Notes on Using Third-Party DApps¶
This page shows you how to connect a wallet to a DApp with one account, read the permission and signature requests it sends, and disconnect and revoke when you are finished.
A connection is not a signature
Connecting shares your address and lets the site request signatures. It does not move funds by itself. Every transfer still needs something you approve, which is why the approval screen is where the decisions happen.
Who this is for¶
Anyone connecting a wallet to a DApp that runs on Bitgold. If you only send and receive BTG, the approval habits here still apply to any token you add later.
Before you start¶
- A separate account for DApp use, funded with what you plan to spend.
- The DApp's address from a source you trust, not from a direct message or an advertisement.
- Your wallet's connected-sites and approvals screens located before you connect.
Steps¶
1. Open the DApp from an address you verified¶
Type the domain or use a bookmark you created yourself. Check the spelling before you connect, and treat any link sent to you as unverified until it matches a source you already had. A lookalike domain works exactly like the real one until you sign.
2. Connect only the account you need¶
Choose the spending account from the wallet's account picker, not the one holding savings. Some wallets present every account by default, so read which addresses the site will see before you confirm.
3. Read the permission request¶
A connection usually asks to view your address and to request transactions. Some sites ask for more. If the list includes anything you cannot explain, cancel and use a site that asks for less.
4. Separate a signature from a transaction¶
A transaction has a recipient, an amount, and a gas fee. A message signature has none of those and costs nothing, which is why it can pass a quick glance. Approvals, permits, and login proofs arrive that way, and a signature granting spending rights outlives the session.
5. Disconnect when you are done¶
Open the wallet's connected-sites list and disconnect the site. Disconnecting ends the session; it does not cancel an allowance you already granted. Treat it as the first of two cleanup steps.
6. Revoke what you granted¶
Open the approvals view and revoke the spenders you no longer need. Read the gas estimate before you confirm, because a revoke is a real transaction. Then check that the allowance is gone.
Verify it worked¶
- The DApp reports that it is disconnected, and your wallet's connected-sites list no longer includes it.
- The approvals view shows no allowance for that spender, or a reduced one you intended.
- The explorer shows the revoke transaction confirmed, sent to the contract you expected.
- No new approval appears in the days after you stop using the site.
Troubleshooting¶
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The site still shows connected after you disconnect | Clear the site's permissions in the wallet and reload, then check connected sites again. |
| A "free mint" asks for an approval instead of a transaction | Refuse. An approval lasts longer than the mint that prompted it. |
| A signature request has no gas and no recipient | Find out what it authorizes. If the site cannot say, reject it. |
| A revoke does not appear in an approval checker | Checkers lag. Confirm the allowance on the explorer or in the wallet itself. |
| A DApp asks for your recovery phrase to restore a session | No DApp needs it. Close the site and review your approvals. |
Next steps¶
- About Approve — what an allowance is and which ones are dangerous.
- How to Check and Cancel Approvals — find the allowances still open on your account.
- DApp Approval Scam — how a routine-looking approval becomes a drain.
Self-check¶
- I connected one account, and it was not my savings account.
- I read the permission list before approving the connection.
- I can reach the connected-sites and approvals screens without the site.
- I disconnected and revoked the spenders after I finished.