | User Denied Full Provider  | User denied enabling the full Ethereum Provider by choosing not to authorize any accounts for the dapp. |
| 4010        | User Denied Create Account | User denied creating a new account.                                                                     |
| 4100        | Unauthorized               | The requested account has not been authorized by the user.                                              |

## Sample Class Implementation

```js
class EthereumProvider extends EventEmitter {
  constructor() {
    // Call super for `this` to be defined
    super();

    // Init storage
    this._isConnected = false;
    this._nextJsonrpcId = 0;
    this._promises = {};
    this._activeSubscriptions = [];

    // Fire the connect
    this._connect();

    // Listen for jsonrpc responses
    window.addEventListener('message', this._handleJsonrpcMessage.bind(this));
  }

  /* Methods */

  enable() {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      window.mist
        .requestAccounts()
        .then(accounts => {
          if (accounts.length > 0) {
            resolve(true);
          } else {
            const error = new Error('User Denied Full Provider');
            error.code = 4001;
            reject(error);
          }
        })
        .catch(reject);
    });
  }

  send(method, params = []) {
    if (!method || typeof method !== 'string') {
      return new Error('Method is not a valid string.');
    }

    if (!(params instanceof Array)) {
      return new Error('Params is not a valid array.');
    }

    const id = this._nextJsonrpcId++;
    const jsonrpc = '2.0';
    const payload = { jsonrpc, id, method, params };

    const promise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      this._promises[payload.id] = { resolve, reject };
    });

    // Send jsonrpc request to Mist
    window.postMessage(
      { type: 'mistAPI_ethereum_provider_write', message: payload },
      targetOrigin
    );

    return promise;
  }

  subscribe(subscriptionType, subscriptionMethod, params = []) {
    return this.send(subscriptionType, [subscriptionMethod, ...params]).then(
      subscriptionId => {
        this._activeSubscriptions.push(subscriptionId);
        return subscriptionId;
      }
    );
  }

  unsubscribe(subscriptionType, subscriptionId) {
    return this.send(subscriptionType, [subscriptionId]).then(success => {
      if (success) {
        // Remove subscription
        this._activeSubscription = this._activeSubscription.filter(
          id => id !== subscriptionId
        );
        // Remove listeners on subscriptionId
        this.removeAllListeners(subscriptionId);
        return success;
      }
    });
  }

  /* Internal methods */

  _handleJsonrpcMessage(event) {
    // Return if no data to parse
    if (!event || !event.data) {
      return;
    }

    let data;
    try {
      data = JSON.parse(event.data);
    } catch (error) {
      // Return if we can't parse a valid object
      return;
    }

    // Return if not a jsonrpc response
    if (!data || !data.message || !data.message.jsonrpc) {
      return;
    }

    const message = data.message;
    const { id, method, error, result } = message;

    if (typeof id !== 'undefined') {
      const promise = this._promises[id];
      if (promise) {
        // Handle pending promise
        if (data.type === 'error') {
          promise.reject(message);
        } else if (message.error) {
          promise.reject(error);
        } else {
          promise.resolve(result);
        }
        delete this._promises[id];
      }
    } else {
      if (method && method.indexOf('_subscription') > -1) {
        // Emit subscription result
        const { subscription, result } = message.params;
        this.emit(subscription, result);
      }
    }
  }

  /* Connection handling */

  _connect() {
    // Send to Mist
    window.postMessage(
      { type: 'mistAPI_ethereum_provider_connect' },
      targetOrigin
    );

    // Reconnect on close
    this.once('close', this._connect.bind(this));
  }

  /* Events */

  _emitConnect() {
    this._isConnected = true;
    this.emit('connect');
  }

  _emitClose(code, reason) {
    this._isConnected = false;
    this.emit('close', code, reason);

    // Send Error objects to any open subscriptions
    this._activeSubscriptions.forEach(id => {
      const error = new Error(
        `Provider connection to network closed.
         Subscription lost, please subscribe again.`
      );
      this.emit(id, error);
    });
    // Clear subscriptions
    this._activeSubscriptions = [];
  }

  _emitNetworkChanged(networkId) {
    this.emit('networkChanged', networkId);
  }

  _emitAccountsChanged(accounts) {
    this.emit('accountsChanged', accounts);
  }

  /* web3.js Provider Backwards Compatibility */

  sendAsync(payload, callback) {
    return this.send(payload.method, payload.params)
      .then(result => {
        const response = payload;
        response.result = result;
        callback(null, response);
      })
      .catch(error => {
        callback(error, null);
        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
        console.error(
          `Error from EthereumProvider sendAsync ${payload}: ${error}`
        );
      });
  }

  isConnected() {
    return this._isConnected;
  }
}
```

## Copyright

Copyright and related rights waived via [CC0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).