My name is Heorhii, and in this guide, I will walk you through how transactions work on Aleo, how to create them, and how to check their status programmatically. If you are building on Aleo, mastering transactions is essential because they are the foundation for executing programs, deploying code, and transferring assets.

A transaction on Aleo represents a complete operation on the network. It can deploy a program, execute a function, or simply pay a fee. Every transaction is signed locally with your Aleo private key and then broadcast to the network. You can work with transactions using tools like the Leo CLI, the Provable SDK, or wallet adapters such as Puzzle Wallet SDK and Leo Wallet SDK.

https://docs.explorer.provable.com/docs/sdk/92sd7hgph3ggt-overview

Types of transactions:

1. Execute transaction. An execution transaction represents a call to an Aleo program function.

Structure of an execution transaction response:

type: string       # "execute"
id: string         # Transaction ID (Merkle Tree digest of transition IDs)
execution: object  # Execution transaction info
fee: object        # Transaction fee

Execution object details:

• global_state_root – The Merkle tree’s global state root

• transitions – List of transitions executed

• proof – The zero-knowledge proof of the execution

Relationship between transactions and transitions:

• A transaction is the high-level container

• A transition is a single state change

• An execution contains one or more transitions

Building an execution transaction with Leo CLI:

leo run <function_name> <args> \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --broadcast true

Parameters:

• Required: program ID, function name, arguments, network ID, private key

• Optional: broadcast flag, private fees, priority fees

Example: Executing via Provable SDK

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');
const tx = await client.execute(
  'token_program_id.aleo',
  'mint_public',
  ['aleo1recipient...', '100u64'],
  '<private_key>',
  true
);

console.log('Transaction ID:', tx.id);

2. Deploy transaction. A deployment transaction publishes an Aleo program to the network.

Structure of a deployment transaction:

type: string       # "deploy"
id: string         # Transaction ID
owner: object      # Owner address and signature
deployment: object # Deployment details
fee: object        # Transaction fee

Deployment object details:

• global_state_root – State root at deployment

• transitions – Transitions created by deployment

Deploying a program with Leo CLI:

leo deploy \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --priority-fee 1000

Example: Deploying via Provable SDK

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';
import fs from 'fs';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');
const programCode = fs.readFileSync('./build/program.aleo', 'utf8');

const tx = await client.deploy(programCode, '<private_key>', true);
console.log('Deployment Transaction ID:', tx.id);

3. Fee transaction. A fee transaction is the payment for processing another transaction. If the execution or deployment fails, the fee is still processed as a separate confirmed transaction.

Fees can be public or private using Aleo Credits records.

https://developer.aleo.org/concepts/fundamentals/transaction_fees

Example: Sending a standalone fee

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');

const feeTx = await client.sendFee(
  '<private_key>',
  '1000',        // fee amount in microcredits
  true           // broadcast
);

console.log('Fee Transaction ID:', feeTx.id);

Transaction Lifecycle. The lifecycle of a transaction looks like this:

1. Local creation. Sign with your private key. Compile program and prepare inputs

2. Proof generation. Generate ZK proof locally or via an external prover

3. Fee calculation. Based on execution complexity and transaction size

4. Assembly. Combine execution/deployment, fee, and proof

5. Broadcast. Send to Aleo network

6. Mempool. Transaction waits for validator inclusion

7. Consensus. Validators confirm or reject

8. Finalization. State is updated and synced

Determining transaction status:

Method 1: Parsing transactions from blocks.

Fetch a block:

curl https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/mainnet/block/{height}

Check:

• "status": "accepted" → successful execution/deployment

• "status": "rejected" → logic failed, fee still processed

• "aborted_transaction_ids" → both execution and fee failed

Method 2: Direct query.

curl https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/mainnet/transaction/confirmed/{transaction_id}

Or via SDK:

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/mainnet.js';

const net  = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1');   
const txId = 'your_transaction_id';                                
const status = await net.getConfirmedTransaction(txId);
console.log(status.status);

Parsing the sender Address:

echo $transaction | jq '.execution.transitions[0].outputs[0].value'

You may need regex or line parsing since current outputs are returned as raw strings.

Example: Executing a private transfer.* *Here’s how to run a private token transfer:

leo run transfer_private aleo1recipient... 10u64 \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --broadcast true

Check status:

const status = await net.getConfirmedTransaction('<tx_id>');
if (status.status === 'accepted') {
  console.log('Transaction confirmed');
}

More info you can find here:

https://developer.aleo.org/concepts/fundamentals/transactions

Final thoughts. Transactions are the heartbeat of Aleo’s private smart contract platform. Understanding their structure, lifecycle, and how to interact with them via CLI or SDK will make you a much more effective Aleo developer.

Whether you are deploying a new program, running an execution, or parsing on-chain data for your dApp, the principles above will help you confidently work with Aleo transactions.

To know more about Aleo, join now!

• Aleo Twitter

• Aleo Discord

• Aleo Website

• List of Aleo and Leo code and resourses

Prepared by Colliseum

My name is Heorhii, and in this guide, I will walk you through how transactions work on Aleo, how to create them, and how to check their status programmatically. If you are building on Aleo, mastering transactions is essential because they are the foundation for executing programs, deploying code, and transferring assets.

A transaction on Aleo represents a complete operation on the network. It can deploy a program, execute a function, or simply pay a fee. Every transaction is signed locally with your Aleo private key and then broadcast to the network. You can work with transactions using tools like the Leo CLI, the Provable SDK, or wallet adapters such as Puzzle Wallet SDK and Leo Wallet SDK.

https://docs.explorer.provable.com/docs/sdk/92sd7hgph3ggt-overview

Types of transactions:

1. Execute transaction. An execution transaction represents a call to an Aleo program function.

Structure of an execution transaction response:

type: string       # "execute"
id: string         # Transaction ID (Merkle Tree digest of transition IDs)
execution: object  # Execution transaction info
fee: object        # Transaction fee

Execution object details:

• global_state_root – The Merkle tree’s global state root

• transitions – List of transitions executed

• proof – The zero-knowledge proof of the execution

Relationship between transactions and transitions:

• A transaction is the high-level container

• A transition is a single state change

• An execution contains one or more transitions

Building an execution transaction with Leo CLI:

leo run <function_name> <args> \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --broadcast true

Parameters:

• Required: program ID, function name, arguments, network ID, private key

• Optional: broadcast flag, private fees, priority fees

Example: Executing via Provable SDK

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');
const tx = await client.execute(
  'token_program_id.aleo',
  'mint_public',
  ['aleo1recipient...', '100u64'],
  '<private_key>',
  true
);

console.log('Transaction ID:', tx.id);

2. Deploy transaction. A deployment transaction publishes an Aleo program to the network.

Structure of a deployment transaction:

type: string       # "deploy"
id: string         # Transaction ID
owner: object      # Owner address and signature
deployment: object # Deployment details
fee: object        # Transaction fee

Deployment object details:

• global_state_root – State root at deployment

• transitions – Transitions created by deployment

Deploying a program with Leo CLI:

leo deploy \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --priority-fee 1000

Example: Deploying via Provable SDK

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';
import fs from 'fs';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');
const programCode = fs.readFileSync('./build/program.aleo', 'utf8');

const tx = await client.deploy(programCode, '<private_key>', true);
console.log('Deployment Transaction ID:', tx.id);

3. Fee transaction. A fee transaction is the payment for processing another transaction. If the execution or deployment fails, the fee is still processed as a separate confirmed transaction.

Fees can be public or private using Aleo Credits records.

https://developer.aleo.org/concepts/fundamentals/transaction_fees

Example: Sending a standalone fee

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/testnet.js';

const client = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/testnet');

const feeTx = await client.sendFee(
  '<private_key>',
  '1000',        // fee amount in microcredits
  true           // broadcast
);

console.log('Fee Transaction ID:', feeTx.id);

Transaction Lifecycle. The lifecycle of a transaction looks like this:

1. Local creation. Sign with your private key. Compile program and prepare inputs

2. Proof generation. Generate ZK proof locally or via an external prover

3. Fee calculation. Based on execution complexity and transaction size

4. Assembly. Combine execution/deployment, fee, and proof

5. Broadcast. Send to Aleo network

6. Mempool. Transaction waits for validator inclusion

7. Consensus. Validators confirm or reject

8. Finalization. State is updated and synced

Determining transaction status:

Method 1: Parsing transactions from blocks.

Fetch a block:

curl https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/mainnet/block/{height}

Check:

• "status": "accepted" → successful execution/deployment

• "status": "rejected" → logic failed, fee still processed

• "aborted_transaction_ids" → both execution and fee failed

Method 2: Direct query.

curl https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1/mainnet/transaction/confirmed/{transaction_id}

Or via SDK:

import { AleoNetworkClient } from '@provablehq/sdk/mainnet.js';

const net  = new AleoNetworkClient('https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1');   
const txId = 'your_transaction_id';                                
const status = await net.getConfirmedTransaction(txId);
console.log(status.status);

Parsing the sender Address:

echo $transaction | jq '.execution.transitions[0].outputs[0].value'

You may need regex or line parsing since current outputs are returned as raw strings.

Example: Executing a private transfer.* *Here’s how to run a private token transfer:

leo run transfer_private aleo1recipient... 10u64 \
  --network testnet \
  --private-key <your_private_key> \
  --broadcast true

Check status:

const status = await net.getConfirmedTransaction('<tx_id>');
if (status.status === 'accepted') {
  console.log('Transaction confirmed');
}

More info you can find here:

https://developer.aleo.org/concepts/fundamentals/transactions

Final thoughts. Transactions are the heartbeat of Aleo’s private smart contract platform. Understanding their structure, lifecycle, and how to interact with them via CLI or SDK will make you a much more effective Aleo developer.

Whether you are deploying a new program, running an execution, or parsing on-chain data for your dApp, the principles above will help you confidently work with Aleo transactions.

To know more about Aleo, join now!

• Aleo Twitter

• Aleo Discord

• Aleo Website

• List of Aleo and Leo code and resourses

Prepared by Colliseum