Installation

How to install the CoW Protocol SDK and choose the right adapter for your Web3 library

CoW Protocol SDK Installation Guide

Quick Overview

The CoW Protocol SDK enables blockchain interaction through three adapter options. Installation involves the main package plus your chosen adapter framework.

Core Installation

Install the primary package:

npm

npm install @cowprotocol/cow-sdk

Adapter Selection

You must choose one of three adapters based on your Web3 library:

Viem - Modern, lightweight TypeScript library requiring viem 1.x+

Ethers v6 - The current ethers.js version (recommended for ethers users)

Ethers v5 - Legacy version; consider upgrading to v6 or using Viem

Each adapter installation differs slightly. For Viem, you’d run:

npm install @cowprotocol/sdk-viem-adapter viem

Essential Dependencies

The SDK requires cross-fetch (^3.x). Optional packages include ipfs-only-hash, multiformats, and @openzeppelin/merkle-tree for specialized features like app-data metadata and merkle operations.

Environment Requirements

Node.js 16+ is mandatory. TypeScript support includes built-in type definitions with standard tsconfig.json settings (moduleResolution: “node”, esModuleInterop: true).

Framework Integration

React/Next.js users typically integrate via wagmi, while Node.js backends use direct Viem initialization with environment variables for sensitive credentials.

The current SDK version is v7.4.1, with migration guidance available for v6 upgrades.