A comprehensive FAQ addressing common transaction submission errors on Stellar, particularly 504 timeout errors. The article explains how dynamic fees work, surge pricing mechanics, ledger limits, and provides practical guidance for developers to optimize transaction submission and avoid timeouts.
This developer-focused FAQ addresses frequent questions about transaction submission errors on Stellar, with emphasis on 504 timeout errors from Horizon. It explains that the Stellar network is functioning well but experiencing increased competition for ledger space due to surge pricing when operations exceed the 1,000 ops/ledger limit. The article clarifies how dynamic fees work as bids, with transactions offering higher fees prioritized during surge pricing. It provides practical recommendations: set timebounds, specify maximum fees (which serve as bids while actual charges are minimized), and implement retry loops with increasing delays. The FAQ also addresses related topics including rate limiting, high-volume transaction submission using channel accounts, and the prevalence of failed arbitrage bot transactions on the ledger.
