A Quorum explorer is a block explorer for a permissioned Ethereum network running GoQuorum or Hyperledger Besu. It shows blocks, transactions, contracts, validators and node health, much like Etherscan does for public Ethereum, but it is deployed inside the consortium and has to respect private transactions and access controls.
This page focuses on observability tools. For building on the platform itself, see Quorum development.
Why permissioned networks need an explorer
Public chains have shared explorers anyone can open. A consortium network has none unless its members run one. Without it, operators debug by querying JSON-RPC from the command line, business users cannot verify that a transaction happened, and auditors have no convenient way to inspect contract state. An explorer is usually one of the first operational tools a new network needs.
Options
| Tool | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| ConsenSys Quorum Explorer | Lightweight open-source web app that connects directly to node RPC endpoints | Development and demo networks; viewing validators, peers, blocks and deploying or reading contracts |
| Blockscout | Full open-source explorer with an indexer and Postgres database | Production-style explorer with search, contract verification and APIs |
| Chainlens (Web3 Labs) | Explorer designed for enterprise and permissioned Ethereum networks | Organizations wanting a supported product with private network features |
| Monitoring stack | Prometheus metrics from Besu or GoQuorum nodes with Grafana dashboards, plus log aggregation | Node health, peer counts, block times; complements an explorer rather than replacing it |
Before adopting any of these, check the repository's current maintenance status and supported clients. ConsenSys has moved its permissioned-network focus to Hyperledger Besu and wound down GoQuorum, so make sure the tool supports the client you will be running for the life of the network.
What an explorer can and cannot show about private transactions
Quorum-style privacy, using a private transaction manager such as Tessera, keeps the payload off the public ledger. Participants exchange the encrypted payload directly, and the chain records a marker transaction containing only a hash. As a result:
- A generic explorer sees that a transaction occurred, its sender and timing, but not its contents.
- An explorer connected to a member's node, with that member's private state, can show the decrypted details for transactions that member participated in.
- Each member therefore sees a different view. Decide whether you run one explorer per organization or a shared one limited to public state.
Besu privacy groups follow a similar model. Note that some privacy features in Besu have been deprecated over time, so confirm what your client version supports.
What to look for in an explorer
- Consensus visibility: current validator set, which validator proposed each block, and missed rounds, so you can spot an organization whose node has fallen behind.
- Contract verification and decoding: human-readable function calls and events instead of raw hex.
- Token views: balances and transfers for ERC-20 or ERC-721 contracts if the network hosts tokenized assets.
- APIs and export: so reconciliation and audit tools can query the same indexed data.
Access control and security
A consortium explorer exposes business activity: who transacts with whom, and when. Treat it like an internal application:
- Put it behind single sign-on with role-based access, not on the open internet.
- Connect it to a read-only RPC node; never expose admin or personal APIs through the explorer's backend.
- Avoid features that hold private keys in the browser for production networks; contract interaction belongs in proper tooling.
- Log access, since auditors may ask who looked at what.
Running your own explorer
- Provision a dedicated read node so indexing load does not affect validators.
- Choose the tool based on scale: a lightweight explorer for development, an indexed explorer such as Blockscout for production.
- Configure chain specifics: chain ID, consensus (QBFT or IBFT 2.0 validators), zero gas price if used, and privacy settings.
- Enable contract verification so members can read source code of deployed contracts.
- Add monitoring with node metrics and alerts for stalled block production or validator loss.
- Agree governance on who operates the explorer and who may access it.
For broader context on permissioned networks, see private blockchain development, Hyperledger development and enterprise blockchain solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Etherscan for a Quorum network?
No. Etherscan indexes specific public networks. A private network needs its own explorer, deployed by the consortium and connected to its nodes.
Does Blockscout work with Besu?
Yes, Blockscout supports EVM-compatible networks including Besu-based permissioned chains, though you should confirm configuration details for privacy features and consensus metadata.
Why can I see a transaction hash but no details?
On networks using private transactions, the public chain stores only a hash of the encrypted payload. Only participants' nodes hold the content, so details appear only in an explorer connected to a participant node.
Is the Quorum Explorer suitable for production?
It is designed as a lightweight tool and works well for development and demonstrations. Production networks generally use an indexed explorer with authentication, backups and support.