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Metamask: How to Connect from a Localhost (Ethers) Web App to Remix VM
As a developer working on Ethereum-based projects, you’ve probably encountered situations where you need to interact with smart contracts deployed on the mainnet, but don’t want to deploy them on testnet. That’s where Metamask comes in, a popular wallet and development environment that lets you connect your local (localhost) Ethereum node directly to Remix VM, allowing for seamless interactions with deployed smart contracts.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up Metamask to connect from a localhost (Ethers) web app to Remix VM, making it easy to deploy and interact with your smart contracts without the need for testnet.
Why Use Metamask?
Before diving into the setup process, let’s quickly explain why we’re using Metamask in this context. Using Metamask, you can:
- Connect to your Ethereum node directly from Remix IDE
- Deploy smart contracts on the mainnet without creating a testnet account
- Interact with deployed contracts using Remix VM
Step 1: Install Metamask
To get started, you will need to install Metamask on your local computer. You can download it from the official website.
- Go to the [Metamask Download Page](
- Choose the version that matches your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
- Follow the installation instructions for your chosen platform
Step 2: Configure Metamask
Once installed, you will need to configure Metamask to connect to your Ethereum node. Here’s what to do:
- Launch Remix IDE
- Click the « Wallet » tab in the top menu bar
- Select « Configure Wallet » from the drop-down menu
- In the « Wallet Settings » window, click the « Advanced » tab
- Under « Network », select « Ethereum (Testnet) » and enter your node’s private key
- Repeat steps 1-5 for each Ethereum account you want to connect
Step 3: Connect to Remix VM
Now that Metamask is configured, you can connect to Remix VM:
- Launch the Remix IDE instance on your computer
- Click the « Deploy » tab in the top menu bar
- Select « Local » as the deployment source (for example, your localhost Ethereum node)
- Choose the accounts you want to deploy contracts from
In this example, let’s assume a single account is being deployed. You can connect multiple accounts by separating them with commas.
Step 4: Deploy and interact with smart contracts
Once connected, you can deploy smart contracts using Remix VM:
- Open Remix IDE and create a new project
- Click the « Deploy » tab in the top menu bar
- Choose your local Ethereum node as the deployment source
Select the contract(s) you want to deploy from Remix IDE and MetaMask will automatically connect to your localhost node.
- Once deployed, you can interact with smart contracts using Remix VM:
- Deploy a new contract:
metamask remix --localaccount--contract
- Call functions on deployed contracts:
metamask remix --localaccount--contract --function
In this article, we have provided a step-by-step guide to connect from your localhost (Ethers) webapp to Remix VM using Metamask. By following these simple steps, you can unlock the power of deploying and interacting with smart contracts on the mainnet without creating testnets.
