Core RPC Methods

The essential read methods every Solana client uses: account info, balances, program scans, and batch fetches.

Recipe

Quick-reference recipe card - copy-paste ready.

import { createSolanaRpc, address } from "@solana/kit";
 
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("https://api.devnet.solana.com");
 
await rpc.getAccountInfo(pubkey, { encoding: "base64" }).send();
await rpc.getBalance(pubkey).send();
await rpc.getMultipleAccounts([pk1, pk2]).send();
await rpc.getProgramAccounts(programId, { encoding: "base64" }).send();

When to reach for this:

Hydrating UI with wallet and token balances.
Fetching a single config account for your program.
Batch-loading NFT/token accounts for a gallery view.
Scanning program-owned accounts (with filters - see GPA page).

Working Example

import { createSolanaRpc, address } from "@solana/kit";
 
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("https://api.devnet.solana.com");
 
const SYSTEM_PROGRAM = address("11111111111111111111111111111111");
const wallet = address("YOUR_WALLET_PUBKEY");
 
const [balance, accountInfo, multi] = await Promise.all([
  rpc.getBalance(wallet, { commitment: "confirmed" }).send(),
  rpc.getAccountInfo(SYSTEM_PROGRAM, { encoding: "base64" }).send(),
  rpc.getMultipleAccounts([wallet, SYSTEM_PROGRAM], {
    commitment: "confirmed",
    encoding: "base64",
  }).send(),
]);
 
console.log({
  lamports: balance.value,
  systemExecutable: accountInfo.value?.executable,
  multiCount: multi.value?.length,
});

What this demonstrates:

getBalance returns lamports for system-owned wallets.
getAccountInfo returns owner, lamports, data, executable flag.
getMultipleAccounts batches up to provider limits in one RPC round trip.

Deep Dive

How It Works

All methods are JSON-RPC POSTs with commitment and encoding options.
base64 encoding is standard for binary program data; jsonParsed works for some SPL programs on supporting nodes.
getProgramAccounts without filters scans entire program space - expensive on mainnet.
Null value means account does not exist at chosen commitment.

Method Summary

Method	Returns	Cost
`getAccountInfo`	Single account	Low
`getBalance`	Lamports only	Low
`getMultipleAccounts`	Up to N accounts	Medium
`getProgramAccounts`	All matching accounts	High without filters

TypeScript Notes

// Prefer address() helper for base58 pubkeys
import { address, assertIsAddress } from "@solana/kit";
 
const mint = address("EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v");
assertIsAddress(mint);

Gotchas

Unfiltered GPA on mainnet - timeouts and 429s. Fix: memcmp/dataSize filters (getProgramAccounts & Filters).
Assuming account exists - value: null crashes naive parsers. Fix: null-check before decoding.
jsonParsed everywhere - not all programs supported. Fix: decode with your IDL from base64.
Huge batch arrays - providers cap getMultipleAccounts length. Fix: chunk into batches of 100 or per provider docs.
Stale commitment after send - UI shows old balance until confirmed refresh. Fix: poll or subscribe after transactions.

Alternatives

Alternative	Use When	Don't Use When
DAS `getAsset`	NFT/compressed metadata	Custom program accounts
Geyser/Yellowstone	Indexer-scale streaming	Simple wallet balance
`solana account` CLI	One-off debugging	Production app reads
Helius enhanced APIs	Parsed token balances	Provider lock-in unacceptable

FAQs

What encoding should I use?

base64 for generic program data; jsonParsed when provider documents SPL support for your account type.

How many accounts in getMultipleAccounts?

Depends on provider - chunk 50-100 pubkeys per call as a safe default.

Does getBalance include rent?

Yes - total lamports in the account; token accounts hold separate balances per mint.

Why is getProgramAccounts slow?

Scans all accounts owned by program - always add filters on mainnet.

Can I use these on localnet?

Yes - point RPC URL at http://127.0.0.1:8899.

How do I decode base64 data?

Use Anchor/codama clients or Borsh layouts matching on-chain structs.

What commitment for UI balance?

confirmed after user transactions; processed only for low-stakes live counters.

Is getAccountInfo cached?

No server-side cache guarantees - treat as live read; add your own TTL cache carefully.

How do GPA and GMA differ?

getProgramAccounts scans by owner program; getMultipleAccounts fetches explicit pubkeys you already know.

Do kit 7.0.0 types include encoding enums?

Yes - pass encoding: "base64" in params objects with full TypeScript checking.

RPC Basics - commitment and transport
getProgramAccounts & Filters - filtered scans
Pagination & Efficiency - batching patterns
The DAS API - asset-specific reads

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.

Core RPC Methods

The essential read methods every Solana client uses: account info, balances, program scans, and batch fetches.

Recipe

Quick-reference recipe card - copy-paste ready.

import { createSolanaRpc, address } from "@solana/kit";
 
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("https://api.devnet.solana.com");
 
await rpc.getAccountInfo(pubkey, { encoding: "base64" }).send();
await rpc.getBalance(pubkey).send();
await rpc.getMultipleAccounts([pk1, pk2]).send();
await rpc.getProgramAccounts(programId, { encoding: "base64" }).send();

When to reach for this:

Hydrating UI with wallet and token balances.
Fetching a single config account for your program.
Batch-loading NFT/token accounts for a gallery view.
Scanning program-owned accounts (with filters - see GPA page).

Working Example

import { createSolanaRpc, address } from "@solana/kit";
 
const rpc = createSolanaRpc("https://api.devnet.solana.com");
 
const SYSTEM_PROGRAM = address("11111111111111111111111111111111");
const wallet = address("YOUR_WALLET_PUBKEY");
 
const [balance, accountInfo, multi] = await Promise.all([
  rpc.getBalance(wallet, { commitment: "confirmed" }).send(),
  rpc.getAccountInfo(SYSTEM_PROGRAM, { encoding: "base64" }).send(),
  rpc.getMultipleAccounts([wallet, SYSTEM_PROGRAM], {
    commitment: "confirmed",
    encoding: "base64",
  }).send(),
]);
 
console.log({
  lamports: balance.value,
  systemExecutable: accountInfo.value?.executable,
  multiCount: multi.value?.length,
});

What this demonstrates:

getBalance returns lamports for system-owned wallets.
getAccountInfo returns owner, lamports, data, executable flag.
getMultipleAccounts batches up to provider limits in one RPC round trip.

Deep Dive

How It Works

All methods are JSON-RPC POSTs with commitment and encoding options.
base64 encoding is standard for binary program data; jsonParsed works for some SPL programs on supporting nodes.
getProgramAccounts without filters scans entire program space - expensive on mainnet.
Null value means account does not exist at chosen commitment.

Method Summary

Method	Returns	Cost
`getAccountInfo`	Single account	Low
`getBalance`	Lamports only	Low
`getMultipleAccounts`	Up to N accounts	Medium
`getProgramAccounts`	All matching accounts	High without filters

TypeScript Notes

// Prefer address() helper for base58 pubkeys
import { address, assertIsAddress } from "@solana/kit";
 
const mint = address("EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v");
assertIsAddress(mint);

Gotchas

Unfiltered GPA on mainnet - timeouts and 429s. Fix: memcmp/dataSize filters (getProgramAccounts & Filters).
Assuming account exists - value: null crashes naive parsers. Fix: null-check before decoding.
jsonParsed everywhere - not all programs supported. Fix: decode with your IDL from base64.
Huge batch arrays - providers cap getMultipleAccounts length. Fix: chunk into batches of 100 or per provider docs.
Stale commitment after send - UI shows old balance until confirmed refresh. Fix: poll or subscribe after transactions.

Alternatives

Alternative	Use When	Don't Use When
DAS `getAsset`	NFT/compressed metadata	Custom program accounts
Geyser/Yellowstone	Indexer-scale streaming	Simple wallet balance
`solana account` CLI	One-off debugging	Production app reads
Helius enhanced APIs	Parsed token balances	Provider lock-in unacceptable

FAQs

What encoding should I use?

base64 for generic program data; jsonParsed when provider documents SPL support for your account type.

How many accounts in getMultipleAccounts?

Depends on provider - chunk 50-100 pubkeys per call as a safe default.

Does getBalance include rent?

Yes - total lamports in the account; token accounts hold separate balances per mint.

Why is getProgramAccounts slow?

Scans all accounts owned by program - always add filters on mainnet.

Can I use these on localnet?

Yes - point RPC URL at http://127.0.0.1:8899.

How do I decode base64 data?

Use Anchor/codama clients or Borsh layouts matching on-chain structs.

What commitment for UI balance?

confirmed after user transactions; processed only for low-stakes live counters.

Is getAccountInfo cached?

No server-side cache guarantees - treat as live read; add your own TTL cache carefully.

How do GPA and GMA differ?

getProgramAccounts scans by owner program; getMultipleAccounts fetches explicit pubkeys you already know.

Do kit 7.0.0 types include encoding enums?

Yes - pass encoding: "base64" in params objects with full TypeScript checking.

RPC Basics - commitment and transport
getProgramAccounts & Filters - filtered scans
Pagination & Efficiency - batching patterns
The DAS API - asset-specific reads

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.

Core RPC Methods

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Core RPC Methods