Clients

Clients assemble chain-scoped capabilities into one runtime surface. Start with client(chain), then add read access, address context, or signing capability with .withX(...).

Submission only appears once a provider stage is present. Wallet-only assembly stages can sign, but they still hand signed transactions to a provider-backed client or backend for broadcast.

Overview

A client's capabilities depend on which stages you add:

• Provider stage: Enables blockchain queries and transaction submission
• Address stage: Adds wallet address context without signing
• Signer stage: Adds transaction and message signing

Different combinations create different client stages with distinct capabilities.

Client Types

Configuration Pattern

All clients start with client(chain) and add capabilities as needed:

const readClient = client(preprod).withBlockfrost({ ... })
const addressClient = client(preprod).withAddress("addr_test1...")
const signingClient = client(preprod).withBlockfrost({ ... }).withSeed({ ... })

Rules:

• client(chain) is the empty assembly stage
• Add a provider first when you need blockchain reads or submission
• Add .withAddress() when you only need wallet context
• Add .withSeed(), .withPrivateKey(), or .withCip30() when you need signing
• .withCip30() without a provider is a signing-only stage; submission still happens through provider-backed infrastructure

Decision Tree

What do you need to do?

Build + Sign + Submit transactions?
├─ Development/Testing → Signing Client with `.withSeed()`
└─ Production automation → Signing Client with `.withPrivateKey()`

Sign only in the browser (with provider-backed submission elsewhere)?
└─ Offline Signer Client with `.withCip30()`

Build only (backend)?
└─ Read-Only Client with `.withAddress()`

Query + Submit pre-signed?
└─ Read Client

Next Steps

• Client Basics - Understanding client capabilities
• Provider Setup - Provider configuration comparison
• Architecture - Frontend/backend patterns
• Wallets - Wallet types and security
• Providers - Provider-only client patterns