FAQ
The list will be updated/expanded as questions come up.
How to report a phishing website so that the extension can warn users?
The extension fetches the list of denied website from https://github.com/polkadot-js/phishing
repository. To help populate this list, please submit a pull request by editing all.json
and adding any new sites in alphabetical order.
Alternatively, you can submit an issue
to mention any new website.
How to help with the translation of the extension's interface?
To add a new language, you can submit a PR to the extension's repository.
Start by creating a new directory in extension/packages/extension/public/locales/ named after the language code you
wish to add (e.g "es", for spanish).
Copy the file translation.json from the english directory to the newly created directory and fill in the blanks.
Take a look at the other translation files to see how it works.
Finally, add the new language in the selection menu by adding its name and code to the array returned by the
getLanguageOptions.
Once your PR is submitted and approved, the new language will be available in the next release of the extension.
Why can't I authorize any more accounts to connect to dApps and its generating "Resource::kQuotaBytes quota exceeded" errors.
The extension stores authorization data in Chrome's local storage, which has size limitations. If your total authorizations count across all dApps exceeds the storage quota limit (~287) then you might reach the storage quota limit.
When this happens, you might see the error message "Resource::kQuotaBytes quota exceeded" in the Chrome developer console of the window entitled "Account connection request" and when you try to click the button labelled Connect <amount of accounts> account(s) when 1 or more accounts are selected then that button won't work and you won't be able to authorize additional accounts.
Current workaround: Revoke access permissions for at least one dApp for one or more accounts to free up storage space but unchecking checkboxes associated with those accounts in the Accounts connected to <your dApp domain> window. This will allow you to add new authorizations for the same or different accounts/dApps.
Note: Future versions of the extension may address this issue by implementing a viable solution. So far a chunking mechanism has been proposed as mentioned here. It processes authorizations in smaller batches, which may prevent quota errors, but that's unlikely since it appears the error is due to an upper limit that is the storage quota limit previously mentioned, plus that solution currently has a bug in that not all authorized accounts (only 10 for each dApp) are being displayed in the UI. It appears that the chunking solution may only addresses the quota error during a single operation without solving the fundamental issue of hitting Chrome's overall storage limits, where Chrome storage has both per-key and total extension storage limits, so if the current extension is storaging all dapps and associated accounts under the same key then a potential solution could be to store each dApp as a separate key in Chrome storage.
Why can't I authorize any more accounts to connect to a dApp at https://localhost:3000
When building and debugging a dApp locally using HTTPS and self-signed certificates that interact with the Polkadot.js Extension when you first load the dApp the Polkadot.js Extension popup window may appear asking you which accounts to grant access to the dApp, but after connecting them you might find that you can't later update that list in the Manage Website Access section, so another workaround is to click the icon to delete that dApp in the Manage Website Access section and then reload the dApp so the popup window appears again so you're able to grant it permissions from scratch again.
I want to send funds directly from the extension.
The extension is not meant to be a full wallet replacement. It tries to focus on pure account management while making this as smooth as possible. The extension simply makes the stored/imported accounts available to any dApp that can perform transfers, allows you to vote on democracy proposals, and helps you participate in any features available on Polkadot and Substrate. We really aim to keep this singular account-only focus with no network connectivity, leaving the hard-work of understanding chains and their intricacies over to over to wallets such as polkadot-js/apps.
My addresses display differently on the extension vs a dapp.
Unlike a dapp, the extension itself does not connect to a network. The addresses are formatted with a network-specific prefix, which on a dapp, is retrieved upon connection from the chain properties. The underlying public keys can be the same, but based on the address formatting, the display could be different. This does not affect operation at all. You can choose which format to display the addresses in your extension via the "Options" screen.
What does it mean to derive an account?
We can imagine that accounts are stored as a tree. It allows us to structure accounts by our own needs. The root account is created at first and all the new ones will be its children by default. If we want to derive from other accounts, it can be done by selecting Derive New Account option in the parent account's context menu. Before deriving an account, the HDKD derivation path can be provided - it is a great tool that could be used for further account structuring.
The format of a derivation path is //<hard>/<soft>///<password> where
//hardmeans that the connection between accounts is not "visible" for public addresses./softconnects accounts in a manner that can be proven.///passwordprovides an additional (optional) encryption.
Why can't I import an account with a hex-encoded private key?
This is a deliberate choice since mnemonic phrases are easier to write down, to memorize or type in a field. They have a checksum (not every 12/24 words list is a valid mnemonic) and constitute a much better means of holding un-encrypted information. Therefore, this extension does not and will not have the functionality to recover an account from a hex seed phrase.