---
title: "Contract Methods"
description: "Methods for deploying, reading, writing, and simulating GenLayer intelligent contracts."
source: https://docs.genlayer.com/api-references/genlayer-js/contracts
last_updated: 2026-04-22
---

# Contract Methods

Methods for deploying, reading, writing, and simulating GenLayer intelligent contracts.

### getContractCode

Retrieves the source code of a deployed contract.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| address | `Address` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `string`

---

### getContractSchema

Gets the schema (methods and constructor) of a deployed contract.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| address | `Address` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `ContractSchema`

---

### getContractSchemaForCode

Generates a schema for contract code without deploying it.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| contractCode | `string \| Uint8Array` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `ContractSchema`

---

### readContract

Executes a read-only contract call without modifying state.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| address | `Address` | yes |  |
| functionName | `string` | yes |  |
| args | `CalldataEncodable[]` | no |  |
| kwargs | `Map<string, CalldataEncodable> \| {[key: string]: CalldataEncodable}` | no |  |
| rawReturn | `RawReturn` | no |  |
| jsonSafeReturn | `boolean` | no |  |
| leaderOnly | `boolean` | no |  |
| transactionHashVariant | `TransactionHashVariant` | no |  |

**Returns:** `RawReturn extends true ? 0x${string} : CalldataEncodable`

---

### simulateWriteContract

Simulates a state-modifying contract call without executing on-chain.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| address | `Address` | yes |  |
| functionName | `string` | yes |  |
| args | `CalldataEncodable[]` | no |  |
| kwargs | `Map<string, CalldataEncodable> \| {[key: string]: CalldataEncodable}` | no |  |
| rawReturn | `RawReturn` | no |  |
| leaderOnly | `boolean` | no |  |
| transactionHashVariant | `TransactionHashVariant` | no |  |

**Returns:** `RawReturn extends true ? 0x${string} : CalldataEncodable`

---

### writeContract

Executes a state-modifying function on a contract through consensus. Returns the transaction hash.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| address | `Address` | yes |  |
| functionName | `string` | yes |  |
| args | `CalldataEncodable[]` | no |  |
| kwargs | `Map<string, CalldataEncodable> \| {[key: string]: CalldataEncodable}` | no |  |
| value | `bigint` | yes |  |
| leaderOnly | `boolean` | no |  |
| consensusMaxRotations | `number` | no |  |

**Returns:** `0x${string}`

---

### deployContract

Deploys a new intelligent contract to GenLayer. Returns the transaction hash.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| code | `string \| Uint8Array` | yes |  |
| args | `CalldataEncodable[]` | no |  |
| kwargs | `Map<string, CalldataEncodable> \| {[key: string]: CalldataEncodable}` | no |  |
| leaderOnly | `boolean` | no |  |
| consensusMaxRotations | `number` | no |  |

---

### getMinAppealBond

Calculates the minimum bond required to appeal a transaction.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `bigint`

---

### getRoundNumber

Returns the current consensus round number for a transaction.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `bigint`

---

### getRoundData

Returns detailed data for a specific consensus round.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |
| round | `bigint` | yes |  |

---

### getLastRoundData

Returns the current round number and its data for a transaction.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |

---

### canAppeal

Checks if a transaction can be appealed.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `boolean`

---

### appealTransaction

Appeals a consensus transaction to trigger a new round of validation.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |
| value | `bigint` | no |  |

---

### finalizeTransaction

Finalizes a single GenLayer transaction that is ready to be finalized. Returns the EVM transaction hash.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| txId | ``0x${string}`` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `0x${string}`

---

### finalizeIdlenessTxs

Batch-finalizes idle GenLayer transactions (those stuck without progressing). Returns the EVM transaction hash.

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|-------------|
| account | `Account` | no |  |
| txIds | `readonly `0x${string}`[]` | yes |  |

**Returns:** `0x${string}`

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