# Capabilities (/concepts/capabilities)



Every connector exposes `capabilities`. Each flag means **"can this work right
now,"** not "is this method defined." `signMessage: false` means calling
`signMessage()` would reject; `switchChain: false` means switching is a no-op
regardless of the chain you pass.

```ts
type WalletCapabilities = {
  getBalance: boolean; // getBalance returns a real on-chain value
  getTransactionReceipt: boolean; // returns a real RPC response
  requestAccounts: boolean; // requestAccounts will actually do something
  sendTransaction: boolean; // sendTx / sendTxToChain will work
  signMessage: boolean; // signMessage will work
  subscribe: boolean; // wallet emits events butr can bridge
  switchAccount: boolean; // switchAccount is real (rare for auto adapters)
  switchChain: boolean; // switchChain routes subsequent calls
};
```

## Gate UI on flags [#gate-ui-on-flags]

The reference apps do exactly this — the "Request more accounts" button only
renders when the capability is real:

```tsx
{
  wallet.connector.capabilities.requestAccounts ? (
    <button onClick={() => requestAccounts(wallet.connector.id)}>Request more accounts</button>
  ) : null;
}

{
  wallet.connector.capabilities.switchChain ? <ChainPicker wallet={wallet} /> : null;
}
```

## Where flags come from [#where-flags-come-from]

* **Auto-discovered EVM / SVM adapters** derive flags from the underlying
  protocol's feature advertisements (EIP-6963 provider info; Wallet Standard
  features).
* **Hand-rolled adapters** declare them explicitly. The shipped optional
  connectors are fixed:

| Capability              | WalletConnect         | Ledger            |
| ----------------------- | --------------------- | ----------------- |
| `getBalance`            | ✅                     | ❌ (no RPC)        |
| `getTransactionReceipt` | ✅                     | ❌                 |
| `requestAccounts`       | ❌ (re-pair to change) | ❌                 |
| `sendTransaction`       | ✅                     | ❌ (signing only)  |
| `signMessage`           | ✅                     | ✅                 |
| `subscribe`             | ✅                     | ❌ (no events)     |
| `switchAccount`         | ❌                     | ❌                 |
| `switchChain`           | ✅                     | ✅ (local chainId) |

<Callout type="warn">
  SVM wallets that don't advertise `solana:signAndSendTransaction` report `sendTransaction: false`;
  those without `solana:signMessage` report `signMessage: false`. Always branch on the flag before
  showing the affordance.
</Callout>

**Source:** `packages/core/src/types/wallet.ts`,
`packages/{walletconnect,ledger}/src/capabilities.ts`.