| name | viem-integration |
| description | Integrate EVM blockchains using viem. Use when user says "read blockchain data", "send transaction", "interact with smart contract", "connect to Ethereum", "use viem", "use wagmi", "wallet integration", "viem setup", or mentions blockchain/EVM development with TypeScript. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash(npm:*), Bash(npx:*), WebFetch, Task(subagent_type:viem-integration-expert) |
| model | opus |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"uniswap","version":"1.0.0"} |
viem Integration
Integrate EVM blockchains using viem for TypeScript/JavaScript applications.
Quick Decision Guide
| Building... | Use This |
|---|
| Node.js script/backend | viem with http transport |
| React/Next.js frontend | wagmi hooks (built on viem) |
| Real-time event monitoring | viem with webSocket transport |
| Browser wallet integration | wagmi or viem custom transport |
Installation
npm install viem
npm install wagmi viem @tanstack/react-query
Core Concepts
Clients
viem uses two client types:
| Client | Purpose | Example Use |
|---|
| PublicClient | Read-only operations | Get balances, read contracts, fetch logs |
| WalletClient | Write operations | Send transactions, sign messages |
Transports
| Transport | Use Case |
|---|
http() | Standard RPC calls (most common) |
webSocket() | Real-time event subscriptions |
custom() | Browser wallets (window.ethereum) |
Chains
viem includes 50+ chain definitions. Import from viem/chains:
import { mainnet, arbitrum, optimism, base, polygon } from 'viem/chains';
Input Validation Rules
Before interpolating ANY user-provided value into generated TypeScript code:
- Ethereum addresses: MUST match
^0x[a-fA-F0-9]{40}$ — use viem's isAddress() for validation
- Chain IDs: MUST be from viem's supported chain definitions
- Private keys: MUST NEVER be hardcoded — always use
process.env.PRIVATE_KEY with runtime validation
- RPC URLs: MUST use
https:// or wss:// protocols only
- ABI inputs: Validate types match expected Solidity types before encoding
Quick Start Examples
Read Balance
import { createPublicClient, http, formatEther } from 'viem';
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains';
const client = createPublicClient({
chain: mainnet,
transport: http(),
});
const balance = await client.getBalance({
address: '0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045',
});
console.log(`Balance: ${formatEther(balance)} ETH`);
Read Contract
import { createPublicClient, http, parseAbi } from 'viem';
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains';
const client = createPublicClient({
chain: mainnet,
transport: http(),
});
const abi = parseAbi([
'function balanceOf(address) view returns (uint256)',
'function decimals() view returns (uint8)',
]);
const balance = await client.readContract({
address: '0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48',
abi,
functionName: 'balanceOf',
args: ['0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045'],
});
Send Transaction
import { createWalletClient, http, parseEther } from 'viem';
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts';
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains';
const account = privateKeyToAccount(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY as `0x${string}`);
const client = createWalletClient({
account,
chain: mainnet,
transport: http(),
});
const hash = await client.sendTransaction({
to: '0x...',
value: parseEther('0.1'),
});
console.log(`Transaction hash: ${hash}`);
Write to Contract
import { createWalletClient, createPublicClient, http, parseAbi, parseUnits } from 'viem';
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts';
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains';
const account = privateKeyToAccount(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY as `0x${string}`);
const walletClient = createWalletClient({
account,
chain: mainnet,
transport: http(),
});
const publicClient = createPublicClient({
chain: mainnet,
transport: http(),
});
const abi = parseAbi(['function transfer(address to, uint256 amount) returns (bool)']);
const { request } = await publicClient.simulateContract({
address: '0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48',
abi,
functionName: 'transfer',
args: ['0x...', parseUnits('100', 6)],
account,
});
const hash = await walletClient.writeContract(request);
const receipt = await publicClient.waitForTransactionReceipt({ hash });
console.log(`Confirmed in block ${receipt.blockNumber}`);
Reference Documentation
For deeper coverage of specific topics:
Related Plugins
Once you're comfortable with viem basics, the uniswap-trading plugin provides comprehensive Uniswap swap integration:
- Uniswap Trading API integration
- Universal Router SDK usage
- Token swap implementations
Install it with: claude plugin add @uniswap/uniswap-trading
Common Utilities
Unit Conversion
import { parseEther, formatEther, parseUnits, formatUnits } from 'viem';
parseEther('1.5');
formatEther(1500000000000000000n);
parseUnits('100', 6);
formatUnits(100000000n, 6);
Address Utilities
import { getAddress, isAddress } from 'viem';
isAddress('0x...');
getAddress('0x...');
Hashing
import { keccak256, toHex } from 'viem';
keccak256(toHex('hello'));
Error Handling
viem throws typed errors that can be caught and handled:
import { ContractFunctionExecutionError, InsufficientFundsError } from 'viem'
try {
await client.writeContract(...)
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof ContractFunctionExecutionError) {
console.error('Contract call failed:', error.shortMessage)
}
if (error instanceof InsufficientFundsError) {
console.error('Not enough ETH for gas')
}
}
Resources