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Common Pitfalls & Troubleshooting

Implementing Signchain can greatly streamline secure blockchain interactions, but like any technology, there may be a learning curve. This guide highlights some common issues and provides troubleshooting steps to help you resolve them quickly.

1. Incorrect API Key or Vault ID

Issue: API calls return a 401 Unauthorized error.

Solution:

  • Ensure the API key and Vault ID are correctly configured in your application. These can be found in your Signchain Dashboard.
  • Double-check that you’re not mixing up sandbox or production keys.
  • If using environment variables, confirm that they are correctly loaded into your application.

2. Expired or Missing Vault Keys

Issue: You receive an error indicating that the vault keys are missing or expired.

Solution:

  • Verify that your Vault Key is still valid. Vault Keys expire periodically for security reasons and must be renewed.
  • Log in to the Signchain Dashboard and update your Vault Key if necessary.
  • Update your application’s environment variables or configuration with the new Vault Key.

Tip: Schedule periodic checks for key expiry to prevent interruptions in service.

3. Rate Limits Exceeded

Issue: You receive a 429 Too Many Requests error or experience delays due to rate limiting.

Solution:

  • Review your plan’s rate limit in the Subscription Plans to understand your request cap.
  • Spread out API requests where possible and avoid excessive polling. Use event-driven designs to reduce unnecessary requests.
  • Consider upgrading to a higher plan if your usage consistently exceeds the rate limit.

Tip: Implement exponential backoff in your retry logic to avoid triggering rate limits.

4. Out of Credits

Issue: API requests fail due to insufficient credits.

Solution:

  • Check your available credits in the Billing & Credits section of your dashboard.
  • Purchase additional credits or upgrade your plan to ensure a steady credit balance.
  • Set up monitoring alerts to receive notifications when your credits are running low.

Tip: For high-volume applications, consider a larger subscription plan to prevent interruptions.

5. Unhandled Signature Errors

Issue: Transactions fail due to signature mismatches or Signature Invalid errors.

Solution:

  • Double-check the ABI and function parameters provided in the signing request. Incorrect parameters can lead to signature failures.
  • Verify the contract address and ensure it matches the target blockchain network.
  • Ensure your API call includes all required signing options, including the correct nonce and expiration if using X-Vault-Auth-Signature headers.

6. Private Key Management in Self-Hosted Vaults

Issue: Difficulty in managing and securing private keys within a self-hosted Signchain Vault.

Solution:

  • Ensure that your private key data is encrypted and that only authorized services can access the self-hosted vault.
  • Use the VAULT_AUTH_SECRET_KEY for secure authentication and to prevent unauthorized access. Mismanagement of this key can expose your setup to MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks.
  • Store environment variables securely, such as in a key management system (KMS), and avoid hardcoding sensitive values.

7. Incorrect Environment Variable Configuration

Issue: API calls fail or the vault behaves unpredictably due to incorrect environment variable configuration.

Solution:

  • Verify the format of environment variables, such as VAULT_AUTH_SECRET_KEY and VAULT_KEY, by checking for typos, invalid characters, or unassigned values.
  • Confirm that variables are correctly loaded and accessible in the runtime environment.
  • Use an .env file or other configuration management tool to centralize and validate environment variables.

8. Problems with Transaction Signing on Specific Chains

Issue: Errors occur when signing transactions for certain blockchain networks (e.g., BSC, Polygon, Ethereum).

Solution:

  • Confirm that the chain parameter in your API request matches the intended blockchain. Supported chains include ethereum, bsc, polygon, and more.
  • Verify that the contract address is deployed on the specified chain and that the contract ABI is correct.
  • If using test networks (e.g., Sepolia or BSC Testnet), ensure that all endpoints and parameters are configured for those test environments.

9. Integration Challenges with JavaScript and Golang Client Libraries

Issue: Encountering integration issues or inconsistent responses while using the JavaScript or Golang client libraries.

Solution:

  • Check the documentation for both the JavaScript and Golang client libraries, and ensure your setup matches the provided examples.
  • Update to the latest version of the client libraries to ensure compatibility with the current Signchain API.
  • Reach out to Signchain Support if you need further assistance or guidance.

10. Issues Accessing the Self-Hosted Vault via the API

Issue: Inability to connect to the self-hosted vault or receive data from the API.

Solution:

  • Confirm that your firewall and network configuration allow access to the self-hosted vault from authorized IP addresses.
  • Ensure the vault instance is running and correctly configured with valid keys and environment variables.
  • If using SSL, ensure that your SSL certificates are valid and correctly configured in the vault settings.

Need More Help?

If you’ve tried the steps above and are still experiencing issues, feel free to reach out to our Support Team. We’re here to help you make the most of Signchain and can provide guidance on best practices for implementing secure blockchain transactions.

Explore our API Reference for further technical details, or check out our FAQs for additional troubleshooting tips.