> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.helius.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Use requestAirdrop

> Learn requestAirdrop use cases, code examples, request parameters, response structure, and tips.

The [`requestAirdrop`](https://www.helius.dev/docs/api-reference/rpc/http/requestairdrop) RPC method allows you to request an airdrop of SOL (lamports) to a specified account. This method is **exclusively for non-mainnet environments** like Devnet and Testnet, where it serves as a faucet to provide developers with free SOL for testing their applications.

**Important: This method will not work on Mainnet Beta.**

## Common Use Cases

* **Funding Test Wallets:** Obtaining SOL to pay for transaction fees and deploy programs on Devnet or Testnet.
* **Automated Testing:** Scripts can use `requestAirdrop` to ensure test accounts have sufficient SOL before running test suites.
* **Development & Experimentation:** Quickly acquiring SOL to interact with on-chain programs during development.

## Request Parameters

1. **`pubkey`** (string, required): The public key of the account that will receive the airdropped lamports, provided as a base-58 encoded string.
2. **`lamports`** (u64, required): The amount of lamports to request. (1 SOL = 1,000,000,000 lamports).
3. **`options`** (object, optional): An optional configuration object that can include:
   * **`commitment`** (string, optional): Specifies the [commitment level](https://www.helius.dev/blog/solana-commitment-levels) to wait for when confirming the airdrop transaction (e.g., `"finalized"`, `"confirmed"`, `"processed"`). If omitted, the node's default commitment for airdrops is used.

## Response Structure

The `result` field in the JSON-RPC response is a single string representing the transaction signature of the airdrop, base-58 encoded.

**Example Response:**

```json theme={"system"}
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "5VERv8NMvzbJMEkV8xnrLkEaWRtSz9CosKDYjCJjBRnbJLgp8uirBgmQpjKhoR4tjF3ZpRzrFmBV6UjKdiSZkQUW",
  "id": 1
}
```

This signature can then be used with `getTransaction` or a Solana explorer to track the status of the airdrop transaction.

## Code Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={"system"}
  # Request 1 SOL (1,000,000,000 lamports) to a Devnet address
  # Replace <YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS> with an actual base-58 public key
  # Ensure you are targeting a Devnet RPC URL
  curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d \
    '{
      "jsonrpc": "2.0",
      "id": 1,
      "method": "requestAirdrop",
      "params": [
        "<YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS>",
        1000000000
      ]
    }' \
    https://devnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<api-key> 

  # Request 0.5 SOL with "confirmed" commitment
  curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d \
    '{
      "jsonrpc": "2.0",
      "id": 1,
      "method": "requestAirdrop",
      "params": [
        "<YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS>",
        500000000,
        {
          "commitment": "confirmed"
        }
      ]
    }' \
    https://devnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<api-key>
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript (using @solana/web3.js) theme={"system"}
  const { Connection, PublicKey, LAMPORTS_PER_SOL } = require('@solana/web3.js');

  async function getAirdrop(walletAddress) {
    // Connect to Devnet
    const connection = new Connection('https://devnet.helius-rpc.com/?api-key=<api-key>', 'confirmed');
    const publicKey = new PublicKey(walletAddress);

    try {
      console.log(`Requesting airdrop of 1 SOL to ${walletAddress} on Devnet...`);
      
      // Request an airdrop of 1 SOL
      const airdropSignature = await connection.requestAirdrop(
        publicKey,
        LAMPORTS_PER_SOL // 1 SOL
      );

      console.log(`Airdrop requested. Transaction signature: ${airdropSignature}`);

      // Confirm the transaction
      // Note: The `confirmTransaction` method in web3.js has evolved.
      // For newer versions, you might use `connection.confirmTransaction({ signature: airdropSignature, blockhash: latestBlockhash.blockhash, lastValidBlockHeight: latestBlockhash.lastValidBlockHeight }, 'confirmed');`
      // For simplicity, we'll log the signature and you can check on an explorer.
      // Or, more robustly, you can poll getSignatureStatuses.

      await connection.confirmTransaction(airdropSignature);
      console.log(`Airdrop successful for ${walletAddress}!`);

      const balance = await connection.getBalance(publicKey);
      console.log(`Current balance for ${walletAddress}: ${balance / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);

    } catch (error) {
      console.error(`Error requesting airdrop for ${walletAddress}:`, error);
    }
  }

  // Replace with a Devnet wallet address you control
  const myDevnetWallet = 'REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_DEVNET_WALLET_ADDRESS'; 
  // Example: const myDevnetWallet = new Keypair().publicKey.toBase58(); // For a new temporary wallet

  if (myDevnetWallet === 'REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_DEVNET_WALLET_ADDRESS') {
    console.warn("Please replace 'REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_DEVNET_WALLET_ADDRESS' with an actual Devnet wallet address to run the example.");
  } else {
    // getAirdrop(myDevnetWallet);
    console.log("Uncomment the line above and replace the placeholder to run the airdrop example.");
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Developer Tips

* **Network Specific:** This method is only functional on test networks (Devnet, Testnet) that have a faucet enabled. It will fail on Mainnet Beta.
* **Rate Limiting:** Airdrop faucets are often rate-limited to prevent abuse. If you make too many requests in a short period, you might receive errors.
* **Amount Limits:** There might be limits on the amount of SOL you can request per airdrop or per time period.
* **Confirmation:** After `requestAirdrop` returns a signature, the transaction still needs to be processed and confirmed by the network. You can use `confirmTransaction` (from `@solana/web3.js`) or poll `getSignatureStatuses` to wait for confirmation.

This guide explains how to use `requestAirdrop` to fund your test accounts on Solana's development networks.

## Related Methods

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="getBalance" href="/api-reference/rpc/http/getbalance">
    Check the SOL balance after receiving an airdrop
  </Card>

  <Card title="getSignatureStatuses" href="/api-reference/rpc/http/getsignaturestatuses">
    Poll transaction status to confirm the airdrop
  </Card>
</CardGroup>