Priority Fees Best Practices

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Determining Appropriate Priority Fees

1. Use the Priority Fee API: Always use getPriorityFeeEstimate with the recommended: true option to get a reasonable baseline fee based on current network conditions.

2. Match transaction urgency to priority level:

   • Low - Non-urgent transactions, can wait for confirmation
   • Medium - Standard priority, reasonable confirmation time
   • High - Time-sensitive transactions
   • VeryHigh - Critical transactions during high congestion

3. Adjust during network congestion: During high network activity, consider using higher priority levels to ensure timely processing.

4. Monitor performance: Track your transaction performance and adjust your priority fee strategy based on real-world results.

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Transaction Configuration

1. Add compute budget instructions first: Always place compute budget instructions at the beginning of your transaction for proper processing.

2. Don’t overestimate compute unit needs: Request only the compute units your transaction actually requires to avoid wasting SOL.

3. Set maxRetries to 0 with staked connections: This ensures proper handling by the Helius infrastructure.

4. Update before sending: Always refresh the blockhash before signing and sending the final transaction.

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Account-Based Estimates

1. Include all relevant accounts: For accurate estimates, include all writable accounts that will be part of your transaction.

2. Focus on writable accounts: The v2 algorithm primarily considers writable accounts, so prioritize including those in your account list.

3. Be aware of limitations: Account-based estimates don’t consider instruction-specific factors that might affect fees.

4. Handle sparse history: Use evaluateEmptySlotAsZero: true for accounts with infrequent activity.

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Serialized Transaction Estimates

1. Always serialize the actual transaction: For accurate local fee market estimates, serialize the same transaction you’ll send, not a simplified version.

2. Include all actual instructions: The Priority Fee API works best when the serialized transaction includes all instructions (except the priority fee instruction itself).

3. Compare with account-based estimates: When possible, compare these estimates with account-based estimates to understand the differences.

4. Handle errors gracefully: The API may return errors if your transaction is malformed or contains invalid instructions.