Polkadot Extension: How to Sign a Transaction Print
Modified on: Mon, 30 Oct, 2023 at 5:28 PM
Signing a transaction is the final step of any transaction, like sending funds out of your account. A transaction will not be broadcasted in the blockchain until you sign it. You sign a transaction with your private key for your account, proving that you own this account. The signing process, however, depends on what wallet or account manager you use.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Signing a transaction in the Polkadot extension
When you create your accounts in the Polkadot browser extension, you need a UI to interact with your accounts and initiate transactions.
‼️ IMPORTANT The Polkadot extension is an account manager meant for power users and developers. There are several user-friendly browser extensions funded by the Polkadot Treasury that support a lot of features right from the extension. Discover them on Polkadot's homepage.
1. On Polkadot-JS UI, after you initiate a transaction and click "Sign and Submit," a new window will pop up:
2. It is the Polkadot browser extension asking you to sign a transaction. Here you can check the transaction details once again:
How can I verify what extrinsic I'm signing?
ℹ️ INFO
In the transaction details, the amount is displayed in Planck. One DOT contains 10,000,000,000 Planck. You can read more about it in our article.3. To sign the transaction, enter your account password and click the "Sign the transaction" button:
4. If you want to send other transactions soon, click the "Remember my password for the next 15 minutes" checkbox. It will allow you to skip entering your password for the next 15 minutes. You can make it 15 more minutes every time you send a transaction.
5. Congratulations, you have signed a transaction! It will be included in the blockchain within a few seconds. You can now open any of the block explorers to view your transaction:
Cannot sign a transaction?
Sometimes it might happen that we cannot sign a transaction. Here are described some of the causes and possible solutions.
The new window doesn't appear
If a new window doesn't pop up after you click "Sign and Submit," please check if your browser blocked it:
You can allow pop-ups after you click on the blocked window icon.
The Polkadot extension icon in the toolbar will have a red number on it if you have unsigned transactions waiting:
If you blocked the window, hid it, or accidentally closed it, click on the extension icon to open it and sign the transaction.
My password is invalid
We have compiled a few things to try in this article:
If you don't know your password but have your mnemonic phrase, you can restore your account and set a new password.
My transaction failed
Signing a transaction means that it will be included in the blockchain. However, it doesn't always mean it will be executed. You can check the result of your transaction on a block explorer. Sometimes a transaction cannot be executed, and it fails:
Please check the article "Why can't I Transfer Tokens?" to help you understand why your transaction failed, fix the issue, and send the transaction again.
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Send feedbackDisclaimer: We always strive to provide you with the best support we can and we take all care to ensure that our instructions are accurate and concise. However, following these instructions properly, as well as the general management of your accounts and funds, is ultimately your responsibility. Web3 Foundation cannot be held liable for any accidental loss of funds or any other damage you might incur.
