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# Address and Contract State

## Overview

Address Actions read state without an ABI. Inspect native balances, deployed code, transaction
counts, storage slots, and EIP-7702 delegations at the latest state or a selected historical block.

## Recipes

These recipes assume you have [set up a Client](/docs) with [`publicActions`](/docs/actions/public).

### Read Balance, Code, and Nonce

Use [`address.getBalance`](/docs/actions/public/address/getBalance),
[`address.getCode`](/docs/actions/public/address/getCode), and
[`address.getTransactionCount`](/docs/actions/public/address/getTransactionCount) for account-level
state.

:::code-group
```ts twoslash [example.ts]
import { client } from './viem.config'

const address = '0xA0Cf798816D4b9b9866b5330EEa46a18382f251e'

const [balance, code, transactionCount] = await Promise.all([
  client.address.getBalance({ address }), // [!code focus]
  client.address.getCode({ address }), // [!code focus]
  client.address.getTransactionCount({ address }), // [!code focus]
])
```

```ts twoslash [viem.config.ts] filename="viem.config.ts"
// [!include ~/snippets/docs/public.config.ts:setup]
```
:::

### Read a Storage Slot

[`address.getStorageAt`](/docs/actions/public/address/getStorageAt) returns the 32-byte value stored
at a contract slot.

:::code-group
```ts twoslash [example.ts]
import { client } from './viem.config'

const value = await client.address.getStorageAt({ // [!code focus]
  address: '0xFBA3912Ca04dd458c843e2EE08967fC04f3579c2', // [!code focus]
  slot: '0x0', // [!code focus]
}) // [!code focus]
```

```ts twoslash [viem.config.ts] filename="viem.config.ts"
// [!include ~/snippets/docs/public.config.ts:setup]
```
:::

### Pin State to a Block

Use a block hash and `requireCanonical` when the read must reject an orphaned block.

:::code-group
```ts twoslash [example.ts]
import { client } from './viem.config'

const balance = await client.address.getBalance({
  address: '0xA0Cf798816D4b9b9866b5330EEa46a18382f251e',
  blockHash: '0x89644bbd5c8d682a2e9611170e6c1f02573d866d286f006cbf517eec7254ec2d', // [!code focus]
  requireCanonical: true, // [!code focus]
})
```

```ts twoslash [viem.config.ts] filename="viem.config.ts"
// [!include ~/snippets/docs/public.config.ts:setup]
```
:::

## Best Practices

### Derive Storage Slots Correctly

Solidity mappings and dynamic values do not occupy sequential slots. Derive their location
from the compiler layout and Solidity storage rules before reading.

### Share a Block Context

Pass the same block number or hash to related reads that feed one decision. Independent latest-state
requests can span different blocks.

## See More

<Cards>
  <Card icon="lucide:shield-check" title="State Proofs" description="Request Merkle proofs for account and storage values." to="/docs/guides/chain-data/proofs" />

  <Card icon="lucide:badge-check" title="Inspect Delegations" description="Read EIP-7702 delegated code at a selected block." to="/docs/guides/authorizations/delegations" />
</Cards>