How to add a custom network
- Author
- CRYPTO PORT Editorial
- Published
- Updated
- Reading time
- 5 min
In short
To use a chain your wallet does not ship with, you register its RPC endpoint, chain ID and related values in the network settings. Take those values from the chain's own official documentation. Pasting in settings from a list site you found by searching, or from someone who sent them to you, risks having your activity observed or being pointed at a counterfeit chain.
Key points
- Take the values — RPC URL, chain ID, currency symbol, explorer — from official documentation
- A mismatched chain ID means signatures fail, or you connect to a different chain entirely
- Adding a network does not add funds; it only registers where to connect
- Field names and menu locations vary by app, so learn the flow rather than the labels
Definition
Manually registering an RPC endpoint, chain ID and related details for a blockchain your wallet does not include by default, so you can view balances and transact on it.
Wallets normally ship with a handful of major chains already registered. You add a network yourself when you want to use something else, or a test network. What you typically need is five things: a network name, an RPC URL, a chain ID, the symbol of the currency used for fees, and a block explorer URL. Which of these are required, and what they are called, differs by app.
Where those values come from is the important part. Open the official documentation published by the organisation behind the chain and use the values written there. The RPC URL is the route your balance queries and transactions travel along. Registering an RPC of unknown origin lets its operator see which address did what and when, and a malicious one can display fabricated balances to push you into a bad decision. The more freely a configuration is handed around, the more it is worth checking its source.
The operation itself is simple. Generally there is an item meaning 'add network' in the settings or network-selection menu, where you enter the values and save. A dApp may also propose adding one, in which case the wallet shows a confirmation. A proposal is not a guarantee, so compare the chain ID and the RPC domain on screen against the official documentation before approving.
After saving, switch to the network and see whether a balance appears. Zero is not necessarily wrong — if you hold nothing on that chain, zero is the correct answer. Note too that the currency used for fees differs per chain, so transacting there requires holding that chain's fee currency separately.
Entries can be edited or removed later. If connections fail or readings are slow, the cause is usually the RPC, so try another endpoint if the official documentation lists several. Do not change the chain ID: altering it points the entry at a different chain altogether.
Watch out for
- · Do not register network settings sent to you over social media or a DM — fake RPCs are used to fake balances and lure transfers
- · Never guess a chain ID; a wrong value either breaks signing or sends you onto an unintended chain
- · Offers of a reward for 'adding this network' are a classic scam — adding a network pays nothing
Frequently asked questions
I added the network but no balance shows.
If you hold nothing on that chain, zero is correct. If you believe you do hold something, look the address up directly in a block explorer to see the on-chain state. When it is only a display problem, switching to another RPC listed in the official documentation often clears it.