Testing Philosophy

The best way to test DeFi plugins is with small amounts on real networks. Test networks often have reliability issues and don’t reflect real-world conditions.

Safe Testing Practices

1. Start Small

Always test with minimal amounts first:

  • 0.001 ETH for transfers
  • $1-5 worth of tokens for swaps
  • Smallest viable amounts for bridges

2. Test on Low-Cost Chains First

Start testing on chains with low transaction fees:

  • Polygon: ~$0.01 per transaction
  • Base: ~$0.05 per transaction
  • Arbitrum: ~$0.10 per transaction

3. Progressive Testing

1. Test basic transfers first
2. Test token transfers
3. Test swaps with small amounts
4. Test bridges last (they're most complex)

Testing Checklist

Environment Setup

# Use a dedicated test wallet
EVM_PRIVATE_KEY=test_wallet_private_key

# Start with one chain
ETHEREUM_PROVIDER_BASE=https://base-mainnet.g.alchemy.com/v2/YOUR_KEY

Basic Tests

  1. Wallet Connection

    User: What's my wallet address?
    Agent: [Should show your wallet address]
    
  2. Balance Check

    User: What's my balance?
    Agent: [Should show balances across configured chains]
    
  3. Small Transfer

    User: Send 0.001 ETH to [another test address]
    Agent: [Should execute the transfer]
    
  4. Token Transfer

    User: Send 1 USDC to [test address]
    Agent: [Should handle ERC20 transfer]
    

Swap Testing

Test swaps with minimal amounts:

User: Swap 0.01 ETH for USDC
Agent: [Should find best route and execute]

Error Handling

Test error scenarios:

  • Insufficient balance
  • Invalid addresses
  • Network issues
  • High slippage

Monitoring Results

  1. Transaction Verification

    • Check block explorers (Etherscan, BaseScan, etc.)
    • Verify transaction status
    • Confirm balances updated
  2. Gas Usage

    • Monitor gas costs
    • Ensure reasonable gas estimates
    • Check for failed transactions

Common Issues

”Insufficient funds for gas”

  • Ensure you have native tokens for gas
  • Each chain needs its native token (ETH, MATIC, etc.)

”Transaction underpriced”

  • RPC may be congested
  • Try alternative RPC endpoints

”Nonce too low”

  • Previous transaction may be pending
  • Wait for confirmation or reset nonce

Production Readiness

Before using in production:

  1. Test all intended operations
  2. Verify error handling works
  3. Ensure proper logging
  4. Set appropriate gas limits
  5. Configure slippage tolerances
  6. Test with your expected volumes