orchestration
How an AI agent plans, builds, and deploys a complete Ethereum dApp. The three-phase build system for Scaffold-ETH 2 projects. Use when building a full application on Ethereum — from contracts to frontend to production deployment on IPFS.
What this skill does
# dApp Orchestration
## What You Probably Got Wrong
**SE2 has specific patterns you must follow.** Generic "build a dApp" advice won't work. SE2 auto-generates `deployedContracts.ts` — DON'T edit it. Use Scaffold hooks, NOT raw wagmi. External contracts go in `externalContracts.ts` BEFORE building the frontend.
**There are three phases. Never skip or combine them.** Contracts → Frontend → Production. Each has validation gates.
## The Three-Phase Build System
| Phase | Environment | What Happens |
|-------|-------------|-------------|
| **Phase 1** | Local fork | Contracts + UI on localhost. Iterate fast. |
| **Phase 2** | Live network + local UI | Deploy contracts to mainnet/L2. Test with real state. Polish UI. |
| **Phase 3** | Production | Deploy frontend to IPFS/Vercel. Final QA. |
## Phase 1: Scaffold (Local)
### 1.1 Contracts
```bash
npx create-eth@latest my-dapp
cd my-dapp && yarn install
yarn fork --network base # Terminal 1: fork of real chain (or mainnet, your target chain)
yarn deploy # Terminal 2: deploy contracts
```
> **Always fork, never `yarn chain`.** `yarn fork` does everything `yarn chain` does AND gives you real protocol state — Uniswap, USDC, Aave, whale balances, everything already deployed (verified addresses: `addresses/SKILL.md`). `yarn chain` gives you an empty chain that tempts you into writing mock contracts you don't need. Don't mock what already exists onchain — just fork it.
**Critical steps:**
1. Write contracts in `packages/foundry/contracts/` (or `packages/hardhat/contracts/`)
2. Write deploy script
3. Add ALL external contracts to `packages/nextjs/contracts/externalContracts.ts` — BEFORE Phase 1.2
4. Write tests (≥90% coverage)
5. Audit contracts before moving to frontend — fetch [audit/SKILL.md](https://ethskills.com/audit/SKILL.md) and run through it
**Validate:** `yarn deploy` succeeds. `deployedContracts.ts` auto-generated. Tests pass.
### 1.2 Frontend
```bash
yarn fork --network base # Terminal 1: fork of real chain (has Uniswap, USDC, etc.)
yarn deploy --watch # Terminal 2: auto-redeploy on changes
yarn start # Terminal 3: Next.js at localhost:3000
```
**USE SCAFFOLD HOOKS, NOT RAW WAGMI:**
```typescript
// Read
const { data } = useScaffoldReadContract({
contractName: "YourContract",
functionName: "balanceOf",
args: [address],
watch: true,
});
// Write
const { writeContractAsync, isMining } = useScaffoldWriteContract("YourContract");
await writeContractAsync({
functionName: "swap",
args: [tokenIn, tokenOut, amount],
onBlockConfirmation: (receipt) => console.log("Done!", receipt),
});
// Events
const { data: events } = useScaffoldEventHistory({
contractName: "YourContract",
eventName: "SwapExecuted",
fromBlock: 0n,
watch: true,
});
```
### The Three-Button Flow (MANDATORY)
Any token interaction shows ONE button at a time:
1. **Switch Network** (if wrong chain)
2. **Approve Token** (if allowance insufficient)
3. **Execute Action** (only after 1 & 2 satisfied)
Never show Approve and Execute simultaneously.
### UX Rules
- **Human-readable amounts:** `formatEther()` / `formatUnits()` for display, `parseEther()` / `parseUnits()` for contracts
- **Loading states everywhere:** `isLoading`, `isMining` on all async operations
- **Disable buttons during pending txs** (blockchains take 5-12s)
- **Never use infinite approvals** — approve exact amount or 3-5x
- **Helpful errors:** Parse "insufficient funds," "user rejected," "execution reverted" into plain language
**Validate:** Full user journey works with real wallet on localhost. All edge cases handled.
## 🚨 NEVER COMMIT SECRETS TO GIT
**Before touching Phase 2, read this.** AI agents are the #1 source of leaked credentials on GitHub. Bots scrape repos in real-time and exploit leaked secrets within seconds.
**This means ALL secrets — not just wallet private keys:**
- **Wallet private keys** — funds drained in seconds
- **API keys** — Alchemy, Infura, Etherscan, WalletConnect project IDs
- **RPC URLs with embedded keys** — e.g. `https://base-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY`
- **OAuth tokens, passwords, bearer tokens**
**⚠️ Common SE2 Trap: `scaffold.config.ts`**
`rpcOverrides` and `alchemyApiKey` in `scaffold.config.ts` are committed to Git. **NEVER paste API keys directly into this file.** Use environment variables:
```typescript
// ❌ WRONG — key committed to public repo
rpcOverrides: {
[chains.base.id]: "https://base-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/8GVG8WjDs-LEAKED",
},
// ✅ RIGHT — key stays in .env.local
rpcOverrides: {
[chains.base.id]: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_RPC || "https://mainnet.base.org",
},
```
**Before every `git add` or `git commit`:**
```bash
# Check for leaked secrets
git diff --cached --name-only | grep -iE '\.env|key|secret|private'
grep -rn "0x[a-fA-F0-9]\{64\}" packages/ --include="*.ts" --include="*.js" --include="*.sol"
# Check for hardcoded API keys in config files
grep -rn "g.alchemy.com/v2/[A-Za-z0-9]" packages/ --include="*.ts" --include="*.js"
grep -rn "infura.io/v3/[A-Za-z0-9]" packages/ --include="*.ts" --include="*.js"
# If ANYTHING matches, STOP. Move the secret to .env and add .env to .gitignore.
```
**Your `.gitignore` MUST include:**
```
.env
.env.*
*.key
broadcast/
cache/
node_modules/
```
**SE2 handles deployer keys by default** — `yarn generate` creates a `.env` with the deployer key, and `.gitignore` excludes it. **Don't override this pattern.** Don't copy keys into scripts, config files, or deploy logs. This includes RPC keys, API keys, and any credential — not just wallet keys.
See `wallets/SKILL.md` for full key safety guide, what to do if you've already leaked a key, and safe patterns for deployment.
## Phase 2: Live Contracts + Local UI
1. Update `scaffold.config.ts`: `targetNetworks: [mainnet]` (or your L2)
2. Fund deployer: `yarn generate` → `yarn account` → send real ETH
3. Deploy: `yarn deploy --network mainnet`
4. Verify immediately after deploy: `yarn verify --network mainnet`
- **No block explorer API key needed** — SE2 handles this for you
- Run it right after deploy, not later. Don't skip it.
5. Test with real wallet, small amounts ($1-10)
6. Polish UI — remove SE2 branding, custom styling
**Design rule:** NO LLM SLOP. No generic purple gradients. Make it unique.
**Validate:** Contracts verified on block explorer. Full journey works with real contracts.
## Phase 3: Production Deploy
### Pre-deploy Checklist
- `burnerWalletMode: "localNetworksOnly"` in scaffold.config.ts (prevents burner wallet on prod)
- Update metadata (title, description, OG image 1200x630px)
- Restore any test values to production values
- Run a full frontend QA audit — fetch [qa/SKILL.md](https://ethskills.com/qa/SKILL.md) and give it to a separate agent before deploying
### Deploy
**IPFS** — use [BGIPFS](https://www.bgipfs.com/SKILL.md) for decentralized deploys (fetch that skill for full details). It's built into SE2 — no setup needed:
```bash
yarn ipfs
# → https://{CID}.ipfs.community.bgipfs.com/
```
Note: IPFS only works with static content — no server-side rendering, API endpoints, or functions.
**Vercel:**
```bash
yarn vercel
```
### Production QA
- [ ] App loads on public URL
- [ ] Wallet connects, network switching works
- [ ] Read + write contract operations work
- [ ] No console errors
- [ ] Burner wallet NOT showing
- [ ] OG image works in link previews
- [ ] Mobile responsive
- [ ] Tested with MetaMask, Rainbow, WalletConnect
## Phase Transition Rules
**Phase 3 bug → go back to Phase 2** (fix with local UI + prod contracts)
**Phase 2 contract bug → go back to Phase 1** (fix locally, write regression test, redeploy)
**Never hack around bugs in production.**
## Key SE2 Directories
```
packages/
├── foundry/contracts/ # Solidity contracts
├── foundry/script/ # Deploy scripts
├── foundry/test/ # Tests
└── nextjs/
├── app/ # Pages
├── components/ # ReacRelated in Web Dev
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