Skip to main content

Quick Start Guide

1

Get Your API Key

Obtain your Helius API key from the dashboard. You’ll need this for authentication. Agents can get a key using the Helius CLI.
2

Choose Your Network

Select the appropriate endpoint:
  • Mainnet: wss://mainnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=YOUR_API_KEY
  • Mainnet (Gatekeeper Beta): wss://beta.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=YOUR_API_KEY
  • Devnet: wss://devnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=YOUR_API_KEY
3

Create Your First Connection

4

Subscribe to Updates

Subscription Methods

Account Monitoring

Monitor specific accounts for balance changes, data updates, or ownership transfers.

Program Activity Monitoring

Watch all accounts owned by a program - perfect for monitoring DEX trades, NFT transfers, or DeFi activity.

Transaction Monitoring

Track specific transactions or monitor transactions that mention certain accounts.

Production-Ready Implementation

Here’s a robust WebSocket implementation with reconnection logic, error handling, and proper state management:

Explore More WebSocket Methods

The examples above cover the most commonly used subscription types, but Solana’s WebSocket API offers many more methods for specialized monitoring needs.

Complete WebSocket API Reference

Discover 18+ WebSocket methods with detailed documentation, parameters, and response formats.

Real-World Use Cases

DeFi Trading Dashboard

Portfolio Tracker

NFT Marketplace Integration

React Integration Example

Performance Optimization

Error Handling and Debugging

Robust error handling is crucial for production WebSocket applications. Implement these patterns to handle network issues, rate limits, and API errors gracefully.

Next Steps

API Reference

Complete documentation for all WebSocket subscription methods

WebSocket Overview

Explore Helius WebSocket subscriptions including transactionSubscribe and the enhanced accountSubscribe filters

LaserStream

Upgrade to LaserStream for ultra-fast data streaming with historical replay

LaserStream Guide

Learn how to stream real-time account updates using LaserStream
For questions or additional support, join our Discord community where our team and community members are ready to help!