> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/voteagora/agora-next/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Delegation

> Delegate your voting power to trusted representatives in your DAO

Delegation allows you to assign your voting power to another address, enabling more efficient governance participation while maintaining your token ownership.

## Overview

The delegation system enables:

* **Delegate voting power** to trusted community members
* **Become a delegate** and represent others
* **Track delegations** in real-time
* **Partial delegation** for granular control
* **View delegate profiles** and voting history

## Understanding Delegation

<Note>
  Delegation does not transfer token ownership - you retain full control of your tokens while giving another address the right to vote on your behalf.
</Note>

### How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose a Delegate">
    Browse delegates and review their voting history, statements, and participation
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delegate Tokens">
    Assign your voting power through a simple transaction
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delegation Active">
    Your delegate can now vote using your combined voting power
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor Performance">
    Track how your delegate votes and their participation rate
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Benefits

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="For Token Holders" icon="user">
    Participate in governance without constant monitoring. Your voting power is used effectively by knowledgeable delegates.
  </Card>

  <Card title="For the DAO" icon="building-columns">
    Higher participation rates and more informed decisions through concentrated expertise.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Finding Delegates

Access the delegates page at `/delegates` to explore options:

### Sorting Options

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="By Voting Power">
    View delegates with the most delegated tokens (default sort)
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="By Delegator Count">
    See delegates with the most individual delegators
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Recent Activity">
    Find newly active delegates or recent delegation changes
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Weighted Random">
    Discover delegates with a randomized, voting-power-weighted selection
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Filtering Delegates

Narrow your search using filters:

* **Top Issues** - Delegates focused on specific governance areas
* **Stakeholder Types** - Filter by represented stakeholder groups
* **Endorsed Delegates** - Community-verified representatives
* **Has Statement** - Delegates with detailed platform statements

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript src/app/api/common/delegates/getDelegates.ts theme={null}
  async function getDelegates({
    pagination,
    sort,
    filters,
  }: {
    pagination?: PaginationParams;
    sort: string;
    filters?: {
      delegator?: `0x${string}`;
      issues?: string;
      stakeholders?: string;
      endorsed?: boolean;
      hasStatement?: boolean;
    };
  }) {
    const delegates = await fetchDelegatesFromDaoNode({
      sortBy: sort,
      filters,
      limit: pagination?.limit,
      offset: pagination?.offset,
    });
    
    return delegates;
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Delegate Profiles

Each delegate has a profile page at `/delegates/[address]` showing:

### Profile Information

* **Voting power** - Total delegated tokens
  * Direct voting power (self-delegated)
  * Advanced voting power (from partial delegations)
* **Delegator count** - Number of addresses delegating
* **Participation rate** - Percentage of proposals voted on
* **Voting history** - Recent votes and rationale

### Delegate Statement

Delegates can publish statements including:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="About the Delegate">
    Background, expertise, and governance philosophy
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Top Issues">
    Key areas of focus and expertise
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Stakeholder Representation">
    Which groups or interests they represent
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Social Links">
    Twitter, Discord, Warpcast, and other contact methods
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript Delegate Data Structure theme={null}
  type Delegate = {
    address: string;
    votingPower: {
      total: string;
      direct: string;
      advanced: string;
    };
    votingPowerRelativeToQuorum: number;
    proposalsVotedOn: bigint;
    votingParticipation: number;
    numOfDelegators: bigint;
    statement: DelegateStatement | null;
  };
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Delegating Your Tokens

<Warning>
  Ensure you trust your chosen delegate - they will vote on your behalf for all proposals.
</Warning>

### Standard Delegation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect Wallet">
    Ensure your wallet is connected to the platform
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Delegate">
    Navigate to the delegate's profile page
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Delegate Button">
    Select "Delegate" on their profile
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Transaction">
    Sign the delegation transaction in your wallet
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delegation Active">
    Your voting power is now delegated (takes effect at next block)
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Self-Delegation

You can delegate to yourself to vote directly:

```typescript theme={null}
// Delegate tokens to your own address
const delegateToSelf = async (address: `0x${string}`) => {
  // This gives you direct voting power instead of being inactive
  await delegate(address);
};
```

<Note>
  Self-delegation is required to vote directly with your tokens. Without delegation (to self or others), your tokens don't contribute to governance.
</Note>

### Partial Delegation

Some DAOs support advanced delegation features:

* **Split delegation** - Delegate to multiple addresses
* **Conditional delegation** - Set rules for when delegation applies
* **Percentage-based** - Delegate only a portion of your voting power

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript Advanced Delegation theme={null}
  // Check if advanced delegation is supported
  const { contracts } = Tenant.current();
  const supportsAdvanced = !!contracts.alligator;

  if (supportsAdvanced) {
    // Partial delegation to multiple delegates
    await partialDelegate([
      { delegate: address1, amount: 1000 },
      { delegate: address2, amount: 500 }
    ]);
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Managing Delegations

### Viewing Your Delegations

Check your delegation status:

* Navigate to your profile page
* View "Delegations" tab
* See all addresses you've delegated to
* Review amounts and delegation dates

### Changing Delegates

You can change your delegate at any time:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose New Delegate">
    Find the delegate you want to switch to
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delegate Again">
    Click delegate on the new delegate's profile
  </Step>

  <Step title="Previous Delegation Replaced">
    Your old delegation is automatically revoked
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Delegation changes take effect in the next block. Active proposals use the delegation state at their snapshot block.
</Note>

### Revoking Delegation

To stop delegating:

1. Delegate to your own address (self-delegation)
2. Or delegate to a different address
3. Your tokens remain in your wallet throughout

## Becoming a Delegate

### Creating Your Statement

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Create Statement">
    Go to `/delegates/create` or edit from your profile
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill Out Profile">
    Add your background, expertise, and governance philosophy
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Top Issues">
    Choose your areas of focus
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Social Links">
    Connect Twitter, Discord, Warpcast for communication
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign and Publish">
    Sign the statement with your wallet to publish
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Best Practices for Delegates

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Maintain Active Participation">
    * Vote on all proposals when possible
    * Provide reasoning for your votes
    * Aim for 80%+ participation rate
    * Stay informed on governance discussions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Transparent Communication">
    * Keep your statement up to date
    * Explain voting decisions publicly
    * Engage with delegators' questions
    * Announce any conflicts of interest
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Consistent Engagement">
    * Participate in forum discussions
    * Attend community calls
    * Review proposals thoroughly
    * Collaborate with other delegates
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Delegation Analytics

### Tracking Metrics

Monitor delegation health:

* **Delegation concentration** - Distribution of voting power
* **Participation rates** - Delegate voting activity
* **Delegation changes** - Trends in delegator behavior
* **New delegators** - Growing delegate base

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript Fetching Delegation Stats theme={null}
  import { fetchDelegate } from '@/app/api/common/delegates/getDelegates';

  const delegate = await fetchDelegate(address);

  console.log({
    votingPower: delegate.votingPower.total,
    delegators: delegate.numOfDelegators,
    participation: delegate.votingParticipation,
    votedOn: delegate.proposalsVotedOn
  });
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## API Integration

### Fetching Delegates List

```typescript theme={null}
import { fetchDelegates } from '@/app/api/common/delegates/getDelegates';

const result = await fetchDelegates({
  pagination: { limit: 20, offset: 0 },
  sort: 'voting_power',
  filters: {
    endorsed: true,
    hasStatement: true
  }
});

console.log(result.data); // Array of delegates
```

### Getting Delegate Details

```typescript theme={null}
import { fetchDelegate } from '@/app/api/common/delegates/getDelegates';

// Works with address or ENS name
const delegate = await fetchDelegate('vitalik.eth');

console.log(delegate.statement?.payload?.delegateStatement);
```

## Related Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Voting" href="/features/voting" icon="square-check">
    Cast votes on proposals using delegated power
  </Card>

  <Card title="Proposals" href="/features/proposals" icon="file-lines">
    Create and vote on governance proposals
  </Card>

  <Card title="Forums" href="/features/forums" icon="comments">
    Discuss governance with delegates and community
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Delegation not showing">
    * Wait for transaction confirmation (1-2 blocks)
    * Refresh the page
    * Check transaction status on block explorer
    * Ensure you're on the correct network
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cannot delegate">
    * Verify you have tokens in your wallet
    * Check wallet connection
    * Ensure sufficient ETH for gas fees
    * Confirm the DAO supports delegation
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Voting power incorrect">
    * Voting power is snapshot at proposal creation
    * Recent delegations don't affect existing proposals
    * Check delegation status at the snapshot block
    * Consider token balance at snapshot time
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>