How to Fetch Object Data

Audience: developers implementing their first Sui read operation. Goal: write a Node.js script to retrieve and inspect raw object data from the Sui devnet.

Overview

In this tutorial, using the SuiClient performs a Read Operation, querying the Sui devnet for a specific Non-Fungible Token (NFT) object to view its on-chain attributes.

What's built: A lightweight Node.js script that connects to the network, requests an object by its ID, and prints the JSON response.

Prerequisites

Node.js: v18.0.0 or later.
Package Manager: npm or yarn.
Terminal: Basic command-line skills.

Step 1: Project setup

Create and navigate to a new directory:

mkdir sui-data-fetcher && cd sui-data-fetcher

Initialize a Node project and configure it for ES Modules:
```
npm init -y
npm pkg set type="module"
```
Install the Sui TypeScript SDK:
```
npm install @mysten/sui
```

Step 2: Initialize the Client

Create a file named index.js. Start by importing the client and connecting it to the devnet.

import { SuiClient, getFullnodeUrl } from '@mysten/sui/client';

// Configuration
const NETWORK = 'devnet';

// 1. Initialize the client
// getFullnodeUrl automatically resolves the correct RPC endpoint for 'devnet'
const client = new SuiClient({
	url: getFullnodeUrl(NETWORK),
});

console.log(`✅ Connected to Sui ${NETWORK}`);

Step 3: Write the query logic

Query a known "devnet Non-Fungible Token (NFT)" object.

Note: On devnet, objects are frequently deleted during network wipes. If the ID below fails, you may need to find a fresh Object ID from the Sui Explorer.

Append the following code to index.js:

// A known Object ID on devnet (Example NFT)
const TARGET_OBJECT_ID = '0x7d6539b7a423b035109b823e20c641c73defd23b8f3107b38d1d368688c2797c';

async function fetchObjectData() {
	try {
		console.log(`🔍 Querying object: ${TARGET_OBJECT_ID}...`);

		// 2. Execute the fetch
		const response = await client.getObject({
			id: TARGET_OBJECT_ID,
			// "options" determines how much data the node returns.
			// We strictly request the content (fields) to keep the payload small.
			options: {
				showContent: true,
				showType: true
			}
		});

		// 3. Handle the response
		if (response.error) {
			throw new Error(`Object not found: ${response.error.code}`);
		}

		console.log('--- Object Data ---');
		console.dir(response.data, { depth: null, colors: true });

	} catch (err) {
		console.error('❌ Query failed:', err.message);
	}
}

fetchObjectData();

Step 4: Running and verification

Run the script in your terminal:

node index.js

Understanding the output

You should see a JSON structure like this:

{
  "objectId": "0x7d...",
  "version": "120",
  "digest": "AuF...",
  "type": "0x2::devnet_nft::DevNetNFT",
  "content": {
    "dataType": "moveObject",
    "fields": {
      "name": "Sui DevNet NFT",
      "description": "An NFT created by the Sui DevNet",
      "url": "ipfs://..."
    }
  }
}

digest: a hash verifying the object's version.
type: the specific Move Language type definition (Package::Module::Type).
content.fields: The actual data stored on-chain (for example, the name and address of the NFT).

Next steps

You have successfully fetched raw data, but you likely noticed the options parameter in the code. To understand exactly what data you can request, consult the API Reference.

Overview​

Prerequisites​

Step 1: Project setup​

Step 2: Initialize the Client​

Step 3: Write the query logic​

Step 4: Running and verification​

Understanding the output​

Next steps​