> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configuration

> How to configure Geth using command-line flags or a TOML configuration file.

Geth can be configured with command-line flags or a TOML configuration file. The two approaches can be combined: the file sets defaults that individual flags can override.

## Configuration file

Pass a TOML configuration file with `--config`:

```bash theme={null}
geth --config /path/to/config.toml
```

### Generating a config file

The easiest way to produce a valid starting configuration is to export the current defaults with `dumpconfig`:

```bash theme={null}
# Print defaults to stdout
geth dumpconfig

# Write defaults to a file
geth dumpconfig > config.toml

# Combine with flags to capture a customised baseline
geth --syncmode full --http dumpconfig > config.toml
```

The output is valid TOML that can be edited and passed back with `--config`.

### Example TOML snippet

```toml theme={null}
[Eth]
SyncMode = "snap"
NetworkId = 1

[Node]
DataDir = "/var/lib/geth"
HTTPHost = "127.0.0.1"
HTTPPort = 8545
HTTPModules = ["eth", "net", "web3"]
WSHost = "127.0.0.1"
WSPort = 8546
WSModules = ["eth", "net", "web3"]

[Node.P2P]
MaxPeers = 50
ListenAddr = ":30303"

[Node.HTTPTimeouts]
ReadTimeout = 30000000000
WriteTimeout = 30000000000
IdleTimeout = 120000000000
```

***

## Flag reference

<Accordion title="Node identity">
  | Flag          | Default       | Description                                                                                     |
  | ------------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--identity`  | *(empty)*     | Custom human-readable name advertised over the p2p network                                      |
  | `--datadir`   | `~/.ethereum` | Root directory for databases and the keystore                                                   |
  | `--port`      | `30303`       | TCP/UDP network listening port                                                                  |
  | `--networkid` | `0` (auto)    | Network ID; `0` means use the chain ID. For testnets use `--sepolia`, `--holesky`, or `--hoodi` |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Sync and state">
  | Flag                     | Default   | Description                                                                                    |
  | ------------------------ | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--syncmode`             | `snap`    | Blockchain sync mode — `snap` or `full`                                                        |
  | `--gcmode`               | `full`    | Garbage-collection mode — `full` (prune old state) or `archive` (retain all state)             |
  | `--state.scheme`         | *(auto)*  | State storage scheme — `hash` or `path`                                                        |
  | `--history.state`        | `90000`   | Number of recent blocks for which state history is kept (path scheme only, `0` = entire chain) |
  | `--history.transactions` | `2350000` | Number of recent blocks with a transaction index (`0` = entire chain)                          |
  | `--snapshot`             | `true`    | Enable snapshot-database mode                                                                  |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Networking">
  | Flag               | Default             | Description                                                                               |
  | ------------------ | ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--bootnodes`      | *(network default)* | Comma-separated enode URLs for P2P discovery bootstrap                                    |
  | `--maxpeers`       | `50`                | Maximum number of network peers (`0` disables networking)                                 |
  | `--nat`            | `any`               | NAT port mapping mechanism (`any`, `none`, `upnp`, `pmp`, `extip:<IP>`, `stun:<IP:PORT>`) |
  | `--nodiscover`     | `false`             | Disable automatic peer discovery (add peers manually)                                     |
  | `--netrestrict`    | *(empty)*           | Restrict peer communication to specific IP ranges (CIDR)                                  |
  | `--discovery.dns`  | *(network default)* | DNS discovery entry points                                                                |
  | `--discovery.port` | `30303`             | UDP port for P2P discovery                                                                |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Transaction pool">
  | Flag                    | Default            | Description                                                       |
  | ----------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--txpool.pricelimit`   | `1`                | Minimum gas price tip (in wei) for acceptance into the pool       |
  | `--txpool.pricebump`    | `10`               | Price bump percentage required to replace an existing transaction |
  | `--txpool.accountslots` | `16`               | Minimum executable transaction slots guaranteed per account       |
  | `--txpool.globalslots`  | `5120`             | Maximum executable transaction slots across all accounts          |
  | `--txpool.accountqueue` | `64`               | Maximum queued (non-executable) slots per account                 |
  | `--txpool.globalqueue`  | `1024`             | Maximum queued (non-executable) slots across all accounts         |
  | `--txpool.lifetime`     | `3h0m0s`           | Maximum time a non-executable transaction stays queued            |
  | `--txpool.journal`      | `transactions.rlp` | Disk journal file for local transactions                          |
  | `--txpool.nolocals`     | `false`            | Disable priority treatment for locally submitted transactions     |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="HTTP JSON-RPC">
  | Flag                | Default        | Description                                                   |
  | ------------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--http`            | `false`        | Enable the HTTP-RPC server                                    |
  | `--http.addr`       | `localhost`    | HTTP-RPC listening interface                                  |
  | `--http.port`       | `8545`         | HTTP-RPC listening port                                       |
  | `--http.api`        | `eth,net,web3` | APIs exposed over HTTP                                        |
  | `--http.corsdomain` | *(empty)*      | Comma-separated domains allowed to make cross-origin requests |
  | `--http.vhosts`     | `localhost`    | Comma-separated virtual hostnames accepted by the server      |
  | `--http.rpcprefix`  | *(empty)*      | HTTP path prefix for JSON-RPC (use `/` to serve on all paths) |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="WebSocket JSON-RPC">
  | Flag             | Default        | Description                                        |
  | ---------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--ws`           | `false`        | Enable the WebSocket-RPC server                    |
  | `--ws.addr`      | `localhost`    | WebSocket-RPC listening interface                  |
  | `--ws.port`      | `8546`         | WebSocket-RPC listening port                       |
  | `--ws.api`       | `eth,net,web3` | APIs exposed over WebSocket                        |
  | `--ws.origins`   | *(empty)*      | Origins from which WebSocket requests are accepted |
  | `--ws.rpcprefix` | *(empty)*      | HTTP path prefix for WebSocket JSON-RPC            |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="IPC">
  | Flag           | Default    | Description                                         |
  | -------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--ipcdisable` | `false`    | Disable the IPC-RPC server                          |
  | `--ipcpath`    | `geth.ipc` | Filename for the IPC socket/pipe inside the datadir |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Authenticated RPC (Engine API)">
  | Flag                  | Default      | Description                                                                  |
  | --------------------- | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--authrpc.addr`      | `localhost`  | Listening address for the authenticated Engine API                           |
  | `--authrpc.port`      | `8551`       | Listening port for the authenticated Engine API                              |
  | `--authrpc.jwtsecret` | *(required)* | Path to the JWT secret file used to authenticate consensus-layer connections |
  | `--authrpc.vhosts`    | `localhost`  | Virtual hostnames accepted by the authenticated API server                   |
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Logging">
  | Flag            | Default    | Description                                                                           |
  | --------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
  | `--verbosity`   | `3`        | Log verbosity level: `0`=silent, `1`=error, `2`=warn, `3`=info, `4`=debug, `5`=detail |
  | `--log.format`  | `terminal` | Log output format: `terminal`, `json`, or `logfmt`                                    |
  | `--log.file`    | *(stderr)* | Write logs to a file instead of (or in addition to) stderr                            |
  | `--log.rotate`  | `false`    | Enable automatic log file rotation                                                    |
  | `--log.vmodule` | *(empty)*  | Per-package verbosity overrides, e.g. `eth/*=5,p2p=4`                                 |
</Accordion>

***

## Common configuration patterns

<Steps>
  <Step title="Generate a baseline config">
    Export the current defaults so you have a complete starting point:

    ```bash theme={null}
    geth dumpconfig > /etc/geth/config.toml
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit the config file">
    Open the file and adjust the sections relevant to your deployment. At minimum you will probably want to set `DataDir`, the HTTP/WS endpoints, and the `SyncMode`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Geth with the config">
    ```bash theme={null}
    geth --config /etc/geth/config.toml
    ```

    Flags passed on the command line override values in the file.
  </Step>
</Steps>