> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://startower.gitbook.io/star-tower-chain/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://startower.gitbook.io/star-tower-chain/untitled/smart-contract-verification/hardhat-verification-plugin.md).

# Hardhat Verification Plugin

Hardhat is a full-featured development environment for contract compilation, deployment and verification. The hardhat-verify plugin supports contract verification on BlockScout.

### Get Started <a href="#get-started" id="get-started"></a>

#### **1) Install Hardhat** <a href="#id-1-install-hardhat" id="id-1-install-hardhat"></a>

If you are starting from scratch, create an npm project by going to an empty folder, running `npm init`, and following the instructions. Recommend npm 7 or higher.

Once your project is ready:

**npm instructions**

```
npm install --save-dev hardhat
```

**yarn instructions**

```
yarn add --dev hardhat
```

#### **2) Create a project** <a href="#id-2-create-a-project" id="id-2-create-a-project"></a>

Run `npx hardhat` in your project folder and follow the instructions to create ([more info here](https://hardhat.org/getting-started/#quick-start)).

#### 3) Install plugin <a href="#id-3-install-plugin" id="id-3-install-plugin"></a>

Install the [hardhat-verify plugin](https://hardhat.org/hardhat-runner/plugins/nomicfoundation-hardhat-verify)

**npm**

```
npm install --save-dev @nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify
```

**yarn**

```
yarn add --dev @nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify
```

#### 4) Add plugin reference to config file <a href="#id-4-add-plugin-reference-to-config-file" id="id-4-add-plugin-reference-to-config-file"></a>

Add the following statement to your `hardhat.config.js`.

```
require("@nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify");
```

If using TypeScript, add this to your `hardhat.config.ts.` [More info on using typescript with hardhat available here](https://hardhat.org/guides/typescript.html#typescript-support).

```
import "@nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify";
```

### Config File and Unsupported Networks <a href="#config-file-and-unsupported-networks" id="config-file-and-unsupported-networks"></a>

Your basic [Hardhat config file](https://hardhat.org/config/) (`hardhat.config.js` or `hardhat.config.ts`) will be setup to support the network you are working on. In this example we use the Optimism Sepolia test network and a `.js` file.

Here we add an RPC url without an API key, however some value is still required. You can use any arbitrary string. [More info](https://hardhat.org/hardhat-runner/plugins/nomicfoundation-hardhat-verify#multiple-api-keys-and-alternative-block-explorers).

If you prefer, you can migrate to [hardhat-toolbox](https://hardhat.org/hardhat-runner/plugins/nomicfoundation-hardhat-toolbox) to use a plugin bundle.

In order to use Blockscout explorer for the verification, you have to specify the explorer details under a `customChains` object. It includes:

* `chainID` - Network chain ID
* `apiURL` - Block explorer API URL
* `browserURL` - Block explorer URL

{% hint style="info" %}
Find an extensive list of ChainIDs at <https://chainlist.org/>.
{% endhint %}

For example, here we added Blockscout api endpoints for the Optimism Sepolia network to the config file. Note the network name in `customChains` must match the network name in the `apiKey` object.

```
import { HardhatUserConfig } from "hardhat/config";
import "@nomicfoundation/hardhat-toolbox";
import "@nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify";

const PRIVATE_KEY = vars.get("PRIVATE_KEY");

const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
  solidity: "0.8.24",
  networks: {
    'optimism-sepolia': {
      url: 'https://sepolia.optimism.io',
      accounts: [PRIVATE_KEY],
    },
  },
  etherscan: {
    apiKey: {
      // Is not required by blockscout. Can be any non-empty string
      'optimism-sepolia': "abc"
    },
    customChains: [
      {
        network: "optimism-sepolia",
        chainId: 11155420,
        urls: {
          apiURL: "https://optimism-sepolia.blockscout.com/api",
          browserURL: "https://optimism-sepolia.blockscout.com/",
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  sourcify: {
    enabled: false
  }
};

export default config;
```

### Deploy and Verify <a href="#deploy-and-verify" id="deploy-and-verify"></a>

For deployment we will use [Hardhat Ignition](https://hardhat.org/ignition/docs/getting-started#overview) - built-in Hardhat deployment system.

#### Deploy <a href="#deploy" id="deploy"></a>

```
> npx hardhat ignition deploy ./ignition/modules/Lock.ts --network optimism-sepolia
✔ Confirm deploy to network optimism-sepolia (11155420)? … yes
Compiled 1 Solidity file successfully (evm target: paris).
Hardhat Ignition 🚀

Deploying [ LockModule ]

Batch #1
  Executed LockModule#Lock

[ LockModule ] successfully deployed 🚀

Deployed Addresses

LockModule#Lock - 0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA
```

#### Verify <a href="#verify" id="verify"></a>

The plugin requires you to include constructor arguments with the verify task and ensures that they correspond to expected ABI signature. However, Blockscout ignores those arguments, so you may specify any values that correspond to the ABI.

```
npx hardhat verify --network <network> DEPLOYED_CONTRACT_ADDRESS "Constructor argument 1"
```

Optimism Sepolia example.

```
> npx hardhat verify --network optimism-sepolia 0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA 1234
Successfully submitted source code for contract
contracts/Lock.sol:Lock at 0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA
for verification on the block explorer. Waiting for verification result...

Successfully verified contract Lock on the block explorer.
https://optimism-sepolia.blockscout.com/address/0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA#code
```

#### Automatically verified contracts <a href="#automatically-verified-contracts" id="automatically-verified-contracts"></a>

Sometimes the contract may be automatically verified via StarTower Bytecode Database service. In that case you may see the following response:

```
The contract 0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA has already been verified on Etherscan.
https://optimism-sepolia.blockscout.com/address/0xFE826b33e425f99ce962ACB91752DB41F302EFEA#code
```

In that case, you may try to enforce using `--force` flag\*.

It prevents Hardhat to check if the contract is already verified, and force it to send verification request anyway. Notice, that it is helpful only if the contract was automatically verified **partially**. That way, a new verification sources would be saved. If the contract was **fully** verified already, that just returns an error.

```
npx hardhat verify --network <network> DEPLOYED_CONTRACT_ADDRESS "Constructor argument 1" --force
```

* The flag is available starting from `@nomicfoundation/hardhat-verify@2.0.7`