> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fortmatic.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fortmatic.com/v1.x/smart-contract/erc20-approve.md).

# ERC20 Approve

If you have replaced your web3 provider with Fortmatic provider, nothing needs to be changed for web3 ERC20 transaction to continue working. The following is an example on how to initiate an ERC20 token **Approve**.

Note that this ERC20 custom view will be displayed only on the mainnet, otherwise [Generic Contract Call](https://developers.fortmatic.com/docs/generic-contract-call) view will be displayed.

![](/files/-LssoGFFIQStgWGs3FEI)

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Web3 Pre-1.0 Stable Versions" %}

```javascript
// Initialize provider
import Fortmatic from 'fortmatic';
import Web3 from 'web3';

const fm = new Fortmatic('YOUR_API_KEY');
window.web3 = new Web3(fm.getProvider());

// Get the contract ABI from compiled smart contract json
const erc20TokenContractAbi = [{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"name","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"approve","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"totalSupply","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"from","type":"address"},{"name":"to","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transferFrom","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"decimals","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint8"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"amount","type":"uint256"}],"name":"withdrawEther","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"_totalSupply","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"}],"name":"balanceOf","outputs":[{"name":"balance","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"acceptOwnership","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"owner","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"symbol","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeSub","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"to","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transfer","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeDiv","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"},{"name":"data","type":"bytes"}],"name":"approveAndCall","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeMul","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"newOwner","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenAddress","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transferAnyERC20Token","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"},{"name":"spender","type":"address"}],"name":"allowance","outputs":[{"name":"remaining","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeAdd","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_newOwner","type":"address"}],"name":"transferOwnership","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"inputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"constructor"},{"payable":true,"stateMutability":"payable","type":"fallback"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"_from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"_to","type":"address"}],"name":"OwnershipTransferred","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"to","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Transfer","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Approval","type":"event"}];

// Create contract object
const tokenContract = web3.eth.contract(erc20TokenContractAbi);

// Instantiate contract
const tokenContractInstance = tokenContract.at('0x8EBC7785b83506AaA295Bd9174e6A7Ad5681fb80');
const toAddress = '0xE0cef4417a772512E6C95cEf366403839b0D6D6D';

// Calculate contract compatible value for approve with proper decimal points using BigNumber
const tokenDecimals = web3.toBigNumber(18);
const tokenAmountToApprove = web3.toBigNumber(999000000000);
const calculatedApproveValue = web3.toHex(tokenAmountToApprove.mul(web3.toBigNumber(10).pow(tokenDecimals)));

// Get user account wallet address first
web3.eth.getAccounts(function(error, accounts) {
  if (error) throw error;
  // Send ERC20 transaction with web3
  tokenContractInstance.approve.sendTransaction(toAddress, calculatedApproveValue, {from: accounts[0]}, function(error, txnHash) {
    if (error) throw error;
    console.log(txnHash);
  });
});
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Web3 1.0 Beta Version" %}

```javascript
// Initialize provider
import Fortmatic from 'fortmatic';
import Web3 from 'web3';

const fm = new Fortmatic('YOUR_API_KEY');
window.web3 = new Web3(fm.getProvider());

// Get the contract ABI from compiled smart contract json
const erc20TokenContractAbi = [{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"name","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"approve","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"totalSupply","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"from","type":"address"},{"name":"to","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transferFrom","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"decimals","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint8"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"amount","type":"uint256"}],"name":"withdrawEther","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"_totalSupply","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"}],"name":"balanceOf","outputs":[{"name":"balance","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[],"name":"acceptOwnership","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"owner","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"symbol","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"string"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeSub","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"to","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transfer","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeDiv","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"},{"name":"data","type":"bytes"}],"name":"approveAndCall","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeMul","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[],"name":"newOwner","outputs":[{"name":"","type":"address"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenAddress","type":"address"},{"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"transferAnyERC20Token","outputs":[{"name":"success","type":"bool"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"},{"name":"spender","type":"address"}],"name":"allowance","outputs":[{"name":"remaining","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"view","type":"function"},{"constant":true,"inputs":[{"name":"a","type":"uint256"},{"name":"b","type":"uint256"}],"name":"safeAdd","outputs":[{"name":"c","type":"uint256"}],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"pure","type":"function"},{"constant":false,"inputs":[{"name":"_newOwner","type":"address"}],"name":"transferOwnership","outputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"function"},{"inputs":[],"payable":false,"stateMutability":"nonpayable","type":"constructor"},{"payable":true,"stateMutability":"payable","type":"fallback"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"_from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"_to","type":"address"}],"name":"OwnershipTransferred","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"from","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"to","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Transfer","type":"event"},{"anonymous":false,"inputs":[{"indexed":true,"name":"tokenOwner","type":"address"},{"indexed":true,"name":"spender","type":"address"},{"indexed":false,"name":"tokens","type":"uint256"}],"name":"Approval","type":"event"}];

// Create contract object
const tokenContractAddress = '0x8EBC7785b83506AaA295Bd9174e6A7Ad5681fb80';

// Instantiate contract
const tokenContract = new web3.eth.Contract(erc20TokenContractAbi, tokenContractAddress);
const toAddress = '0xE0cef4417a772512E6C95cEf366403839b0D6D6D';

// Calculate contract compatible value for approve with proper decimal points using BigNumber
const tokenDecimals = web3.utils.toBN(18);
const tokenAmountToApprove = web3.utils.toBN(999000000000);
const calculatedApproveValue = web3.utils.toHex(tokenAmountToApprove.mul(web3.utils.toBN(10).pow(tokenDecimals)));

// Get user account wallet address first
web3.eth.getAccounts().then((accounts) => {
  // Send ERC20 transaction with web3
  tokenContract.methods.approve(
    toAddress, 
    calculatedApproveValue
  ).send({from: accounts[0]})
  .once('transactionHash', (hash) => { console.log(hash); })
  .once('receipt', (receipt) => { console.log(receipt); });
});
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


---

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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.fortmatic.com/v1.x/smart-contract/erc20-approve.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

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