# Local Accounts (Private Key, Mnemonic, etc)

A Local Account is an Account whose signing keys are stored on the consuming user's machine. It performs signing of transactions & messages with a private key **before** broadcasting the transaction or message over JSON-RPC.

There are three types of Local Accounts in viem:

* [Private Key Account](/docs/accounts/local/privateKeyToAccount)
* [Mnemonic Account](/docs/accounts/local/mnemonicToAccount)
* [Hierarchical Deterministic (HD) Account](/docs/accounts/local/hdKeyToAccount)

## Instantiation

### 1. Initialize a Wallet Client

Before we set up our Account and start consuming Wallet Actions, we will need to set up our Wallet Client with the [`http` Transport](/docs/clients/transports/http):

```ts twoslash
import { createWalletClient, http } from 'viem'
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains'

const client = createWalletClient({
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http()
})
```

### 2. Set up your Local Account

Next, we will instantiate a Private Key Account using `privateKeyToAccount`:

```ts twoslash
import { createWalletClient, http } from 'viem'
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts' // [!code focus]
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains'

const client = createWalletClient({
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http()
})

const account = privateKeyToAccount('0x...') // [!code focus:1]
```

### 3. Consume [Wallet Actions](/docs/actions/wallet/introduction)

Now you can use that Account within Wallet Actions that need a signature from the user:

```ts twoslash
import { createWalletClient, http, parseEther } from 'viem'
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts'
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains'

const client = createWalletClient({
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http()
})

const account = privateKeyToAccount('0x...')

const hash = await client.sendTransaction({ // [!code focus:5]
  account,
  to: '0xa5cc3c03994DB5b0d9A5eEdD10CabaB0813678AC',
  value: parseEther('0.001')
})
```

### 4. Optional: Hoist the Account

If you do not wish to pass an account around to every Action that requires an `account`, you can also hoist the account into the Wallet Client.

```ts twoslash
import { createWalletClient, http, parseEther } from 'viem'
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts'
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains'

const account = privateKeyToAccount('0x...')

const client = createWalletClient({ // [!code focus:99]
  account, // [!code ++]
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http()
})

const hash = await client.sendTransaction({
  account, // [!code --]
  to: '0xa5cc3c03994DB5b0d9A5eEdD10CabaB0813678AC',
  value: parseEther('0.001')
})
```

### 5. Optional: Extend with Public Actions

When using a Local Account, you may be finding yourself using a [Public Client](/docs/clients/public) instantiated with the same parameters (`transport`, `chain`, etc) as your Wallet Client.

In this case, you can extend your Wallet Client with [Public Actions](/docs/actions/public/introduction) to avoid having to handle multiple Clients.

```ts twoslash {12}
// @noErrors
import { createWalletClient, http, publicActions } from 'viem'
import { privateKeyToAccount } from 'viem/accounts'
import { mainnet } from 'viem/chains'

const account = privateKeyToAccount('0x...')

const client = createWalletClient({
  account,
  chain: mainnet,
  transport: http()
}).extend(publicActions) // [!code ++]

const { request } = await client.simulateContract({ ... }) // Public Action
const hash = await client.writeContract(request) // Wallet Action
```