How to add Polygon network to MetaMask manually?

Manual Configuration Steps

1. Open MetaMask and click the network selector located in the top-right corner of the interface.

2. Select “Add Network” from the dropdown menu, then choose “Add a network manually”.

3. Enter the following parameters for the Polygon Mainnet:

Network Name: Polygon Mainnet

New RPC URL: https://polygon-rpc.com/

Chain ID: 137

Currency Symbol: MATIC

Block Explorer URL: https://polygonscan.com/

Alternative RPC Endpoints

1. If the default RPC endpoint returns timeouts or slow responses, replace it with a community-verified alternative such as https://rpc-mainnet.maticvigil.com/.

2. Another stable option is https://matic-mainnet.chainstacklabs.com/, which supports high-throughput dApp integrations.

3. For developers requiring archival data or trace support, https://rpc.ankr.com/polygon offers full-state access and historical indexing.

4. When using third-party endpoints, always verify their TLS certificate and ensure the domain resolves to an IP address hosted within trusted infrastructure regions.

5. Avoid endpoints served over HTTP or those lacking CORS headers, as they may trigger MetaMask security warnings or fail silently during contract calls.

Verification and Validation

1. After saving the network, switch to “Polygon Mainnet” in MetaMask’s network dropdown.

2. Click the account icon and select “Account Details”, then verify the displayed balance reflects MATIC or ERC-20 tokens deployed on Polygon.

3. Initiate a test transaction—such as approving a token allowance on QuickSwap—and confirm the transaction hash appears on Polygonscan within 2–5 seconds.

4. Check the “Network Status” indicator next to the network name; a green dot confirms active synchronization with the latest block height.

5. If the indicator remains gray or displays “Not connected”, revisit the RPC URL and validate DNS resolution using command-line tools like dig or nslookup.

Common Misconfigurations

1. Entering Chain ID as “0x89” instead of decimal “137” triggers “Invalid chain ID” errors during wallet connection flows.

2. Omitting the trailing slash in the RPC URL causes MetaMask to append incorrect paths, resulting in 404 responses from node providers.

3. Using outdated explorer URLs like “https://explorer.matic.network” leads to broken asset links and failed transaction lookups.

4. Setting Currency Symbol to “MATIC-20” or “POLYGON” breaks token detection logic in MetaMask’s asset auto-discovery module.

5. Copying RPC URLs from untrusted forums introduces invisible Unicode characters that prevent successful JSON-RPC handshake initiation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why does MetaMask show “Could not detect network” after adding Polygon?A: This usually occurs when the RPC endpoint fails health checks due to regional blocking, expired SSL certificates, or misconfigured CORS policies. Switching to https://polygon-rpc.com/ resolves it in most cases.

Q: Can I use the same seed phrase for Polygon and Ethereum without risk?A: Yes. Polygon is EVM-compatible and derives addresses identically. No additional entropy or derivation path modification is required.

Q: Is it safe to store MATIC on a wallet configured only for Polygon Mainnet?A: Yes. MATIC tokens exist natively on Polygon and do not require bridging unless moved to Ethereum. Their security model follows standard ERC-20 standards applied on Polygon’s PoS consensus layer.

Q: What happens if I send ETH to a Polygon wallet address?A: ETH sent directly to a Polygon address will be irretrievably lost. ETH exists only on Ethereum Mainnet; cross-chain transfers require a bridge and proper asset wrapping into WETH or other bridged representations.