Query Historical State with the Mirror Node

The MirrorRestClient wraps the Hedera Mirror Node REST API, giving you access to historical transactions, account state, token data, contract results, and more. Unlike ConsensusClient queries (which hit the gossip network and may cost HBAR), mirror queries are free.

Setup

var mirror = new MirrorRestClient(new HttpClient
{
    BaseAddress = new Uri("https://testnet.mirrornode.hedera.com")
});

MirrorRestClient takes a standard HttpClient — you can configure timeouts, default headers, or use IHttpClientFactory in DI scenarios.

Query account data

var account = await mirror.GetAccountAsync(new EntityId(0, 0, 98));
if (account is not null)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Balance: {account.Balance?.Balance}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Key: {account.Key}");
}

Query transaction history

await foreach (var tx in mirror.GetTransactionsForAccountAsync(
    accountId,
    new LimitFilter(25),
    new OrderByFilter("desc")))
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{tx.ConsensusTimestamp}: {tx.Name} — {tx.Result}");
}

Most mirror query methods that return collections use IAsyncEnumerable<T>, automatically paging through results.

Query token info

var token = await mirror.GetTokenAsync(tokenId);
Console.WriteLine($"Name: {token?.Name}, Supply: {token?.TotalSupply}");

Query NFT info

var nft = await mirror.GetNftAsync(new Nft(collection, serialNo));
Console.WriteLine($"Owner: {nft?.AccountId}, Metadata: {nft?.Metadata}");

Query HCS messages

await foreach (var msg in mirror.GetHcsMessagesAsync(
    topicId,
    new TimestampAfterFilter(since)))
{
    Console.WriteLine($"[{msg.SequenceNumber}] {msg.Message}");
}

Filters

Mirror queries accept optional IMirrorQueryFilter parameters:

Filter	Purpose
`LimitFilter(n)`	Cap results to `n` entries per page
`OrderByFilter("asc"\\|"desc")`	Sort direction
`TimestampAfterFilter(ts)`	Only results after this timestamp
`TimestampOnOrBeforeFilter(ts)`	Only results at or before this timestamp
`AccountIsFilter(id)`	Filter by account
`TokenIsFilter(id)`	Filter by token

Consensus queries vs. mirror queries

	`ConsensusClient`	`MirrorRestClient`
Data freshness	Current state	Near-real-time (seconds lag)
Cost	HBAR (paid query)	Free
Richness	Balances, info	Full history, transfers, logs
Best for	Balance checks before a transfer	Dashboards, auditing, analytics