Helius CLI

Full-featured command-line interface for Helius. 95+ commands for account management, blockchain queries, transaction sending, webhooks, streaming, staking, and more. Designed for agents and automation.

The Helius CLI is a full-featured command-line interface for the Helius platform. It provides 95+ commands for account management, blockchain data queries, transaction sending, webhooks, real-time streaming, staking, ZK Compression, and more — with machine-readable JSON output for every command.

Using an MCP-compatible AI tool? The Helius MCP server is the recommended way for AI agents to interact with Helius — it provides 60+ tools with structured inputs/outputs, including built-in account signup. Use the CLI for shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or when MCP is not available.

Installation

npm install -g helius-cli

Quick Start — Existing Users

If you already have a Helius API key, just set it and go:

helius config set-api-key YOUR_API_KEY

Get your key from dashboard.helius.dev. That’s it — skip the signup steps below.

Quick Start — New Users

1. Generate a keypair

   helius keygen
   

   Output:

   ✓ Keypair generated
   Path: ~/.helius/keypair.json
   Address: 7xKp...3nQm
   
   To use this wallet, fund it with:
     • ~0.001 SOL for transaction fees
     • 1 USDC for Helius signup
   
2. Fund the wallet

   Send funds to the wallet address from the previous step:

   Asset	Amount	Purpose
   SOL	~0.001	Transaction fees + rent
   USDC	1+	Plan payment (see pricing below)

3. Create account

   helius signup
   

   This checks balances, sends the USDC payment, and creates your Helius account and project.

4. Get your API keys and endpoints

   helius projects
   helius apikeys <project-id>
   helius rpc <project-id>
   

Your API key is sensitive information that grants access to your Helius account. Never expose it in client-side code, public repos, or browser-accessible areas.

Plans & Pricing

You can purchase any Helius shared plan directly through the CLI. Pass --plan during signup or use helius upgrade later:

Plan	Price	Credits	--plan value
Agent (Basic)	$1 one-time	1,000,000	basic
Developer	$49/mo	10,000,000	developer
Business	$499/mo	100,000,000	business
Professional	$999/mo	200,000,000	professional

The Agent plan (basic) is the default. It costs $1 (paid in USDC) to prevent abuse and gives you 1,000,000 credits. For higher rate limits and more credits, sign up with a paid plan or upgrade later.

Signup with a specific plan

# Default: Agent plan ($1)
helius signup

# Developer plan ($49/mo)
helius signup --plan developer --email [e-mail] --first-name Jane --last-name Doe

# Yearly billing (paid plans only)
helius signup --plan business --period yearly --email [e-mail] --first-name Jane --last-name Doe

Upgrade an existing account

helius upgrade --plan developer --email [e-mail] --first-name Jane --last-name Doe

Pay a renewal

When a subscription renewal is due (monthly or yearly), Helius creates a payment intent — a pending payment with a unique ID, amount, and expiration. You’ll receive the payment intent ID via email or the dashboard.

helius pay <payment-intent-id>

The command fetches the intent details, shows the amount and expiration, asks for confirmation, then sends the USDC payment from your keypair wallet.

Command Reference

The CLI provides 95+ commands across 14 categories. Every command supports --json for machine-readable output and --api-key <key> / --network <net> global overrides.

Full Command Reference

All 95+ commands — account management, blockchain queries, DAS API, wallet, webhooks, transaction sending, WebSockets, staking, ZK compression, and more

JSON Output Mode

Add --json to any command for machine-readable output:

helius projects --json
helius balance Gh9ZwEm... --json
helius asset owner 86xCnPe... --json

Example:

{
  "projects": [
    {
      "id": "67b9d260-726b-4ba3-8bb0-dbbf794641bf",
      "name": "My Project",
      "plan": "free"
    }
  ]
}

Exit Codes

Agents should check exit codes for reliable automation:

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	General error
10	Not logged in
11	Keypair not found
20	Insufficient SOL
21	Insufficient USDC
30	No projects found
31	Project not found
40	API error

Configuration

Config is stored in ~/.helius/:

~/.helius/
├── config.json    # JWT token, API key, network, default project
└── keypair.json   # Solana keypair (if generated with keygen)

Manage config with:

helius config show              # View current config
helius config set-api-key <key> # Set API key
helius config set-network devnet # Switch to devnet
helius config set-project <id>  # Set default project
helius config clear             # Reset everything

API Key Resolution Order

API keys are resolved in this order:

1. --api-key <key> flag (per-command override)
2. HELIUS_API_KEY environment variable
3. ~/.helius/config.json (set via helius config set-api-key)

Global Options

All commands accept these flags:

Flag	Description
--api-key <key>	Override the configured API key
--network <net>	Override the network (mainnet or devnet)
--json	Output in JSON format
-k, --keypair <path>	Path to keypair file (commands that require signing)

Full Agent Workflow

# Step 1: Generate keypair
helius keygen

# Step 2: Fund wallet externally
# Send ~0.001 SOL + 1 USDC to the address

# Step 3: Create account
helius signup

# Step 4: Get API keys
helius projects
helius apikeys <project-id>

# Step 5: Get RPC endpoints
helius rpc <project-id>

# Step 6: Start querying
helius balance <address>
helius asset owner <wallet-address>
helius tx history <address> --limit 10

Next Steps

Agents Overview

API guidance, workflows, and error handling for agents

Helius MCP

Connect AI tools directly to Helius APIs

View Plans

Understand Helius plans and upgrade options

Dashboard

Monitor your API usage and manage keys

Support

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