If your Sui node is rejecting certain transactions with validation errors, there could be several reasons for the failures, ranging from issues with the transaction structure to problems with the way the Sui consensus or network validators are handling them. Here's a structured way to debug and address the issue:

Common Causes for Validation Errors in Sui Transactions

1. Invalid Transaction Structure or Signature Issues

   • Cause: Sui transactions must follow a specific structure, and an invalid signature or incorrect payload can cause validation to fail.

   • How to Debug:

     • Ensure that the transaction payload is correctly formatted.
     • Validate that the signatures are correct and the transaction is signed by the correct parties (if applicable).
     • Check if any required fields are missing or malformed in the transaction structure.

2. Insufficient Gas or Gas Issues

   • Cause: If a transaction doesn't include sufficient gas to cover the operations, it will fail validation.

   • How to Debug:

     • Check if the gas limits and the associated budget are set appropriately.
     • Ensure that the account submitting the transaction has enough SUI for the transaction fees (this could happen if you are trying to execute a smart contract or transfer tokens).
     • Review the gas consumption of your operations. If your transactions are complex, they might be exceeding the gas budget.

3. Consensus or Validator Issues

   • Cause: If the node you're using to validate transactions is out of sync or there's an issue with the consensus (e.g., the node is behind or experiencing network delays), it might reject valid transactions.

   • How to Debug:

     • Verify if your node is synchronized with the rest of the network.
     • Check your node’s logs for network connectivity issues.
     • Ensure that the node is on the latest version of the Sui software.

4. Object State Issues

   • Cause: Sui enforces strict rules on object state and ownership. Transactions that try to modify an object that doesn't exist, is in an invalid state, or has been locked due to ongoing operations can fail.

   • How to Debug:

     • Inspect the object state that the transaction is trying to access or modify.
     • Verify that the object involved in the transaction exists and is in a valid state (e.g., not locked, not moved, not destroyed).
     • Check if the transaction type requires the object to be mutable or owned by a specific address and ensure the correct ownership.

5. Transaction Logic Errors in Smart Contracts

   • Cause: If your transactions involve smart contracts (Move modules), they may fail due to logical errors or constraints being violated (e.g., invalid function arguments, missing parameters, or unauthorized access).

   • How to Debug:

     • Review the smart contract logic (Move code) to ensure that all constraints, conditions, and state transitions are properly handled.
     • Check if the contract is rejecting inputs or encountering unexpected states.
     • Use logs and assertions within your Move contract to pinpoint where the failure occurs.

6. Transaction Conflicts

   • Cause: If multiple transactions are trying to modify the same resource or object, it can lead to conflicts, and one transaction might be rejected.

   • How to Debug:

     • Investigate concurrent transaction attempts for the same object/resource.
     • Ensure that your contract handles locking or conflict resolution correctly, especially when multiple operations are interacting with the same data.

How to Debug the Issue

1. Check Node Logs

   • The Sui node logs provide detailed error messages that can give insights into why a transaction was rejected.

   • Look for validation errors in the logs, especially those related to transaction structure, object state, or gas usage.

   • Example command to check logs for your Sui node:

     tail -f /path/to/sui-node.log
     

2. Use the Sui CLI for Transaction Validation

   • You can use the Sui CLI to simulate transactions before sending them. This helps ensure that transactions are valid and would pass the validation process.

   • Example of simulating a transaction with the CLI:

     sui client simulate --gas-budget 10000 --transaction <transaction-file>
     

     This will help catch validation issues before you submit the transaction to the node.

3. Test the Transaction in Isolation

   • Test specific transactions by isolating them from others. Simplify the transaction or reduce complexity by interacting with fewer objects and keeping the operations minimal.
   • Check if a simple transaction (like transferring coins or calling a basic contract function) succeeds, which can help narrow down the source of the error.

4. Check Sui's Consensus and State Logs

   • If you're suspecting network issues or delays, check the Sui network status and the health of the validators by querying the network’s consensus and state. For example, you can inspect the validator set to ensure the node is synchronized.

   • Example CLI command to query the node's status:

     sui client node-status
     

5. Examine Error Codes

   • Sui provides detailed error codes in the logs. Look for specific error codes or messages in the logs that describe why validation failed. Sui’s validation layer typically provides explicit error messages for common issues like insufficient gas, invalid object state, or incorrect function signatures.

6. Check for Known Issues in Sui Documentation or GitHub

   • Sometimes, bugs or issues with the Sui node software can cause unexpected validation failures. Checking the official Sui documentation, community forums, or the GitHub issue tracker can provide insights into whether the issue is known or if there are workarounds.
   • GitHub issues page: Sui GitHub Issues

Best Practices to Avoid Validation Failures

• Ensure proper gas estimation: Always estimate gas properly, especially for complex transactions or smart contracts, to avoid rejection due to insufficient gas.
• Handle object ownership and state: Ensure that objects are in valid states (e.g., not locked, moved, or destroyed) and correctly owned.
• Test on Testnet: Always test transactions and smart contract logic on the Sui Testnet before deploying on Mainnet.
• Use transaction batching: When working with smart contracts that interact with multiple resources, batching operations together can help avoid concurrency issues.
• Validate transactions using Sui CLI: Use the Sui CLI to simulate transactions and check if they would succeed before broadcasting them.

By following these steps, you should be able to isolate the root cause of the validation error and take the necessary steps to resolve it.

Debugging Sui Node Transaction Validation Failures

When your Sui testnet node rejects transactions with validation errors, here's how to systematically diagnose and resolve the issues:

Common Causes

1. Protocol Version Mismatch - Your node is running a different version than the network
2. Gas/Resource Issues - Insufficient gas budget or invalid gas object references
3. Epoch Changes - Transactions submitted near epoch boundaries
4. Object Dependencies - Missing or invalid object references
5. Signature Problems - Invalid or malformed signatures

Debugging Steps

1. Check Node Logs

# View detailed validation errors
journalctl -u suid -f --no-pager | grep "validation_error"

2. Verify Node Synchronization

sui-node --version  # Check version
sui client active-address  # Verify sync status
curl -s http://localhost:9000/metrics | grep "current_epoch"

3. Reproduce with CLI

# Submit failing transaction with debug flags
SUI_CLIENT_DEBUG=1 SUI_CLIENT_LOG_LEVEL=debug sui client call \
  --package <PACKAGE> \
  --module <MODULE> \
  --function <FUNCTION> \
  --gas-budget 100000000

4. Inspect Transaction Data

# Get raw transaction details
sui client tx-block <DIGEST> --json | jq

5. Check Network Consensus

# Compare with other nodes
curl https://fullnode.testnet.sui.io:443 -s \
  -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"sui_getTransactionBlock","params":["<DIGEST>",{"showInput":true}],"id":1}' | jq

Advanced Diagnostics

1. Enable Tracing

# Start node with verbose tracing
RUST_LOG="sui=debug,consensus=debug" sui-node --config-path /path/to/config.yaml

2. Check for Hard Forks

# Verify testnet compatibility
curl https://api.testnet.sui.io/ -s \
  -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"rpc.discover","id":1}' | jq '.result.info'

3. Validate Objects

# Check object status
sui client object <OBJECT_ID> --json | jq '.status'

Common Fixes

1. Update Your Node

   sui upgrade
   

2. Increase Gas Budget

   sui client call --gas-budget 200000000 ...
   

3. Reset Local State (if corrupted)

   sui client reset
   

4. Check System Resources

   df -h  # Disk space
   free -h  # Memory
   

Your Sui node may reject transactions due to:

1. Incompatible Move Modules – The transaction uses types/functions your node doesn’t recognize.
2. Outdated Software – Your node version might not support newer features.
3. Gas/Resource Issues – Transactions exceed limits or fail checks.
4. State Sync Problems – Your node might be out of sync with the network.

How to Debug:

✔ Check Node Logs – Look for validation error details.
✔ Verify Sui Version – Update to the latest Testnet release.
✔ Test with sui client call – Manually replay failing transactions.
✔ Compare with Healthy Nodes – See if others process the same TXs.

Common Fixes:

• Update dependencies if modules changed.
• Adjust gas budgets or retry during low congestion.

(For specifics, share the exact error from logs.)

Your Sui node may be failing to validate certain transactions due to version mismatches, unsupported Move features, or incorrect object ownership rules. First, verify your node is running the latest Testnet-compatible version by checking Sui's GitHub releases or Discord announcements. For debugging, inspect the transaction error logs (sui-node-*.log) or use sui client inspect-tx to analyze the problematic transactions offline. Common issues include expired protocol versions, shared object conflicts, or gas budget miscalculations—ensure your node's config aligns with Testnet requirements. If the errors persist, reproduce them locally via sui-test-validator to isolate environment-specific factors.

Your Sui node may reject transactions due to:

1. Clock drift: Ensure your node’s time is synced with NTP—Clock module checks enforce strict time bounds.
2. PTB limits: Transactions with too many commands or nested operations exceed gas or size limits.
3. Object version conflicts: Using stale object references or incorrect object versions.
4. Shared object contention: Concurrent mutations causing sequence number conflicts.
5. Event or gas rule violations: Excessive event emissions or insufficient gas budgets.

Debug using:

sui client validate-transaction-block --digest <TX_D>

Check node logs for ValidationError and consult Working with PTBs and Access On-Chain Time. Ensure your transaction conforms to size, time, and object ownership rules.

When your Sui Testnet node fails to validate certain transaction types, start by checking the node logs for detailed error messages, especially under the validator and execution components. Validation failures can stem from incorrect object ownership, version mismatches, expired transactions, or unsupported features like shared object access without proper versioning. Use the sui-tool CLI or RPC call sui_devInspectTransactionBlock to simulate and inspect the failing transaction without executing it, which often reveals the exact failure point. Verify the gas budget, object references (IDs, versions), and ensure all dependencies are present and synced on your node.

If you're dealing with Move modules, ensure the Move bytecode was published correctly and hasn't been altered. Confirm that your node is fully synced and not behind the current chain state, as stale nodes may reject valid transactions. Transactions involving shared objects must include the correct shared version, which is mandatory for validation. Use the Sui Explorer or RPC query like sui_tryGetPastObject to confirm version details before retrying. Lastly, test the same transaction against another node or localnet to rule out node-specific issues and confirm it's not a broader network incompatibility.

Your Sui node may be rejecting transactions due to incorrect transaction formatting, invalid object references, or consensus rule violations. Since the provided documentation does not cover node-level validation or debugging tools, here is a direct technical response based on Sui's architecture and operational best practices:

1. Check Transaction Type and Structure:

   • Ensure the transaction uses the correct format (e.g., Programmable Transaction Block - PTB) when batching commands.
   • Use the Sui TypeScript SDK to construct PTBs correctly, as described in "Working with PTBs".

2. Validate Object Ownership and Mutability:

   • Transactions referencing owned objects must include proper ownership proofs (signatures from the owner).
   • If the transaction involves shared objects, ensure they are not being mutated in invalid ways (e.g., concurrent mutations without proper versioning).
   • Review "Shared versus Owned Objects" to confirm correct handling of object states.

3. Verify Object Existence and Immutability:

   • The node will reject transactions if input objects are missing, already deleted, or incorrectly versioned.
   • Use sui_getObject RPC to confirm object existence and current version before submission.

4. Clock Object and Time-Dependent Logic:

   • If your transaction or smart contract logic depends on time, ensure it uses the Clock module properly.
   • Direct comparison with on-chain time must use sui::clock::Clock, and transactions violating temporal constraints may fail.
   • See "Access On-Chain Time" for correct usage.

5. Event and Gas Handling:

   • Ensure the transaction does not exceed gas limits or reference non-existent gas objects.
   • Improper gas payment (e.g., using a shared object as gas without permission) causes validation failure.

6. Debugging Steps:

   • Use sui client validate-transaction --json <tx-data> to locally validate transaction structure.
   • Inspect node logs (sui-node logs) for detailed rejection reasons (e.g., InvalidInput, ObjectNotFound).
   • Submit via sui_executeTransactionBlock RPC with show-effects: true to get detailed execution results.

7. Testnet-Specific Issues:

   • Ensure your node is fully synced to the latest checkpoint.
   • Testnet resets or upgrades may invalidate previously valid transactions.

To resolve, reconstruct the transaction using the Sui SDK, verify all input objects, and test locally before resubmission.

To debug transaction validation errors in your Sui Testnet node:

Check Node Logs: Look for detailed error messages in your node logs.

Verify Transaction Data: Ensure the transaction type and input data are correct.

Ensure Proper Signatures: Check if the signatures are valid and match the expected format.

Update Node: Ensure your node is up-to-date with the latest release.

Check Resources: Ensure the necessary resources or contracts are available and not locked.

Test with CLI: Use Sui CLI to simulate and check for errors directly.

Review Fees: Make sure the transaction has sufficient fees to process.

Debugging Sui Node Transaction Validation Failures

When your Sui node rejects transactions, here's a systematic approach to diagnose and resolve the issues:

Common Validation Failure Causes

1. Gas Budget Issues (Most frequent)

   • Insufficient gas budget
   • Invalid gas object selection
   • Gas object not owned by sender

2. Object Ownership Problems

   • Attempting to mutate immutable objects
   • Shared object version conflicts
   • Invalid object references

3. Move Module Violations

   • Missing ability constraints
   • Invalid type arguments
   • Private function calls

4. Consensus Layer Issues

   • Epoch changes during submission
   • Validator set changes
   • Clock drift

Debugging Tools & Techniques

1. Check Transaction Details

sui client tx-block <DIGEST> --full

2. Inspect Transaction Effects

sui client call --gas-budget 1000000 --json --dry-run <YOUR_ARGS>

3. Node Log Analysis

# Check validator logs for specific errors
grep "validation_error" /var/log/sui/validator.log

4. Common Error Patterns and Fixes

Example 1: Gas Budget Exhausted

Error: GasBalanceTooLow { ... }

Solution:

sui client call --gas-budget 2000000 # Increase budget

Example 2: Shared Object Version Conflict

Error: SharedObjectVersionMismatch { ... }

Solution:

- public entry fun mutate_shared(obj: &mut SharedObject) {
+ public entry fun mutate_shared(obj: &mut SharedObject, expected_version: u64) {
+    assert!(obj.version == expected_version, EBAD_VERSION);
    // ... logic ...
}

Example 3: Invalid Object Reference

Error: ObjectNotFound { object_id: ... }

Solution:

// Always verify object exists before use
assert!(object::exists<MyObject>(object_id), EOBJECT_NOT_FOUND);

Advanced Diagnostic Commands

1. Simulate Transaction

sui client call --simulate --gas-budget 1000000 <ARGS>

2. Check Object Details

sui client object <OBJECT_ID> --json

3. Verify Move Bytecode

sui move verify --path <YOUR_PACKAGE>

Node Configuration Checks

1. Ensure Proper Clock Sync

sudo ntpdate -u pool.ntp.org

2. Verify Epoch Information

sui client validators

3. Check Chain Identifier

sui client envs | grep 'Chain ID'

When to Check Different Logs

1. Validation Errors → validator.log
2. Transaction Execution Failures → fullnode.log
3. Consensus Issues → consensus.log
4. Network Problems → sui-network.log

Proactive Monitoring Setup

Add to your validator.yaml:

metrics-address: "0.0.0.0:9184"

Then monitor with:

curl http://localhost:9184/metrics | grep validator_errors

For persistent issues, consider:

1. Upgrading to the latest Sui version
2. Resyncing your node (sui-node --reset-db)
3. Checking Sui Discord for network-wide issues

Remember that Testnet may have different validation rules than Devnet or Mainnet - always verify against the network-specific documentation.

If your Sui Testnet node is rejecting certain transactions, start by checking the node logs for error messages or abort codes tied to those transactions. Validation errors can occur due to incorrect object ownership, mismatched object versions, invalid type arguments, or gas object issues. Use the transaction digest and query the transaction through the Sui Explorer or CLI to inspect the inputs, sender, and function being called. Confirm that the involved objects exist, are not deleted, and are accessible with the correct permissions.

Review the Move module logic and verify that any preconditions like capabilities, assertions, or expected types align with the transaction structure. Some errors might stem from shared object handling, especially if the shared version is outdated or missing. Double-check that the transaction uses the correct gas object with enough balance and that the sender has signing authority. Run a dry run (sui client dry-run) locally with the same parameters to reproduce the error in a more traceable environment. If you're interacting with published packages, make sure the package has not been upgraded or altered incompatibly. Lastly, check if your node is fully synced, as stale state can lead to incorrect validation behavior.