---
title: "Debugging Contract Code"
description: "Debug Intelligent Contract code with print statements and runtime traces in the GenVM."
source: https://docs.genlayer.com/developers/intelligent-contracts/features/debugging
last_updated: 2026-06-11
---

# Debugging Contract Code

## Print Statements

Use `print` calls for basic debugging, which will be present in node or studio output.

Use `gl.trace` to include time stamps in the output (it will be written to genvm_log instead of stdout)

## Profiling

There is also `gl.trace_time_micro` which returns timestamp in the GenVM debug mode. Default bootloader includes
possibility to enable profiling by setting environment variable `GENLAYER_ENABLE_PROFILER=true`.

```python
# {
#   "Seq": [
#     { "SetEnv": { "name": "GENLAYER_ENABLE_PROFILER", "value": "true" } },
#     { "Depends": "py-genlayer:1jb45aa8ynh2a9c9xn3b7qqh8sm5q93hwfp7jqmwsfhh8jpz09h6" }
#   ]
# }
```

This will output base-64 encoded gzip-compressed profiling data to stderr after every single VM execution

## Attaching a Debugger

> **Warning:**
> Unfortunately, attaching a debugger to a running Intelligent Contract is not supported yet