Use chainslist when the EVM network you need is missing from your wallet, then verify its chain ID and RPC endpoint before approving it. EVM stands for Ethereum Virtual Machine; EVM networks use Ethereum-style wallet connections. A directory supplies proposed connection settings, and your wallet asks you to review them.
- Match the exact network and chain ID, including mainnet or testnet.
- Choose an RPC endpoint by accuracy, reliability and trust.
- Use a wallet preset, a directory request or manual entry as the situation requires.
Which Network Do You Actually Need?
Choose the exact network named by the app or service you plan to use. “Optimism” alone may be too vague if you need to distinguish its mainnet from a testnet; Optimism mainnet has chain ID 10. The chain ID is the number your wallet uses to identify the network when signing transactions, so compare it with the network operator’s current documentation.
A chain list helps when you know the network but cannot find it among your wallet’s choices. At that point, chainslist lets you look up EVM chain IDs and RPC endpoints and send a network to MetaMask or another compatible wallet in one click. Read the details in the wallet’s approval request before accepting them: a directory entry proposes settings, while the approval is your chance to check them.
How Should You Choose an RPC Endpoint?
Choose an RPC endpoint that serves the right chain and comes from a provider you are willing to use. The RPC endpoint is the server your wallet asks for balances and blocks and uses to submit transactions. Compare its address and chain ID with the network operator’s documentation, especially if several entries have similar names.
Chain lists may show multiple RPC endpoints for one chain. They are different routes to the same network, so changing endpoints should not create a second set of assets. A public endpoint may be slow or limit requests; a provider such as Infura may require an account or key. The endpoint can also see requests from your wallet, including your IP address, which makes provider trust a real selection criterion.
If the wallet reports a chain ID mismatch, reject that endpoint and check the details again. If balances appear stale later, compare them with an independent block explorer before trying another RPC for the same chain. Adding network settings does not itself make an on-chain transaction or incur gas; sending a transaction later does.
Which Way Should You Add the Network?
Use a network already offered by your wallet when it is there; use a directory when it is absent; enter details manually when you need a particular RPC provider. For example, if an app requires Optimism mainnet, first check your wallet’s network choices. If you must add it, confirm chain ID 10, use chainslist to propose the settings, then check the network name, chain ID and RPC in the wallet’s approval.
chainslist.org applies when you need directory details and a request to add the network to a compatible wallet. Manual setup uses the same essentials: network name, RPC URL and chain ID, usually with a currency symbol and sometimes a block explorer URL. It is useful when your wallet cannot receive an add request or you want to specify a different endpoint.
What Changes After You Add It?
Adding a network changes where your wallet reads data and sends transactions; it does not move your assets between chains. The same wallet address can appear on multiple EVM networks while holding different balances on each. If your funds are elsewhere, use a transfer or bridge route that explicitly supports the destination network.
Your next step is to select the network required by your app and check its chain ID once more before sending anything. If you plan to transact, make sure you have the currency that network uses for gas. If the app asks for a different chain ID, resolve that difference before approving a transaction.