EIP-712 Typed Data Signing for Scaffold-ETH 2

Prerequisites

Check if ./packages/nextjs/scaffold.config.ts exists directly in the current working directory (do not search subdirectories). If it doesn't exist, this is not a Scaffold-ETH 2 project. Follow the instructions at https://docs.scaffoldeth.io/SKILL.md to scaffold it first. If it exists, continue directly with building.

Overview

EIP-712 defines a standard for hashing and signing typed structured data in Ethereum. Instead of signing opaque hex blobs, wallets display human-readable fields (names, addresses, messages) so users can see exactly what they're signing — reducing phishing risk and user errors.

This skill covers integrating EIP-712 signing and verification (both frontend and backend) into an SE-2 project using wagmi hooks and viem utilities. This skill focuses on SE-2 integration specifics and gotchas, not a complete reference. For anything not covered here, refer to the EIP-712 specification or the wagmi / viem docs.

EIP-712 Concepts

Domain separator

Every EIP-712 signature is scoped to a domain that prevents cross-application replay attacks. The domain object typically includes:

Field	Type	Purpose
name	string	Human-readable app name
version	string	Signing schema version
chainId	uint256	Prevents cross-chain replay (optional but recommended)
verifyingContract	address	Ties signature to a specific contract (optional)
salt	bytes32	Extra disambiguation (rarely needed)

Only name and version are required. Add chainId and verifyingContract when the signature will be verified on-chain — they prevent replay across chains or contracts. For purely off-chain verification, name + version is sufficient.

Type definitions

EIP-712 types follow a specific format — an object where each key is a type name mapping to an array of { name, type } field definitions:

// Syntax reference — adapt types to your domain
const types = {
  Person: [
    { name: "name", type: "string" },
    { name: "wallet", type: "address" },
  ],
  Mail: [
    { name: "from", type: "Person" },
    { name: "to", type: "Person" },
    { name: "contents", type: "string" },
  ],
} as const;

Supported atomic types: address, bool, string, bytes, bytesN (1-32), intN, uintN (8-256 in steps of 8). Custom struct types (like Person above) are referenced by name. Arrays use TypeName[] syntax.

The primaryType must match one of the top-level keys in the types object — it tells the wallet which type is the root message being signed.

Signing vs verification

Operation	Where	Tool	Function
Sign typed data	Client (wallet)	wagmi	useSignTypedData → calls eth_signTypedData_v4
Verify (frontend)	Client (browser)	wagmi	useVerifyTypedData
Verify (backend)	Server (API route)	viem	recoverTypedDataAddress
Verify (on-chain)	Smart contract	Solidity	ecrecover with EIP-712 hash

EIP-712 Integration Pattern

Utility module

Create a shared utility file for domain, types, and message generation. Both the page and API route import from here to stay in sync:

// packages/nextjs/utils/eip-712.ts — adapt to your use case
import { Address, SignTypedDataReturnType } from "viem";

export const EIP_712_DOMAIN = {
  name: "My App",
  version: "1",
  // Add chainId / verifyingContract if doing on-chain verification
} as const;

export const EIP_712_TYPE = {
  // Define your struct types here
  Person: [
    { name: "name", type: "string" },
    { name: "wallet", type: "address" },
  ],
  Mail: [
    { name: "from", type: "Person" },
    { name: "to", type: "Person" },
    { name: "contents", type: "string" },
  ],
} as const;

// Helper to construct a typed message
export function generateMessage({
  fromName,
  fromAddress,
  toName,
  toAddress,
  contents,
}: {
  fromName: string;
  fromAddress?: string;
  toName: string;
  toAddress: string;
  contents: string;
}) {
  return {
    from: { name: fromName, wallet: fromAddress || "" },
    to: { name: toName, wallet: toAddress },
    contents,
  };
}

export type VerifyRequestBody = {
  fromName: string;
  message: string;
  signature: SignTypedDataReturnType;
  signer: Address;
};

Key pattern: The domain, types, and message construction must be identical on both signing and verification sides. Extract them into a shared module — mismatch is the #1 cause of verification failures.

Signing typed data

Use wagmi's useSignTypedData hook. This calls eth_signTypedData_v4 under the hood, which prompts the wallet to display the structured data for user review:

import { useSignTypedData } from "wagmi";
import { useAccount } from "wagmi";
import { EIP_712_DOMAIN, EIP_712_TYPE, generateMessage } from "~~/utils/eip-712";
import { getParsedError, notification } from "~~/utils/scaffold-eth";

const { address } = useAccount();
const { signTypedDataAsync } = useSignTypedData();

const typedData = {
  domain: EIP_712_DOMAIN,
  types: EIP_712_TYPE,
  primaryType: "Mail" as const,
  message: generateMessage({ /* ... */ }),
};

try {
  const signature = await signTypedDataAsync(typedData);
  // signature is a hex string (0x...)
} catch (e) {
  notification.error(getParsedError(e));
}

Frontend verification

Use wagmi's useVerifyTypedData hook to verify a signature client-side. It's reactive — pass the same typed data plus the signer's address and signature:

import { useVerifyTypedData } from "wagmi";

const { data: isValid } = useVerifyTypedData({
  domain: EIP_712_DOMAIN,
  types: EIP_712_TYPE,
  primaryType: "Mail",
  message: generateMessage({ /* same params used during signing */ }),
  address: signerAddress,
  signature,
});

isValid is true if the signature matches the given address and typed data. The typed data must be identical to what was signed — any difference (even whitespace in strings) produces a different hash and verification fails.

Backend verification (API route)

Use viem's recoverTypedDataAddress in a Next.js API route to verify server-side without trusting the client:

// packages/nextjs/app/api/verify/route.ts
import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
import { recoverTypedDataAddress } from "viem";
import { EIP_712_DOMAIN, EIP_712_TYPE, VerifyRequestBody, generateMessage } from "~~/utils/eip-712";

export async function POST(req: Request) {
  try {
    const { fromName, message, signature, signer } = (await req.json()) as VerifyRequestBody;

    const recoveredAddress = await recoverTypedDataAddress({
      domain: EIP_712_DOMAIN,
      types: EIP_712_TYPE,
      primaryType: "Mail",
      message: generateMessage({ fromName, fromAddress: signer, toName: "Bob", toAddress: "0xbBbBBBBbbBBBbbbBbbBbbbbBBbBbbbbBbBbbBBbB", contents: message }),
      signature,
    });

    if (recoveredAddress !== signer) {
      return NextResponse.json({ error: "Signature verification failed" }, { status: 401 });
    }

    return NextResponse.json({ message: "Verified" }, { status: 200 });
  } catch (e) {
    console.error(e);
    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Verification error" }, { status: 500 });
  }
}

Gotchas and Pitfalls

Domain/type mismatch between signing and verification. This is the most common bug. If the domain, types, or message object differ even slightly between the signing call and the verification call, the EIP-712 hash changes and verification fails silently (returns a different address). Always import from the same shared utility module.

primaryType must match a key in types. If your types object has { Mail: [...], Person: [...] }, then primaryType must be "Mail" or "Person". A typo here causes a runtime error.

Wallet support for eth_signTypedData_v4. Most modern wallets (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, Rainbow, etc.) support v4. SE-2's burner wallet also supports it, so you can test locally without an external wallet. Older wallets may only support v3 (no array types, no nested structs).

as const is critical for TypeScript. Without as const on the domain and types objects, TypeScript widens string literals and wagmi/viem type inference breaks. You'll get confusing type errors about missing properties.

chainId replay protection. If you omit chainId from the domain, the same signature is valid on all chains. This is fine for off-chain-only use, but dangerous if the signature authorizes on-chain actions (e.g., permit signatures). Include chainId when signatures interact with contracts.

Empty address handling. When the wallet isn't connected, address is undefined. The utility function should handle this gracefully (e.g., default to empty string) rather than passing undefined into the typed data, which would cause a signing error.

On-chain verification. For verifying EIP-712 signatures in Solidity (e.g., meta-transactions, permits), use OpenZeppelin's EIP712 base contract and ECDSA.recover. The domain separator must be constructed identically in both the contract and the frontend. This is a more advanced pattern — see the OpenZeppelin EIP-712 docs.

How to Test

1. Start the frontend: yarn start
2. Connect a wallet — the burner wallet, MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet all support eth_signTypedData_v4
3. Fill in the name and message fields, click Sign, review the typed data in the wallet popup
4. Verify on frontend (instant, client-side) or backend (API route call)
5. To test verification failure: change the name or message after signing, then verify — it should fail