How do you revoke a token approval you accidentally signed on Solana?

23 October 2026

You revoke a token approval by using a token approval checker tool or a block explorer to find the approval transaction, then submitting a revocation transaction that sets the approval amount to zero. The process takes a few minutes and costs a small network fee.

What a token approval actually is

When you connect a dApp to your Solana wallet and sign a transaction, you might be granting that dApp permission to move a specific token from your wallet. This is called a token approval or token delegation. It is not the same as connecting your wallet to a dApp just to view balances - that only grants read access.

A token approval gives the dApp's smart contract the authority to transfer up to a certain number of tokens on your behalf. Many dApps ask for an unlimited approval (the maximum possible number) so you do not have to approve every single transaction. If the dApp turns out to be malicious or gets compromised, that approval can be used to drain those tokens from your wallet without further permission from you.

How to find what approvals you have signed

You cannot see token approvals in your wallet's main interface. You need an external tool or a block explorer.

Using a token approval checker (recommended for beginners)

1. Go to a Solana token approval checker site such as Solscan's token approval page or a dedicated tool like RugCheck or Solsniffer.
2. Connect your wallet to the site, or paste your wallet address into the search field.
3. The tool will display a list of all token accounts your wallet controls and any active approvals on each one.
4. Look for approvals you do not recognize, especially ones set to a very high number (like 1,000,000,000,000 or similar).

Using a block explorer directly

1. Open Solscan or a similar Solana block explorer.
2. Search for your wallet address.
3. Go to the "Token Holdings" or "Token Accounts" tab.
4. Click on a specific token account to see its details.
5. Look for a field labeled "Delegate" or "Approval." If it shows an address other than your own, that token account has an active approval.

How to revoke an approval

Once you have identified the approval you want to revoke, the process is the same regardless of which tool you used to find it.

Method 1: Revoke from an approval checker tool

Most token approval checkers have a "Revoke" button next to each approval. Clicking it will:

1. Open your wallet (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, or another) and ask you to sign a transaction.
2. The transaction sets the delegated amount to zero, removing the dApp's permission.
3. You pay a small network fee in SOL to submit the transaction.
4. Wait for confirmation. The approval is revoked once the transaction is finalized.

Method 2: Revoke from a block explorer

1. On the token account detail page in Solscan or another explorer, look for a "Revoke" or "Revoke Approval" action.
2. Click it. Your wallet will prompt you to sign a revocation transaction.
3. Confirm and pay the fee.

Method 3: Revoke programmatically (advanced)

If you use a command-line tool like the Solana CLI, you can revoke an approval by running:

spl-token revoke <TOKEN_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>

This requires the Solana CLI to be installed and your keypair to be accessible. Most users should use the graphical methods above.

What happens after you revoke

• The dApp can no longer move that specific token from your wallet.
• You can still use the dApp normally if you want to; you will just need to approve each new transaction individually.
• Revoking an approval does not affect any other tokens or your SOL balance.
• The revocation is permanent unless you sign a new approval for the same dApp later.

How to avoid signing accidental approvals in the future

• Read every transaction prompt carefully before signing. Wallet interfaces like Phantom show a warning when a dApp requests an unlimited token approval.
• Use a hardware wallet for larger holdings. Hardware wallets require physical confirmation for each transaction, which gives you a moment to review what you are signing.
• Consider using a burner wallet for testing new dApps. Keep your main holdings in a wallet you do not connect to unfamiliar sites.
• Check your active approvals periodically - once a month is reasonable if you use many dApps.
• If a dApp asks for an approval on a token you do not plan to use with that dApp, decline the request.

Revoking an approval is straightforward once you know where to look. The risk is not that revoking is difficult - it is that you forget to check for approvals at all. A few minutes of checking every few weeks can prevent a draining incident.

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