API Reference: Common Methods & Error Handling

Common methods

A representative sample of frequently used EVM JSON-RPC methods:

Method	Purpose
`eth_blockNumber`	Latest block number
`eth_getBalance`	Account balance at a given block
`eth_gasPrice`	Current gas price estimate
`eth_getBlockByNumber`	Full block data by number
`eth_call`	Read-only contract call, no state change

Example request/response for eth_getBlockByNumber:

// Request
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "eth_getBlockByNumber",
  "params": ["0x1284d2f", false],
  "id": 1
}

// Response (abbreviated)
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "result": {
    "number": "0x1284d2f",
    "hash": "0x...",
    "timestamp": "0x656789ab",
    "transactions": ["0x...", "0x..."]
  }
}

Error handling

Errors follow the standard JSON-RPC 2.0 error object shape: a code, a message, and sometimes a data field with more detail.

Code	Meaning
-32700	Parse error. Invalid JSON was sent.
-32600	Invalid request. The JSON sent is not a valid request object.
-32601	Method not found
-32602	Invalid params
-32603	Internal error
429 (HTTP)	Rate limit exceeded for your current tier

Handle a 429 explicitly in production code. See Rate Limits by Tier for the ceilings themselves.