Quickstart - Browser

This page will introduce the primary operations provided by Request Network’s SDK while using the Web3SignatureProvider to sign requests with a private key stored inside a wallet.
This approach works well for Browser environments with access to a web3 wallet.
You will learn:
How to create a request
How to update a request (coming soon...)
How to pay a request
How to detect a payment
How to retrieve a user’s requests
Create a request
To create an unencrypted ERC-20 request, first connect to an ethers v5 Provider and Signer or wagmi / viem WalletClient.
Unfortunately, the Request Network SDK does not yet support ethers v6.
ethers v5
wagmi
viem
import { providers } from "ethers";
​
let provider;
if (process.env.WEB3_PROVIDER_URL === undefined) {
  // Connect to Metamask and other injected wallets
  provider = new providers.Web3Provider(window.ethereum);
} else {
  // Connect to your own Ethereum node or 3rd party node provider
  provider = new providers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.WEB3_PROVIDER_URL);
}
// getDefaultProvider() won't work because it doesn't include a Signer.
import { useWalletClient } from "wagmi";
​
const { data: walletClient } = useWalletClient();
Very similar to wagmi, but without using hooks. Construct your own WalletClient object.
Then, construct a Web3SignatureProvider, passing in the ethers Provider or viem WalletClient.
import { Web3SignatureProvider } from "@requestnetwork/web3-signature";
​
const web3SignatureProvider = new Web3SignatureProvider(provider);
Then, construct a RequestNetwork, passing in the:
Request Node URL. In this example, we use the Goerli Request Node Gateway.
Web3SignatureProvider constructed in the previous step.
import { RequestNetwork } from "@requestnetwork/request-client.js"
​
const requestClient = new RequestNetwork({
  nodeConnectionConfig: { 
    baseURL: "https://goerli.gateway.request.network/",
  },
  signatureProvider: web3SignatureProvider,
});
Then, prepare the Request creation parameters:
import { Types, Utils } from "@requestnetwork/request-client.js";
​
const payeeIdentity = '0x7eB023BFbAeE228de6DC5B92D0BeEB1eDb1Fd567';
const payerIdentity = '0x519145B771a6e450461af89980e5C17Ff6Fd8A92';
const paymentRecipient = payeeIdentity;
const feeRecipient = '0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000';
​
const requestCreateParameters = {
  requestInfo: {
    
    // The currency in which the request is denominated
    currency: {
      type: Types.RequestLogic.CURRENCY.ERC20,
      value: '0xBA62BCfcAaFc6622853cca2BE6Ac7d845BC0f2Dc',
      network: 'goerli',
    },
    
    // The expected amount as a string, in parsed units, respecting `decimals`
    // Consider using `parseUnits()` from ethers or viem
    expectedAmount: '1000000000000000000',
    
    // The payee identity. Not necessarily the same as the payment recipient.
    payee: {
      type: Types.Identity.TYPE.ETHEREUM_ADDRESS,
      value: payeeIdentity,
    },
    
    // The payer identity. If omitted, any identity can pay the request.
    payer: {
      type: Types.Identity.TYPE.ETHEREUM_ADDRESS,
      value: payerIdentity,
    },
    
    // The request creation timestamp.
    timestamp: Utils.getCurrentTimestampInSecond(),
  },
  
  // The paymentNetwork is the method of payment and related details.
  paymentNetwork: {
    id: Types.Extension.PAYMENT_NETWORK_ID.ERC20_FEE_PROXY_CONTRACT,
    parameters: {
      paymentNetworkName: 'goerli',
      paymentAddress: payeeIdentity,
      feeAddress: feeRecipient,  
      feeAmount: '0',
    },
  },
  
  // The contentData can contain anything.
  // Consider using rnf_invoice format from @requestnetwork/data-format
  contentData: {
    reason: '🍕',
    dueDate: '2023.06.16',
  },
  
  // The identity that signs the request, either payee or payer identity.
  signer: {
    type: Types.Identity.TYPE.ETHEREUM_ADDRESS,
    value: payeeIdentity,
  },
};
Then, call createRequest() to prepare a Request object.
const request = await requestClient.createRequest(requestCreateParameters);
Finally, call request.waitForConfirmation() to wait until:
The request contents are persisted in IPFS
The Content-addressable ID (CID) is stored on-chain
The resulting on-chain event is indexed by the storage subgraph.
const confirmedRequestData = await request.waitForConfirmation();
CodeSandBox: Create a request
​https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/create-a-request-shffng?file=/app/page.tsx:43,1​
Pay a request
First, construct a RequestNetwork object and connect it to a Request Node. In this example, we use the Goerli Request Node Gateway:
Note that paying a request doesn't require a SignatureProvider be passed into the RequestNetwork object.
import { RequestNetwork, Types } from "@requestnetwork/request-client.js";
​
const requestClient = new RequestNetwork({
  nodeConnectionConfig: { 
    baseURL: "https://goerli.gateway.request.network/",
  }
});
Then, retrieve the request and get the request data. Take note of the current request balance, to be used later for payment detection.
const request = await requestClient.fromRequestId(
  '019830e9ec0439e53ec41fc627fd1d0293ec4bc61c2a647673ec5aaaa0e6338855',
);
const requestData = request.getData();
Then, construct an ethers v5 Provider and Signer. These allow you to read and write to the chain, respectively.
Unfortunately, the Request Network SDK does not yet support ethers v6.
ethers v5
wagmi
viem
import { providers } from "ethers";
​
let provider;
if (process.env.WEB3_PROVIDER_URL === undefined) {
  // Connect to Metamask and other injected wallets
  provider = new providers.Web3Provider(window.ethereum);
} else {
  // Connect to your own Ethereum node or 3rd party node provider
  provider = new providers.JsonRpcProvider(process.env.WEB3_PROVIDER_URL);
}
// getDefaultProvider() won't work because it doesn't include a Signer.
​
const signer = await provider.getSigner();
page.tsx
import { useEthersV5Provider } from './use-ethers-v5-provider';
import { useEthersV5Signer } from './use-ethers-v5-signer';
​
return Page() {
  const provider = useEthersV5Provider();
  const signer = useEthersV5Signer();
  ...
}
Ethers.js Adapters copied from https://wagmi.sh/react/ethers-adapters​
use-ethers-v5-provider.ts
import { useMemo } from "react";
import { providers } from "ethers";
import { type HttpTransport } from "viem";
import { type PublicClient, usePublicClient } from "wagmi";
​
export function publicClientToProvider(publicClient: PublicClient) {
  const { chain, transport } = publicClient;
  const network = {
    chainId: chain.id,
    name: chain.name,
    ensAddress: chain.contracts?.ensRegistry?.address,
  };
  if (transport.type === "fallback")
    return new providers.FallbackProvider(
      (transport.transports as ReturnType<HttpTransport>[]).map(
        ({ value }) => new providers.JsonRpcProvider(value?.url, network)
      )
    );
​
  return new providers.JsonRpcProvider(transport.url as string, network);
}
​
/** Hook to convert a viem Public Client to an ethers.js Provider. */
export function useEthersV5Provider({ chainId }: { chainId?: number } = {}) {
  const publicClient = usePublicClient({ chainId });
  return useMemo(() => publicClientToProvider(publicClient), [publicClient]);
}
use-ethers-v5-signer.ts
import { useMemo } from "react";
import { providers } from "ethers";
import { type WalletClient, useWalletClient } from "wagmi";
​
export function walletClientToSigner(walletClient: WalletClient) {
  const { account, chain, transport } = walletClient;
  const network = {
    chainId: chain.id,
    name: chain.name,
    ensAddress: chain.contracts?.ensRegistry?.address,
  };
  const provider = new providers.Web3Provider(transport, network);
  const signer = provider.getSigner(account.address);
  return signer;
}
​
/** Hook to convert a viem Wallet Client to an ethers.js Signer. */
export function useEthersV5Signer({ chainId }: { chainId?: number } = {}) {
  const { data: walletClient } = useWalletClient({ chainId });
  return useMemo(
    () => (walletClient ? walletClientToSigner(walletClient) : undefined),
    [walletClient]
  );
}
​
Very similar to wagmi, but without using hooks. Instead, call publicClientToProvider() or walletClientToSigner()
Then, check that the payer has sufficient funds using hasSufficientFunds()
import { hasSufficientFunds } from "@requestnetwork/payment-processor";
​
const _hasSufficientFunds = await hasSufficientFunds(
  requestData,
  payerAddress,
  {
    provider: provider,
  },
);
Then, in the case of an ERC-20 request, check that the payer has granted sufficient approval using hasErc20Approval(). If not, submit an approval transaction using approveErc20. Wait for an appropriate number of block confirmations. On Goerli or Ethereum, 2 block confirmations should suffice. Other chains may require more.
import { approveErc20, hasErc20Approval } from "@requestnetwork/payment-processor";
​
const _hasErc20Approval = await hasErc20Approval(
  requestData,
  payerAddress,
  provider
);
if (!_hasErc20Approval) {
  const approvalTx = await approveErc20(requestData, signer);
  await approvalTx.wait(2);
}
Finally, pay the request using payRequest()
import { payRequest } from "@requestnetwork/payment-processor";
​
const paymentTx = await payRequest(requestData, signer);
await paymentTx.wait(2);
You can detect that the payment was successful by polling the request and waiting until the request balance is greater than or equal to the expected amount.
const request = await requestClient.fromRequestId(requestData.requestId);
let requestData = request.getData();
​
while (requestData.balance?.balance < requestData.expectedAmount) {
  requestData = await request.refresh();
  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
}
CodeSandBox: Create and pay a request and detect a payment
​https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/pay-a-request-dn7kcf?file=/app/page.tsx:71,1​
Video: Create and pay a request and detect a payment
Retrieve a user's requests
First, construct a RequestNetwork object and connect it to a Request Node. In this example, we use the Goerli Request Node Gateway:
import { RequestNetwork, Types } from "@requestnetwork/request-client.js";
const requestClient = new RequestNetwork({
  nodeConnectionConfig: { 
    baseURL: "https://goerli.gateway.request.network/",
  },
});
Then, call fromIdentity() to get an array of Request objects or fromRequestId() to get a single Request object. This function retrieves the Requests stored in IPFS and queries on-chain events to determine the balances paid so far. Finally, call getData() on each Request to get the request contents.
fromIdentity()
fromRequestId()
const identityAddress = "0x519145B771a6e450461af89980e5C17Ff6Fd8A92";
const requests = await requestClient.fromIdentity({
  type: Types.Identity.TYPE.ETHEREUM_ADDRESS,
  value: identityAddress,
});
const requestDatas = requests.map((request) => request.getData());
const request = await requestClient.fromRequestId(
  '019830e9ec0439e53ec41fc627fd1d0293ec4bc61c2a647673ec5aaaa0e6338855',
);
const requestData = request.getData();
CodeSandBox: Retrieve a user's requests
​https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/retrieve-a-users-requests-mqrjqy?file=/app/page.tsx:10,1​
Video: Retrieve a user's requests
Last modified 2mo ago