Understanding eth_getLogs limitations
TLDR
eth_getLogs
is a powerful method to retrieve Ethereum logs but can strain node resources if not managed properly.- Always adhere to your network’s recommended block range limit and paginate larger queries to avoid timeout errors.
- Apply relevant filters (topics, contract addresses) to minimize data retrieval overhead.
- For production use, combine best practices like smaller query ranges, pagination, and efficient filtering to ensure reliable and scalable log fetching.
Main article
As decentralized applications (DApps) continue to evolve and scale, the efficient management of Ethereum logs has become crucial in Web3 development. One of the common ways to access Ethereum logs is via the eth_getLogs
RPC method. This method provides an essential tool for querying past events in Ethereum-based blockchains. However, understanding its limitations and the optimal ways to use it can significantly enhance your DApp performance and reliability.
About eth_getLogs
The eth_getLogs
method is an Ethereum JSON-RPC endpoint used to query logs based on a filter
object from the Ethereum blockchain. It can be used directly or indirectly through libraries like web3.js or ethers.js that provide convenient wrappers. This function is crucial for auditing and retrieving past events emitted by smart contracts.
Learn more about eth_getLogs
and how you can retrieve emitted events from Tracking some Bored Apes: The Ethereum event logs tutorial.
Block range limitations
While eth_getLogs
is a powerful tool, it’s crucial to understand its limitations, particularly when working with different EVM-compatible chains, as these networks often have different constraints. The eth_getLogs
method allows you to select a range of blocks to get events from and is important to exercise proper management.
In general, eth_getLogs
is a very resource-intensive method and although Chainstack does not pose any arbitrary limitation, some blockchain clients do, and a very large block range can impact your node’s performance.
Below you can find the block range limitations for the eth_getLogs
that we recommend in order to maintain a good balance between node and application performance.
Range limits based on subscription plan
These figures mean that the difference between the fromBlock
and toBlock
parameters should not exceed the given block range when querying logs.
The ranges allowed change based on the plan you are on:
- Developer plan — 100 blocks
- Growth plan — 10,000 blocks
- Business plan — 10,000 blocks
- Enterprise — 10,000 blocks. Customization available on request.
Cronos and Harmony have hard limits set by their respective blockchain clients. You will receive an error if you try to query a bigger range than the following:
- Cronos — 10,000 blocks.
- Harmony — 1,024 blocks.
Even if your subscription plan allows for an unlimited range, it’s best practice to limit the range of blocks you are querying in a single request to prevent issues such as timeout errors or overly large responses. Here are some recommended block ranges per request for various networks:
- Ethereum — 5,000 blocks.
- Polygon — 3,000 blocks.
- BNB Smart Chain — 5,000 blocks.
- Avalanche — 100,000 blocks.
- Fantom — 5,000 blocks.
- Arbitrum — 10,000 blocks.
- Aurora — 10,000 blocks.
- Gnosis — 10,000 blocks.
These limitations are particularly important when working with popular smart contracts on busy blockchains, as they can return a large amount of data.
Best practices when using eth_getLogs
While using eth_getLogs
, consider these best practices to ensure efficient and reliable log data retrieval.
Limit the block range
Stay within the block range limits for the specific network you are working with. This practice reduces the likelihood of receiving an oversized response or a timeout error due to a long query.
Paginate queries
If you need to retrieve logs over a range that exceeds the network’s limit, split your request into multiple queries. This method is similar to pagination in traditional APIs.
The following is an example using web3.js:
This example retrieves the Transfer
events from the first one million blocks after the deployment of the ApeCoin smart contract in chunks of 5,000 blocks.
Efficiently filter logs
Retrieving logs from a blockchain can result in a large amount of data, especially when dealing with a busy network or a large number of blocks. Applying filters to your queries is important to manage this effectively and avoid unnecessary processing unless you are trying to retrieve all the events at once.
A filter is a set of criteria that you specify when making a request for logs. The blockchain node will then only return the logs that match these criteria, reducing the amount of data returned and making the query more efficient.
Further reading
Read Tracking some Bored Apes: The Ethereum event logs tutorial to learn more about the eth_getLogs
method and How to properly encode topics for eth_getLogs recipe on how to encode the filter parameters.
For example, if you’re only interested in a specific type of event, such as Transfer
events, you can specify this in your filter. The node will then only return logs for Transfer
events, ignoring all others.
Similarly, if you’re only interested in events from a particular address, you can specify this address in your filter. The node will then only return logs that involve this address, ignoring events from all other addresses.
Using filters effectively can significantly reduce the amount of data you need to handle, making your application more efficient and responsive.
Real-world example
Let’s take it a step further and show an example of how we can fetch and store Transfer
event logs from the BAYC smart contract. This project stores event logs in a MongoDB instance. This is a good starting point for creating your own BAYC API.
Prerequisites
- node.js
- MongoDB Atlas account with database setup and dedicated account to it
- Chainstack Ethereum node
Setup
For this example, we will be using node.js, so let’s set up a project:
Check out Web3 node.js: From zero to a full-fledged project to learn best practices when working with node.js.
As the next step, we should install dependencies:
Now we can create .env
and main.js
files and fill in the following information:
Once we have the files ready, we can run the script with the following command:
If you set up everything properly, you will see the following output:
Congratulations, you just set up your own data-processing script!
Conclusion
Understanding the nuances and best practices of using eth_getLogs
is vital for efficiently working with Ethereum logs and enhancing your DApp performance. Being mindful of block range limitations and implementing methods to optimize log retrieval will provide a robust foundation for handling log data in a Web3 environment.
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