---
title: "Get latest decided state"
description: "Retrieves the current state of a GenLayer intelligent contract at a specific block height and transaction status."
source: https://docs.genlayer.com/api-references/genlayer-node/gen/gen_getContractState
last_updated: 2026-10-19
---

### gen_getContractState

Retrieves the current state of a GenLayer intelligent contract at a specific block height and transaction status.

**Method:** `gen_getContractState`

**Parameters:**

- `request` (object, required): The contract state request parameters
  - `address` (string, required): The contract address to query
  - `blockNumber` (string, optional): The block number to query at (hex-encoded). If not provided, uses latest block
  - `status` (string, optional): The transaction status filter (`"finalized"` or `"decided"`). If not provided, uses decided state

**Returns:** Hex-encoded contract state data

**Limits:**

| Limit | Default | Config key |
|---|---|---|
| Contract bytes read per call | 16 MB | `node.rpc.contract_read_max_bytes` |

This method reads the contract's whole storage, so its cost grows with the contract. The limit stops the read once the contract exceeds it and returns an error, rather than returning part of the state as if it were all of it. Operators may reduce it; `0` or less disables it.

**Example Request - Latest Decided State:**

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "gen_getContractState",
  "params": [
    {
      "address": "0x73ca5a2b51edf506ceaf110a41780ec51294d89f"
    }
  ],
  "id": 1
}
```

**Example Request - Specific Block and Status:**

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "gen_getContractState",
  "params": [
    {
      "address": "0x73ca5a2b51edf506ceaf110a41780ec51294d89f",
      "blockNumber": "0x151ec5",
      "status": "decided"
    }
  ],
  "id": 1
}
```

**Example Response:**

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "result": "0xd9960e0773746f726167656c6e757064617465642074657374207374",
  "id": 1
}
```

**Notes:**

- The `blockNumber` parameter should be hex-encoded with a `0x` prefix
- Valid `status` values are `"decided"` (default) and `"finalized"`
- The returned state is hex-encoded binary data with a `0x` prefix
- Empty contract state returns `"0x"`
- If the contract doesn't exist at the specified block/status, an error will be returned

**cURL Example:**

```bash
# Get latest decided state
curl -X POST http://localhost:9151 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "gen_getContractState",
    "params": [{
      "address": "0x73ca5a2b51edf506ceaf110a41780ec51294d89f"
    }],
    "id": 1
  }'

# Get state at specific block with decided status
curl -X POST http://localhost:9151 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "gen_getContractState",
    "params": [{
      "address": "0x73ca5a2b51edf506ceaf110a41780ec51294d89f",
      "blockNumber": "0x151ec5",
      "status": "decided"
    }],
    "id": 1
  }'
```