Wallets & Explorers
Wallets hold keypairs and sign transactions. Explorers let you inspect accounts, programs, and transaction logs on any cluster. Together they form the daily devnet workflow every Solana builder uses.
Recipe
Quick-reference recipe card - copy-paste ready.
# Fund devnet wallet
solana airdrop 2
solana balance
# Open transaction in explorer
open "https://explorer.solana.com/tx/<SIGNATURE>?cluster=devnet"When to reach for this:
- Onboarding new developers with devnet SOL
- Debugging failed transactions via explorer logs
- Inspecting program accounts and upgrade authority
- Sharing transaction links with teammates
- Verifying deployment on the correct cluster
Working Example
#!/bin/bash
# devnet-explorer-workflow.sh
set -e
solana config set --url devnet
# Create and fund
solana-keygen new --no-bip39-passphrase -o ./dev.json --force
solana airdrop 1 ./dev.json || echo "Airdrop rate-limited - try https://faucet.solana.com"
# Send a visible transaction
RECIPIENT=$(solana-keygen pubkey ./dev.json)
SIG=$(solana transfer "$RECIPIENT" 0.001 --from ./dev.json --allow-unfunded-recipient --output json | jq -r .signature)
echo "Transaction: https://explorer.solana.com/tx/$SIG?cluster=devnet"
echo "Wallet: https://explorer.solana.com/address/$RECIPIENT?cluster=devnet"
# Inspect on CLI
solana confirm -v "$SIG"import { createSolanaRpc, address } from "@solana/kit";
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("https://api.devnet.solana.com");
const sig = "YOUR_SIGNATURE";
const tx = await rpc
.getTransaction(sig, { encoding: "json", maxSupportedTransactionVersion: 0 })
.send();
console.log("Slot:", tx?.slot);
console.log("Error:", tx?.meta?.err);
console.log("CU consumed:", tx?.meta?.computeUnitsConsumed);
console.log("Log messages:", tx?.meta?.logMessages);What this demonstrates:
- Faucet CLI airdrop is the fastest devnet funding path
- Explorer URLs require
?cluster=devnetfor non-mainnet views getTransactionreturns logs, CU, and error details programmaticallysolana confirm -vmirrors explorer instruction breakdown in the terminal
Deep Dive
How It Works
- Wallets store keypairs locally (browser extension, mobile app, or CLI file)
- When a dapp requests a signature, the wallet shows the transaction for approval
- Explorers index RPC data to render human-readable transaction views
- Each cluster has separate ledger data - explorer cluster param must match
Explorer Views
| Tab | Shows |
|---|---|
| Overview | Balance, owner, executable flag, data size |
| Transactions | History for an address |
| Instruction | Program called, accounts, raw data |
| Logs | msg! output and program errors |
| Program | Upgrade authority, IDL (if published) |
Devnet Faucets
- CLI:
solana airdrop 2(rate-limited) - Web:
https://faucet.solana.com(devnet/testnet) - Local: unlimited on
solana-test-validator
Gotchas
- Explorer without cluster param on devnet - shows mainnet data (tx not found). Fix: always append
?cluster=devnet. - Airdrop rate limits - CLI rejects after a few requests. Fix: use web faucet or wait, or switch to local validator.
- Trusting explorer token balances for security - explorers are read-only views, not oracles. Fix: verify on-chain via RPC for critical checks.
- Sharing mainnet private keys with devnet tools - key works on both; accidental mainnet tx is possible. Fix: separate keypair files per environment.
- Missing transaction on explorer - RPC lag or wrong cluster. Fix: wait a few seconds; verify cluster and signature.
- Wallet auto-connect on wrong cluster - Phantom and others have network selectors. Fix: match wallet network to dapp RPC.
Alternatives
| Alternative | Use When | Don't Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Solana Explorer | Human-readable debugging | Automated monitoring |
| Solscan / SolanaFM | Alternative UI, token analytics | Official documentation links |
solana confirm -v | Terminal-only workflow | Sharing links with non-devs |
RPC getTransaction | Programmatic log parsing | Quick visual inspection |
FAQs
What is the default Solana explorer?
https://explorer.solana.com - maintained by the Solana Foundation. Supports mainnet-beta, devnet, and testnet.
How do I view a devnet transaction?
https://explorer.solana.com/tx/<SIGNATURE>?cluster=devnet
Where do I get free devnet SOL?
solana airdrop 2Or use https://faucet.solana.com when CLI is rate-limited.
What wallets support Solana?
Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, Ledger (hardware), and CLI keypair files for development.
How do I read program logs in the explorer?
Open the transaction, scroll to Program Logs. Each msg! and emit! line appears in execution order.
Can I inspect account data in the explorer?
Yes. Open an address page and view the raw data tab. Anchor programs show Borsh-encoded bytes unless an IDL is verified.
What does Compute Units Consumed mean in explorer?
Total CU used by all instructions. Compare against your requested CU limit to spot budget issues.
How do I find a program's upgrade authority?
On the program's explorer page, check Program Account → Upgrade Authority field.
Does the explorer work with localnet?
No. Use CLI (solana logs, solana confirm -v) or a local block explorer setup.
How do I connect a browser wallet to my dapp?
Use @wallet-ui/react or wallet-adapter patterns with @solana/kit 7.0.0 for transaction building. Match RPC to wallet network.
Why does my transaction show Error in explorer?
The transaction landed but a program returned an error. Read the logs for the exact error code and line.
Can I verify an Anchor IDL on explorer?
If published on-chain or verified via Anchor's IDL account, explorer may decode instruction names. Otherwise you see raw bytes.
Related
- Clusters & Networks - devnet vs mainnet
- Keypairs & Addresses - wallet key management
- How a Transaction Flows - reading confirmation status
Stack versions: This page was written for Agave 4.1.1, Solana CLI 3.0.10, Anchor 0.32.1, anchor-lang 0.32.1, Rust 1.91.1, @solana/kit 7.0.0, Surfpool 0.12.0, and LiteSVM 0.6.x.