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Glossary

This glossary defines common Smart Accounts Kit terms used across the documentation.

Account abstraction

A conceptual model for programmable onchain accounts, including flexible validation logic, custom signature schemes, and gas abstraction. ERC-4337 defines a mechanism for account abstraction.

Advanced Permissions

Fine-grained, wallet execution permissions that dapps can request from MetaMask extension users. Based on ERC-7715.

Bundler

An ERC-4337 component that manages the alternate mempool: it collects user operations from smart accounts, packages them, and submits them to the network.

Caveat

A restriction attached to a delegation that limits how delegated authority can be used.

Caveat enforcer

A smart contract that enforces delegation rules by validating caveat conditions during redemption hooks.

Delegate account

The account that receives delegated authority and can redeem a delegation under its constraints.

Delegation

The ability for a MetaMask smart account to authorize another account to perform specific executions on its behalf.

Delegation Framework

A set of audited smart contracts that handle smart account creation, the delegation lifecycle, and caveat enforcement.

Delegation Manager

The ERC-7710 component that validates and redeems delegations, including signature checks and caveat enforcer hooks.

Delegation scope

A predefined authority pattern representing a caveat or group of caveats, which sets the initial actions a delegate is allowed to perform. You can combine scopes with additional caveats.

Delegator account

The account that creates and signs a delegation to grant limited authority to another account.

EIP-7702 smart account

A stateless MetaMask smart account implementation that represents an upgraded EOA.

Externally owned account (EOA)

A private-key-controlled account with no built-in programmable execution logic.

Hybrid smart account

A smart account implementation that supports both an EOA owner and passkey signers.

MetaMask smart account

A smart contract account created using the Smart Accounts Kit that supports programmable behavior, flexible signing options, and ERC-7710 delegations.

Multisig smart account

A smart account implementation that requires multiple signers to generate a valid signature.

Open delegation

A delegation that leaves the delegate unspecified, allowing any account to redeem it.

Open redelegation

A redelegation with no specific delegate, allowing any account to redeem inherited permissions.

Passkey

A cryptographic key that can be used to sign transactions instead of a private key.

Paymaster

A service that pays for user operations on behalf of a smart account.

Redelegation

A delegation that passes on authority granted by a previous delegation.

Root delegation

The first delegation in a chain, where an account delegates its own authority directly.

Signer

An account that can sign transactions for a smart account.

User operation

A pseudo-transaction object defined by ERC-4337 that describes what a smart account should execute. User operations are submitted to the alternate mempool managed by bundlers.