Drift Protocol SDK Development Guide

A comprehensive guide for building Solana applications with the Drift Protocol SDK - the leading perpetual futures and spot trading protocol on Solana.

Overview

Drift Protocol is a decentralized exchange on Solana offering:

• Perpetual Futures: Up to 20x leverage on crypto assets
• Spot Trading: Borrow/lend and margin trading
• Cross-Collateral: Use multiple assets as collateral
• Vaults: Delegated trading pools
• Jupiter Integration: Direct spot swaps

Quick Start

Installation

npm install @drift-labs/sdk @solana/web3.js @coral-xyz/anchor

For Python:

pip install driftpy

Basic Setup (TypeScript)

import { Connection, Keypair } from '@solana/web3.js';
import { Wallet } from '@coral-xyz/anchor';
import {
  DriftClient,
  initialize,
  DriftEnv,
  BulkAccountLoader
} from '@drift-labs/sdk';

// 1. Setup connection and wallet
const connection = new Connection('https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com');
const keypair = Keypair.fromSecretKey(/* your secret key */);
const wallet = new Wallet(keypair);

// 2. Initialize SDK
const sdkConfig = initialize({ env: 'mainnet-beta' as DriftEnv });

// 3. Create DriftClient
const driftClient = new DriftClient({
  connection,
  wallet,
  env: 'mainnet-beta',
  accountSubscription: {
    type: 'polling',
    accountLoader: new BulkAccountLoader(connection, 'confirmed', 1000),
  },
});

// 4. Subscribe to updates
await driftClient.subscribe();

// 5. Check if user account exists
const user = driftClient.getUser();
const userExists = await user.exists();

if (!userExists) {
  // Initialize user account (costs ~0.035 SOL rent)
  await driftClient.initializeUserAccount();
}

Basic Setup (Python)

import asyncio
from solana.rpc.async_api import AsyncClient
from solders.keypair import Keypair
from driftpy.drift_client import DriftClient
from driftpy.account_subscription_config import AccountSubscriptionConfig
from anchorpy import Wallet

async def main():
    connection = AsyncClient("https://api.mainnet-beta.solana.com")
    keypair = Keypair.from_bytes(secret_key_bytes)
    wallet = Wallet(keypair)

    drift_client = DriftClient(
        connection,
        wallet,
        "mainnet",
        account_subscription=AccountSubscriptionConfig("polling"),
    )

    await drift_client.subscribe()

    user = drift_client.get_user()
    if not await user.exists():
        await drift_client.initialize_user_account()

asyncio.run(main())

Core Concepts

1. Precision and BN (BigNumber)

Drift uses BN.js for all numerical values due to token precision exceeding JavaScript float limits. All amounts are integers with designated precision levels.

Key Precision Constants:

QUOTE_PRECISION

BASE_PRECISION

PRICE_PRECISION

SPOT_MARKET_BALANCE_PRECISION

FUNDING_RATE_PRECISION

MARGIN_PRECISION

PEG_PRECISION

AMM_RESERVE_PRECISION

Conversion Helper:

import { convertToNumber } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

// BN division returns floor - use helper for precise division
const result = convertToNumber(new BN(10500), new BN(1000)); // = 10.5

// Converting amounts
const perpAmount = driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(100);  // 100 base units
const spotAmount = driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100); // 100 USDC
const price = driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(21.23);    // $21.23

2. Market Types

Perpetual Markets (

MarketType.PERP

• Derivatives with no expiry
• Positions tracked via

  baseAssetAmount

• Positive = Long, Negative = Short

Spot Markets (

MarketType.SPOT

• Real token deposits/borrows
• Positions tracked via

  scaledBalance

• SpotBalanceType.DEPOSIT

  or

  SpotBalanceType.BORROW

Common Market Indexes:

• 0

  - USDC (quote asset)

• 1

  - SOL
• Market indexes vary - query

  getPerpMarketAccounts()

  /

  getSpotMarketAccounts()

3. Order Types

import { OrderType, PositionDirection, OrderTriggerCondition } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

// Available order types
OrderType.MARKET          // Immediate execution
OrderType.LIMIT           // Price-specific orders
OrderType.TRIGGER_MARKET  // Stop-loss/take-profit market
OrderType.TRIGGER_LIMIT   // Stop-loss/take-profit limit
OrderType.ORACLE          // Oracle-based pricing

// Position directions
PositionDirection.LONG    // Buy/bid
PositionDirection.SHORT   // Sell/ask

// Trigger conditions (for stop orders)
OrderTriggerCondition.ABOVE  // Trigger when price > threshold
OrderTriggerCondition.BELOW  // Trigger when price < threshold

4. Post-Only Parameters

import { PostOnlyParams } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

PostOnlyParams.NONE           // No enforcement (can be taker)
PostOnlyParams.MUST_POST_ONLY // Fail if order would cross spread
PostOnlyParams.TRY_POST_ONLY  // Skip order if would cross spread
PostOnlyParams.SLIDE          // Adjust price to be post-only

Trading Operations

Placing Perpetual Orders

// Market Order
await driftClient.placePerpOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.MARKET,
  marketIndex: 0,  // SOL-PERP
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1), // 1 SOL
});

// Limit Order
await driftClient.placePerpOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.LIMIT,
  marketIndex: 0,
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
  price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(100), // $100
  postOnly: PostOnlyParams.MUST_POST_ONLY,
});

// Stop-Loss Order
await driftClient.placePerpOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.TRIGGER_MARKET,
  marketIndex: 0,
  direction: PositionDirection.SHORT, // Close long
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
  triggerPrice: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(90),
  triggerCondition: OrderTriggerCondition.BELOW,
  reduceOnly: true,
});

// Take-Profit Order
await driftClient.placePerpOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.TRIGGER_LIMIT,
  marketIndex: 0,
  direction: PositionDirection.SHORT, // Close long
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
  price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(120),
  triggerPrice: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(120),
  triggerCondition: OrderTriggerCondition.ABOVE,
  reduceOnly: true,
});

// Oracle Order (price relative to oracle)
await driftClient.placePerpOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.ORACLE,
  marketIndex: 0,
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
  oraclePriceOffset: -100000, // $0.10 below oracle (PRICE_PRECISION)
  auctionDuration: 10,
  auctionStartPrice: new BN(-200000), // Start $0.20 below
  auctionEndPrice: new BN(-50000),    // End $0.05 below
});

Placing Spot Orders

// Spot Market Order
await driftClient.placeSpotOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.MARKET,
  marketIndex: 1, // SOL
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG, // Buy
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(1, 1), // 1 SOL
});

// Spot Limit Order
await driftClient.placeSpotOrder({
  orderType: OrderType.LIMIT,
  marketIndex: 1,
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(1, 1),
  price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(100),
});

Multiple Orders

// Place multiple orders atomically
await driftClient.placeOrders([
  {
    orderType: OrderType.LIMIT,
    marketType: MarketType.PERP,
    marketIndex: 0,
    direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
    baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
    price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(99),
  },
  {
    orderType: OrderType.LIMIT,
    marketType: MarketType.PERP,
    marketIndex: 0,
    direction: PositionDirection.SHORT,
    baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
    price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(101),
  },
]);

Order Management

// Cancel by order ID
await driftClient.cancelOrder(orderId);

// Cancel by user order ID
await driftClient.cancelOrderByUserOrderId(userOrderId);

// Cancel all orders for a market
await driftClient.cancelOrders(MarketType.PERP, 0); // All SOL-PERP orders

// Cancel all orders
await driftClient.cancelOrders();

// Modify existing order
await driftClient.modifyOrder(orderId, {
  price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(102),
});

// Cancel and place atomically
await driftClient.cancelAndPlaceOrders({
  cancelOrderParams: { orderId: existingOrderId },
  placeOrderParams: [{
    orderType: OrderType.LIMIT,
    marketType: MarketType.PERP,
    marketIndex: 0,
    direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
    baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
    price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(100),
  }],
});

Get Orders

// Get specific order
const order = driftClient.getOrder(orderId);

// Get order by user ID
const order = driftClient.getOrderByUserId(userOrderId);

// Get all open orders
const user = driftClient.getUser();
const openOrders = user.getOpenOrders();

Deposits and Withdrawals

Deposits

// Get associated token account
const associatedTokenAccount = await driftClient.getAssociatedTokenAccount(0); // USDC

// Deposit USDC
const amount = driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100); // 100 USDC
await driftClient.deposit(amount, 0, associatedTokenAccount);

// Deposit SOL
const solAccount = await driftClient.getAssociatedTokenAccount(1);
const solAmount = driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(1, 1); // 1 SOL
await driftClient.deposit(solAmount, 1, solAccount);

// Initialize user and deposit in one transaction
const [txSig, userPubkey] = await driftClient.initializeUserAccountAndDepositCollateral(
  driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100),
  await driftClient.getAssociatedTokenAccount(0),
  0, // market index
  0, // sub account ID
  'MyAccount', // name
);

Withdrawals

const associatedTokenAccount = await driftClient.getAssociatedTokenAccount(0);
const amount = driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 50); // 50 USDC

// Withdraw (may create borrow if insufficient deposits)
await driftClient.withdraw(amount, 0, associatedTokenAccount);

// Withdraw with reduce-only (prevents creating borrow)
await driftClient.withdraw(amount, 0, associatedTokenAccount, undefined, true);

Transfers Between Sub-Accounts

// Transfer deposits
await driftClient.transferDeposit(
  driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100),
  0, // market index
  0, // from sub-account
  1, // to sub-account
);

// Transfer perp positions
await driftClient.transferPerpPosition({
  fromSubAccountId: 0,
  toSubAccountId: 1,
  marketIndex: 0,
  amount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
});

Position Management

Reading Positions

const user = driftClient.getUser();

// Perpetual Position
const perpPosition = user.getPerpPosition(0); // SOL-PERP
if (perpPosition) {
  const baseAmount = perpPosition.baseAssetAmount;
  const isLong = baseAmount.gt(new BN(0));
  const isShort = baseAmount.lt(new BN(0));
  console.log('Position size:', convertToNumber(baseAmount, BASE_PRECISION));
}

// All active perp positions
const activePerpPositions = user.getActivePerpPositions();

// Spot Position
const spotPosition = user.getSpotPosition(0); // USDC
const tokenAmount = user.getTokenAmount(0);
const isDeposit = tokenAmount.gt(new BN(0));
const isBorrow = tokenAmount.lt(new BN(0));

// All active spot positions
const activeSpotPositions = user.getActiveSpotPositions();

Collateral and Margin

const user = driftClient.getUser();

// Total collateral value
const totalCollateral = user.getTotalCollateral();

// Free collateral (available for new positions)
const freeCollateral = user.getFreeCollateral();

// Margin requirements
const initialMargin = user.getInitialMarginRequirement();
const maintenanceMargin = user.getMaintenanceMarginRequirement();

// Current leverage
const leverage = user.getLeverage();

// Account health (0-100, liquidation at 0)
const health = user.getHealth();

// Max leverage for a market
const maxLeverage = user.getMaxLeverageForPerp(0); // SOL-PERP

// Buying power
const buyingPower = user.getPerpBuyingPower(0);

PnL Calculations

const user = driftClient.getUser();

// Unrealized PnL (all positions)
const unrealizedPnl = user.getUnrealizedPNL();

// Unrealized PnL with funding
const unrealizedPnlWithFunding = user.getUnrealizedPNL(true);

// PnL for specific market
const marketPnl = user.getUnrealizedPNL(false, 0);

// Unrealized funding PnL
const fundingPnl = user.getUnrealizedFundingPNL();

// Settle PnL
await driftClient.settlePNL(
  user.getUserAccountPublicKey(),
  user.getUserAccount(),
  0 // market index
);

Liquidation Price

const user = driftClient.getUser();

// Get liquidation price for perp position
const liqPrice = user.liquidationPrice(0); // SOL-PERP

// Check if can be liquidated
const canBeLiquidated = user.canBeLiquidated();

Market Data

Market Accounts

// Perpetual market
const perpMarket = driftClient.getPerpMarketAccount(0);
console.log('Market index:', perpMarket.marketIndex);
console.log('AMM base reserves:', perpMarket.amm.baseAssetReserve.toString());

// All perp markets
const allPerpMarkets = driftClient.getPerpMarketAccounts();

// Spot market
const spotMarket = driftClient.getSpotMarketAccount(0);
console.log('Decimals:', spotMarket.decimals);

// All spot markets
const allSpotMarkets = driftClient.getSpotMarketAccounts();

Oracle Data

// Get oracle price for perp market
const oracleData = driftClient.getOracleDataForPerpMarket(0);
const price = oracleData.price; // BN in PRICE_PRECISION

console.log('Oracle price:', convertToNumber(price, PRICE_PRECISION));

// Get oracle for spot market
const spotOracleData = driftClient.getOracleDataForSpotMarket(1);

Calculate Prices from AMM

import { calculateBidAskPrice } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

const perpMarket = driftClient.getPerpMarketAccount(0);
const oracleData = driftClient.getOracleDataForPerpMarket(0);

const [bidPrice, askPrice] = calculateBidAskPrice(
  perpMarket.amm,
  oracleData
);

Events

Event Subscriber

import { EventSubscriber } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

const eventSubscriber = new EventSubscriber(connection, driftClient.program, {
  eventTypes: [
    'DepositRecord',
    'FundingPaymentRecord',
    'LiquidationRecord',
    'OrderRecord',
    'OrderActionRecord',
    'FundingRateRecord',
    'SettlePnlRecord',
    'LPRecord',
    'InsuranceFundRecord',
    'SpotInterestRecord',
  ],
  maxTx: 4096,
  maxEventsPerType: 4096,
  commitment: 'confirmed',
  logProviderConfig: { type: 'websocket' },
});

await eventSubscriber.subscribe();

// Listen for events
eventSubscriber.eventEmitter.on('newEvent', (event) => {
  console.log('Event type:', event.eventType);
  console.log('Event data:', event);
});

// Get events by type
const depositEvents = eventSubscriber.getEventsReceived()
  .filter(e => e.eventType === 'DepositRecord');

// Unsubscribe
await eventSubscriber.unsubscribe();

Jupiter Swaps

import { JupiterClient } from '@drift-labs/sdk';

// Initialize Jupiter client
const jupiterClient = new JupiterClient({ connection });

// Get quote preview
const quote = await jupiterClient.getQuote({
  inputMint: /* USDC mint */,
  outputMint: /* SOL mint */,
  amount: driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100),
  slippageBps: 50,
});

// Execute swap through Drift
const txSig = await driftClient.swap({
  jupiterClient,
  inMarketIndex: 0,   // USDC
  outMarketIndex: 1,  // SOL
  amount: driftClient.convertToSpotPrecision(0, 100),
  slippageBps: 50,
  onlyDirectRoutes: false,
});

Sub-Accounts

// Create new sub-account
const [txSig, userPubkey] = await driftClient.initializeUserAccount(
  1, // sub-account ID
  'SubAccount1' // name
);

// Switch active sub-account
await driftClient.switchActiveUser(1);

// Get user for specific sub-account
const user = driftClient.getUser(1);

// Delete sub-account (must have no positions)
await driftClient.deleteUser(1);

// Update delegate (allow another key to trade)
await driftClient.updateUserDelegate(delegatePublicKey, 0);

Advanced: Swift Protocol (Orderless Trades)

Swift allows off-chain order signing without Solana transactions:

// Sign order message
const orderMessage = {
  marketIndex: 0,
  marketType: MarketType.PERP,
  direction: PositionDirection.LONG,
  baseAssetAmount: driftClient.convertToPerpPrecision(1),
  price: driftClient.convertToPricePrecision(100),
};

const signature = driftClient.signSignedMsgOrderParamsMessage(orderMessage);

// Submit to Swift server
await axios.post('https://swift.drift.trade/orders', {
  market_index: 0,
  message: signature.message,
  signature: signature.signature,
  taker_authority: wallet.publicKey.toString(),
});

Advanced: Builder Codes (DBC)

For platforms routing trades through Drift to earn fees:

// Initialize as builder
await driftClient.initializeRevenueShare(builderAuthority);

// Initialize user's escrow
await driftClient.initializeRevenueShareEscrow(userAuthority, numOrders);

// Approve builder
await driftClient.changeApprovedBuilder(
  builderAuthority,
  maxFeeTenthBps, // max fee in tenth basis points
  true // add (false to remove)
);

Error Handling

try {
  await driftClient.placePerpOrder(orderParams);
} catch (error) {
  if (error.message.includes('InsufficientCollateral')) {
    console.error('Not enough collateral for this trade');
  } else if (error.message.includes('MaxLeverageExceeded')) {
    console.error('Would exceed maximum leverage');
  } else if (error.message.includes('OrderWouldCrossMaker')) {
    console.error('Post-only order would cross spread');
  } else {
    throw error;
  }
}

Resources

• Drift Protocol Docs
• SDK Documentation
• TypeScript SDK
• Python SDK (DriftPy)
• Keeper Bots Examples

Skill Structure

drift-protocol/
├── SKILL.md                          # This file
├── resources/
│   ├── precision-constants.md        # All precision constants
│   ├── types-reference.md            # TypeScript types and enums
│   ├── drift-client-api.md           # DriftClient method reference
│   └── user-api.md                   # User class method reference
├── examples/
│   ├── basic-setup/                  # Client initialization
│   ├── orders/                       # Order placement examples
│   ├── deposits-withdrawals/         # Collateral management
│   ├── positions/                    # Position queries
│   ├── jupiter-swaps/                # Swap integration
│   ├── vaults/                       # Vault management
│   └── events/                       # Event subscription
├── docs/
│   ├── vaults.md                     # Vault documentation
│   ├── market-making.md              # Market making guide
│   └── troubleshooting.md            # Common issues
└── templates/
    └── trading-bot-template.ts       # Copy-paste starter