solana-dev/references/kit/programs/token.md

title, description

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SPL Token Program	Kit-compatible @solana-program/token client for mint creation, transfers, ATAs, delegation, burning, and instruction plans.

SPL Token Program

Solana's standard token program. Defines Mints (token config + supply) and Token Accounts (per-owner balances). For tokens that need extensions, use Token-2022 instead.

If using plugin clients, prefer client.use(tokenProgram()) for a fluent API that auto-derives ATAs and defaults the payer. The low-level instructions below are for manual pipe() transaction building. See overview.md and plugins.md.

Program address: TokenkegQfeZyiNwAJbNbGKPFXCWuBvf9Ss623VQ5DA

import { TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS } from '@solana-program/token';

Account Types

Mint (82 bytes)

import { fetchMint, fetchMaybeMint, getMintSize } from '@solana-program/token';

const mint = await fetchMint(rpc, mintAddress);
// mint.data.decimals, mint.data.supply, mint.data.mintAuthority, mint.data.freezeAuthority

Token Account (165 bytes)

import { fetchToken, fetchMaybeToken, getTokenSize } from '@solana-program/token';

const token = await fetchToken(rpc, tokenAddress);
// token.data.mint, token.data.owner, token.data.amount

Multisig

import { fetchMultisig } from '@solana-program/token';

const multisig = await fetchMultisig(rpc, multisigAddress);
// multisig.data.m, multisig.data.n, multisig.data.signers

PDA: Associated Token Account

One deterministic token account per owner per mint. Derived from owner + mint + token program — no on-chain lookup needed. Always prefer ATAs for user-facing flows.

import { findAssociatedTokenPda, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS } from '@solana-program/token';

const [ata] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  owner: walletAddress,
  mint: mintAddress,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS,
});

Key Instructions

Initialize Mint

import { getInitializeMintInstruction } from '@solana-program/token';

const ix = getInitializeMintInstruction({
  mint: mintKeypair.address,
  decimals: 9,
  mintAuthority: authority.address,
  freezeAuthority: authority.address, // optional
});

Transfer

Prefer getTransferCheckedInstruction — validates mint and decimals on-chain, preventing wrong-token transfers.

import { getTransferInstruction, getTransferCheckedInstruction } from '@solana-program/token';

// Simple transfer
const ix = getTransferInstruction({
  source: sourceTokenAccount,
  destination: destTokenAccount,
  authority: owner,
  amount: 1_000_000n,
});

// Checked transfer (validates decimals)
const ix = getTransferCheckedInstruction({
  source: sourceTokenAccount,
  mint: mintAddress,
  destination: destTokenAccount,
  authority: owner,
  amount: 1_000_000n,
  decimals: 9,
});

Mint To

import { getMintToInstruction, getMintToCheckedInstruction } from '@solana-program/token';

const ix = getMintToInstruction({
  mint: mintAddress,
  token: destinationTokenAccount,
  mintAuthority: authority,
  amount: 1_000_000_000n,
});

Approve Delegate

import { getApproveInstruction } from '@solana-program/token';

const ix = getApproveInstruction({
  source: tokenAccount,
  delegate: delegateAddress,
  owner: owner,
  amount: 500_000n,
});

Burn

import { getBurnInstruction } from '@solana-program/token';

const ix = getBurnInstruction({
  account: tokenAccount,
  mint: mintAddress,
  authority: owner,
  amount: 100_000n,
});

Instruction Plans

Handle multi-step operations (e.g., create ATA if needed). Auto-check preconditions and only include necessary instructions — use for user-facing flows. Build a plan with the get*InstructionPlan builders, then execute it through a plugin client that has planning + sending capability via client.sendTransaction(plan) (see plugins.md). For a shorter form, client.use(tokenProgram()) exposes client.token.instructions.createMint(...) / client.token.instructions.mintToATA(...); call .sendTransaction() on the returned plan to submit (e.g. await client.token.instructions.createMint({ newMint, decimals, mintAuthority }).sendTransaction()).

Create Mint

import { getCreateMintInstructionPlan } from '@solana-program/token';

const plan = getCreateMintInstructionPlan({
  payer,
  newMint: mintKeypair,
  decimals: 9,
  mintAuthority: authority.address,
});

await client.sendTransaction(plan);

Mint to ATA (Creates ATA if needed)

Use the async builder — it derives the ATA automatically.

import { getMintToATAInstructionPlanAsync } from '@solana-program/token';

const plan = await getMintToATAInstructionPlanAsync({
  payer,
  owner: recipientAddress,
  mint: mintAddress,
  mintAuthority: authority,
  amount: 1_000_000_000n,
  decimals: 9,
});

await client.sendTransaction(plan);

Complete Pattern: Create Token + Mint

import {
  pipe, createTransactionMessage, setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner,
  setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash, appendTransactionMessageInstructions,
  signTransactionMessageWithSigners, sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory,
  assertIsTransactionWithBlockhashLifetime, generateKeyPairSigner, lamports,
} from '@solana/kit';
import {
  getInitializeMintInstruction, getMintToInstruction,
  getMintSize, TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS, findAssociatedTokenPda,
  getCreateAssociatedTokenInstruction,
} from '@solana-program/token';
import { getCreateAccountInstruction } from '@solana-program/system';

// 1. Generate mint keypair
const mintKeypair = await generateKeyPairSigner();

// 2. Get rent
const mintRent = await rpc.getMinimumBalanceForRentExemption(BigInt(getMintSize())).send();

// 3. Derive ATA
const [ata] = await findAssociatedTokenPda({
  owner: recipient.address,
  mint: mintKeypair.address,
  tokenProgram: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS,
});

const { value: latestBlockhash } = await rpc.getLatestBlockhash().send();

const message = pipe(
  createTransactionMessage({ version: 0 }),
  m => setTransactionMessageFeePayerSigner(payer, m),
  m => setTransactionMessageLifetimeUsingBlockhash(latestBlockhash, m),
  m => appendTransactionMessageInstructions([
    // Create mint account
    getCreateAccountInstruction({
      payer,
      newAccount: mintKeypair,
      lamports: lamports(mintRent),
      space: getMintSize(),
      programAddress: TOKEN_PROGRAM_ADDRESS,
    }),
    // Initialize mint
    getInitializeMintInstruction({
      mint: mintKeypair.address,
      decimals: 9,
      mintAuthority: payer.address,
    }),
    // Create ATA
    getCreateAssociatedTokenInstruction({
      payer,
      ata,
      owner: recipient.address,
      mint: mintKeypair.address,
    }),
    // Mint tokens
    getMintToInstruction({
      mint: mintKeypair.address,
      token: ata,
      mintAuthority: payer,
      amount: 1_000_000_000n,
    }),
  ], m),
);

const sendAndConfirm = sendAndConfirmTransactionFactory({ rpc, rpcSubscriptions });
const signed = await signTransactionMessageWithSigners(message);
assertIsTransactionWithBlockhashLifetime(signed);
await sendAndConfirm(signed, { commitment: 'confirmed' });