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Parameters

  • publicKey - The public key of the account to monitor, as a base-58 encoded string

  • <commitment> - (optional) The level of commitment desired when querying state. Default is “finalized”.

  • encoding - (optional) Data encoding for the account data:

    • "base58" - Base-58 encoding (default)
    • "base64" - Base-64 encoding
    • "base64+zstd" - Compressed Base-64 encoding
    • "jsonParsed" - JSON format (if program supports it)

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Response

  • result - An integer subscription id (needed to unsubscribe)

  • subscription - An object containing account information:

    • lamports - Number of lamports assigned to the account
    • owner - Base-58 encoded public key of the program this account has been assigned to
    • data - Account data, encoded according to specified encoding parameter
    • executable - Boolean indicating if the account contains a program
    • rentEpoch - The epoch at which this account will next owe rent

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accountSubscribe code examples

This example subscribes to changes in a token account.

Note that subscriptions require a WebSocket connection and WebSocket cat for you to use this method in the console.

Install WebSocket cat with:

npm install -g wscat

$ wscat -c YOUR_CHAINSTACK_WEBSOCKET_ENDPOINT
# Wait for the connection to be established

Connected (press CTRL+C to quit)

> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"accountSubscribe","params":["39azUYFWPz3VHgKCf3VChUwbpURdCHRxjWVowf5jUJjg",{"encoding":"jsonParsed","commitment":"finalized"}]}

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Use case

The accountSubscribe method in Solana is essential for applications that need to monitor account state changes in real-time. Common use cases include:

  • Token tracking: Monitor token account balances for changes to update user interfaces instantly
  • Program monitoring: Track program-owned accounts to detect state changes in smart contracts
  • Wallet integration: Keep wallet balances and account states synchronized with the blockchain
  • DeFi applications: Monitor liquidity pools, lending positions, or other DeFi-related accounts
  • Gaming: Track in-game asset accounts and player state changes in real-time

By subscribing to account changes, applications can provide responsive user experiences without constantly polling the blockchain for updates. This is particularly useful for applications requiring real-time updates like trading interfaces, gaming platforms, or wallet applications.