What Is Priority Fee in Solana?
A priority fee is an additional fee paid on top of the base transaction fee to incentivize validators to prioritize your transaction. It is calculated as computeUnitPrice * computeUnitsConsumed / 1,000,000 lamports.
How it works
The computeUnitPrice is set in microlamports per compute unit. During congestion, validators include transactions with higher priority fees first. The fee is deducted from the fee payer’s account.
When to use priority fees
- During congestion. When the network is busy, transactions without priority fees may be dropped.
- Time-sensitive transactions. Trading, arbitrage, and liquidation transactions benefit from higher priority.
- Low congestion. Even a small priority fee provides insurance against sudden congestion spikes.
Setting priority fees
Add a setComputeUnitPrice instruction to your transaction. See the priority fees guide for implementation details and estimation strategies.
Sources
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