PDAs and Seeds

Program-derived addresses for program-owned accounts without private keys. Results appear in the same fence: same-line // comments when short, multiline // blocks below the sample when not.

find_program_address

Search for a valid off-curve PDA + bump.

// let (pda, bump) = Pubkey::find_program_address(&[b"user", user.as_ref()], program_id);
// bump in 255..=0 until off-curve

create_program_address

Create from seeds including bump - may fail if on-curve.

// Pubkey::create_program_address(&[b"user", user.as_ref(), &[bump]], program_id)?

Bump Seed

Store bump so future invokes need not re-search.

// state.bump = bump;

invoke_signed

CPI with PDA signer seeds.

// invoke_signed(&ix, accounts, &[&[b"user", user.as_ref(), &[bump]]])?

Canonical Bump

Prefer find_program_address bump for uniqueness.

// always persist the bump from find_program_address

Seed List

Seeds are byte slices; keep short and stable.

// seeds: user pubkey, str "vault", mint pubkey

Associated Token PDA

ATA is a PDA of the ATA program.

// getAssociatedTokenAddress(mint, owner)

PDA Not On Curve

PDAs cannot sign except via invoke_signed.

// no private key exists for a PDA

Multiple Seeds

Order of seeds is significant.

// [b"cfg", authority.as_ref()] != [authority.as_ref(), b"cfg"]

Program ID Seed

Seeds are always with a program_id.

// same seeds different program => different PDA

Init PDA Account

SystemProgram create_account + assign via CPI signed.

// create_account + assign to program_id with invoke_signed

Seeds Constraint Anchor

Anchor validates seeds match.

// seeds = [b"user", user.key().as_ref()], bump

Realloc PDA

Resize account data with realloc (careful with rent).

// account.realloc(new_len, false)?

Close PDA

Transfer lamports out and zero data carefully.

// drain lamports to destination; mark closed

Off Curve Check

create_program_address errors if key is on curve.

// Err if seeds produce on-curve point

Related

• Accounts and Addresses - account model
• CPI Cross Program - sign with seeds
• Anchor Accounts Constraints - seeds constraints

Stack versions: This page was written for Agave 4.1.1, Solana CLI 3.0.10, Anchor 0.32.1, Rust 1.91.1, and @solana/kit 7.0.0.