Solana development workflows

Solana Development Workflows

This skill provides guidance on common patterns and workflows for interacting with Solana, helping users accomplish tasks efficiently and safely.

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Query & Analyze

Purpose: Understand blockchain state without making changes.

Steps:

1. User asks about an account, balance, or transaction
2. Claude identifies the query type
3. Claude uses Account Explorer or Transaction Analyst agent
4. Results are explained in simple terms

Examples:

"What's the balance of So1111...?"
"Show me recent transactions for this address"
"What does this transaction do?"
"Who owns this account?"

Cost: Free (read-only operations) Risk: None (no state changes) Network: Works on any network (devnet, testnet, mainnet)

Workflow 2: Simulate & Verify

Purpose: Test a transaction without spending real money.

Steps:

1. User requests a simulation: "Simulate sending 0.5 SOL to [address]"
2. Claude prepares the transaction
3. Claude sends it to Solana network in simulation mode
4. Network predicts the result without executing
5. Claude shows you what would happen

Examples:

"Can you simulate this transfer before I execute?"
"What would happen if I swapped 100 USDC?"
"Will this token account creation work?"
"Check if this transaction would succeed"

Cost: Free (no real funds spend) Risk: None (not executed) Network: Best on testnet/mainnet to match real conditions Pro tip: Always simulate before executing on mainnet

Workflow 3: Execute & Confirm

Purpose: Actually perform a blockchain operation.

Steps:

1. User requests execution: "Send 0.1 SOL to [address]"
2. Claude reminds of network (devnet = automatic, mainnet = requires acceptance)
3. Claude simulates first to verify success
4. Claude explains what will happen
5. Claude executes the transaction
6. Claude shows transaction hash and confirmation

Examples:

"Transfer 1 SOL to [address]"
"Send 100 USDC to [recipient]"
"Execute the swap"
"Create this token account"

Cost: Real SOL/tokens (amounts vary) Risk: Medium to high (depends on amount) Network: Devnet (safe) or Mainnet (after /solana-accept-risk) Safety: Requires simulation first, clear confirmations

Workflow 4: Troubleshoot & Fix

Purpose: Diagnose problems and find solutions.

Steps:

1. User reports issue: "This transaction failed"
2. Claude analyzes the error
3. Claude explains root cause in simple terms
4. Claude suggests solutions
5. User implements fix and retries

Examples:

"Why did this fail?"
"Insufficient balance means?"
"How do I fix 'missing signer'?"
"What does this error mean?"

Cost: Varies (depending on fix) Risk: None initially (diagnosis only) Network: Any Value: Saves debugging time

Operational Patterns

Pattern 1: Data Discovery

When: "I need to understand this account"

Steps:

1. Get account address
2. Query account details
3. Check balance
4. List token holdings
5. Show recent transactions
6. Explain the account's purpose

Tools: Account Explorer agent Cost: Free Time: Seconds

Pattern 2: Transaction Inspection

When: "I need to understand what happened"

Steps:

1. Get transaction hash
2. Fetch transaction details
3. Break down instructions
4. Identify programs involved
5. Explain outcome
6. Highlight relevant details

Tools: Transaction Analyst agent Cost: Free Time: Seconds

Pattern 3: Safe Transfer

When: "I need to send SOL/tokens"

Steps:

1. Verify network (devnet, testnet, mainnet)
2. Check balance is sufficient
3. Verify recipient address
4. Simulate the transaction
5. Review simulation results
6. Execute transaction
7. Confirm with transaction hash

Tools: solana-onchain-mcp transfer tools Cost: Transaction fee (~0.00005 SOL) Time: Minutes

Pattern 4: Token Account Setup

When: "I need to prepare for token operations"

Steps:

1. Identify token type (USDC, BONK, etc.)
2. Check if token account exists
3. If not, create token account
4. Verify creation was successful
5. Account is ready for transfers

Tools: solana-onchain-mcp account creation Cost: ~0.002 SOL per account Time: Minutes

Pattern 5: Multi-Step Operations

When: "I need to do multiple operations"

Steps:

1. Break down into sub-tasks
2. Execute each task safely
3. Verify each step
4. Proceed to next step
5. Document complete flow

Example: "Swap USDC for SOL, then transfer SOL to friend"

1. Swap tokens
2. Verify swap completed
3. Transfer SOL
4. Confirm transfer
5. Summarize operation

Decision Trees

"Should I use devnet or mainnet?"

Are you learning or testing new code?
├─ Yes → Use devnet (free, no risk)
└─ No → Have you tested on devnet first?
    ├─ No → Go test on devnet first
    └─ Yes → Use testnet to test with real conditions
        └─ Works on testnet? → Ready for mainnet with `/solana-accept-risk`

"How much should I send first?"

Is it your first time with this address?
├─ Yes → Send 0.01-0.1 SOL (minimal test amount)
│   └─ Verify it works → Send larger amount
└─ No → Already tested this address?
    ├─ Yes → Send normal amount
    └─ No → Send small test amount first

"Should I simulate first?"

Is this a transaction that modifies blockchain state?
├─ No (just querying) → No simulation needed
└─ Yes (transfer, swap, etc.)
    ├─ First time? → ALWAYS simulate first
    └─ Done it before? → Still simulate if unsure

Common Task Patterns

Task: Check if Address is Valid

1. Query the address with Account Explorer
2. If it returns data → Valid
3. If it fails → Invalid or doesn't exist

Task: Verify Funds Arrived

1. Get recipient address
2. Check current balance
3. Check balance matches expectation
4. Confirmed! (or investigate if wrong amount)

Task: Find Transaction Details

1. Get transaction hash from wallet or explorer
2. Query with Transaction Analyst
3. Explain what happened
4. Identify status (success/failed/pending)

Task: Investigate Failed Transfer

1. Get failed transaction hash
2. Analyze with Transaction Analyst
3. Identify failure reason
4. Explain what went wrong
5. Suggest fix

Task: Prepare for Mainnet

1. Test on devnet thoroughly
2. Test on testnet (real conditions)
3. Run `/solana-accept-risk`
4. Run `/solana-network mainnet-beta`
5. Execute with confidence

Parameter Patterns

Address Formats

• Full: So1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 (44 chars)
• Short: 9B5... (first 3, last 3 chars)
• Both work; full is safer to avoid typos

Amount Formats

• SOL: 0.5 (decimal format)
• Token: 100 or 100.5 (depends on decimals)
• Lamports: 500000000 (if working with raw numbers)

Network Names

• devnet: Testing network
• testnet: Community testnet
• localnet: Local validator
• mainnet-beta: Production

Error Recovery

"Insufficient Balance"

• Check current balance
• Reduce transfer amount or
• Add more SOL to wallet

"Invalid Address"

• Verify address format (44 characters)
• Check for typos
• Copy from reliable source

"Network Error"

• Check internet connection
• Retry the operation
• Switch networks if needed

"Transaction Failed"

• Analyze with Transaction Analyst
• Identify root cause
• Fix issue and retry

Best Practices by Role

For Non-Technical Users

1. Start on devnet always
2. Ask Claude to explain before executing
3. Use simulation before real transactions
4. Keep amounts small until comfortable
5. Double-check addresses every time

For Technical Users

1. Understand network differences
2. Use appropriate RPC endpoints
3. Handle errors programmatically
4. Optimize for speed/cost
5. Automate common patterns

For Developers

1. Test contracts on devnet first
2. Use test wallets throughout
3. Understand program architecture
4. Verify contract behavior
5. Document your flows

Workflow Templates

Template 1: Safe First-Time Transfer

1. `/solana-network devnet` → Switch to devnet
2. `Query balance` → Verify funds
3. `Simulate: send 0.01 SOL to [address]`
4. Review simulation results
5. `Execute transfer`
6. Verify transaction succeeded

Template 2: Mainnet Preparation

1. Test thoroughly on devnet
2. Test on testnet
3. `/solana-accept-risk` → Accept risk
4. `/solana-network mainnet-beta` → Switch to mainnet
5. Simulate transaction
6. Execute small amount
7. Verify success
8. Increase amount if confident

Template 3: Transaction Investigation

1. Get transaction hash
2. Analyze with Transaction Analyst
3. Understand what happened
4. Identify status
5. Extract relevant details
6. Learn from the transaction

Pro Tips

• Verify twice, execute once: Check addresses and amounts carefully
• Start small: 0.01 SOL is plenty to test
• Simulate always: Costs nothing, prevents mistakes
• Read output carefully: Claude explains important details
• Keep notes: Document successful addresses and patterns
• Use devnet liberally: It's free for testing
• Ask questions: Don't guess about blockchain operations