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# Connect to a Relay

## Overview

[`withRelay`](/tempo/transports/withRelay) connects a Viem client to a remote
relay or applies plugins directly to its transport. Choose remote coordination
when independent owners need to share an approval mailbox.

## Recipes

These recipes assume you have [set up a Tempo client](/tempo).

### Connect to a Remote Relay

Pass a relay transport to `withRelay` to use a remote service for transaction
preparation, fee sponsorship, and multisig coordination.

```ts twoslash
import { createClient, http } from 'viem'
import { tempo } from 'viem/chains'
import { withRelay } from 'viem/tempo'

// See https://viem.sh/tempo/guides/relay/run for instructions on running a relay.
const client = createClient({
  chain: tempo,
  transport: withRelay(http(), http('https://relay.example.com')), // [!code focus]
})
```

### Connect to a Local Relay

Pass plugins to `withRelay` to run a relay inside the application. Requests pass
through the plugins before reaching the execution RPC, without a separate HTTP service.

```ts twoslash
import { createClient, http } from 'viem'
import { tempo } from 'viem/chains'
import { Relay, Store, withRelay } from 'viem/tempo'

const client = createClient({
  chain: tempo,
  transport: withRelay(http(), {
    plugins: [Relay.multisig({ store: Store.memory() })], // [!code focus]
  }),
})
```

Local mode preserves the underlying transport.

<Cards>
  <Card icon="lucide:wallet" title="Fee Payer" description="Sponsor transaction fees with a local account or an external relay." to="/tempo/relay/plugins/fee-payer" />

  <Card icon="lucide:coins" title="Fee Token" description="Choose a funded fee token using the sender's preference and balances." to="/tempo/relay/plugins/fee-token" />

  <Card icon="lucide:scan" title="Simulate" description="Preview token balance changes and estimate fees before sending a transaction." to="/tempo/relay/plugins/simulate" />

  <Card icon="lucide:users" title="Multisig" description="Coordinate owner approvals and share pending multisig transactions." to="/tempo/relay/plugins/multisig" />
</Cards>

## Best Practices

A process-local store cannot coordinate independent applications. Use a remote
relay backed by shared persistent storage, or supply the same atomic store to
each local coordinator. Keep sponsor signing keys in a trusted server environment.

## See More

* [Run a Relay](/tempo/guides/relay/run)
* [Send Multisig Transactions](/tempo/guides/multisig/send)