View source for How-to: Add a hotkey to neuron

A hot key is a lot like a read-only view of a neuron, in that it lets you use a different controller to see the balance, maturity, dissolve delay and other details of a neuron. Where this becomes most useful is in conjunction with the NNS frontend dapp and your Internet Identity. This how to is about adding your NNS Frontend dapp as a hot key to self-custodied neurons.

There are few ways of adding hotkeys depending on what staking or custody setup you use:

== Adding hotkey to neuron controlled by Quill + airgapped machine ==

See [[ICP_staking_with_seed_phrase_and_air-gapped_computer#How_to_add_a_hot_key_to_the_neuron]].

== Adding hotkey to neuron controlled by Quill + networked machine ==


===Step 1: Log into the NNS Frontend dapp===

(note: This will require you create an Internet Identity)

Log in to the [https://nns.ic0.app/ NNS frontend dapp] 

===Step 2: Get the principal id from your NNS Frontend dapp===
In the upper right-hand corner, click the small profile icon: [[File:Profileicon.png]]
When the menu opens, you will see your "Principal ID." Click the copy button to copy the full principal (which is much longer than what is visible).
[[File:Profile menu.png]]

In our example variable it is {{code |uok4z-yyrwt-owuo4-6hizi-6cwp4-yzh2a-pt4kh-suwul-sameh-czoki-bae}}.

===Step 3: Create a message to the neuron to "add hot key to the neuron"===

Structure of command:

<pre>
$ target/release/quill --pem-file private.pem neuron-manage $NEURON_ID --add-hot-key "$PRINCIPAL"
</pre>


Command with example variables if you are using a pem file:

<pre>
// Add the hot key from the NNS frontend dapp to your self-custodied neuron
$ target/release/quill --pem-file private.pem neuron-manage 5241875388871980017 --add-hot-key "2xt3l-tqk2i-fpygm-lseru-pvgek-t67vb-tu3ap-k0mnu-dr4hl-z3kpn-o2e" > message.json

//send the message to the IC 
$ target/release/quill send message.json
</pre>


Command with example variables for a Mac that is using an HSM.<pre>
// Add the hot key from the NNS frontend dapp to your self-custodied neuron
$ quill neuron-manage 1234567890123456 --add-hot-key "abcd-1234-efgh-5647-ijkl-8901-monp-2345-qrst-678" > message.json

//send the message to the IC 
$ quill send message.json
</pre>

Command with example variables for a Windows computer that is using an HSM.<pre>
// Add the hot key from the NNS frontend dapp to your self-custodied neuron
$ quill-windows-x86_64 --hsm neuron-manage 1234567890123456 --add-hot-key "abcd-1234-efgh-5647-ijkl-8901-monp-2345-qrst-678" > out.json

//send the message to the IC 
$ quill-windows-x86_64 send out.json
</pre>

===Step 4: Check your self-custodied neuron is your NNS Frontend dapp===

If you go to the neurons tab, you should see your self-custodied neuron in the list of neurons (via hot key control). You can expand it to see more details, adjust following, see how it has voted in the past, etc.