PolygonScan (polygonscan.com) is the block explorer for the Polygon PoS network. Its own footer describes it as "a Block Explorer and Analytics Platform for Polygon PoS Chain" and says it was "Built by Team Etherscan." To check a transfer, paste its transaction hash into the search bar. The transaction page shows whether the transfer succeeded, what it cost in POL and which tokens moved. To see a wallet's history or the permissions it has granted, search for the wallet address instead.
The network basics to confirm first
Polygon's developer documentation gives these details for Polygon PoS mainnet:
- Chain ID: 137. Your wallet uses this number to identify the network.
- Gas token: POL. Polygon's documentation calls POL the gas and staking token of the chain. It replaced MATIC in a migration that went live on September 4, 2024.
- Compatibility: "Polygon Chain supports any contract that runs on Ethereum."
Before you send funds, check that your wallet shows chain ID 137 as well as the correct address. An explorer can only find a transaction on the network it indexes. A transfer sent on a different chain will not appear on PolygonScan.
Step 1: Find the transaction
PolygonScan's help center says a transaction hash, "also known as Transaction ID or txhash," is assigned when a transaction is started on Polygon. Your wallet usually shows it in the activity details.
- One transfer: search for the transaction hash.
- A wallet's activity: search for the wallet address.
- A token or NFT: search for its contract address. PolygonScan's help center says an NFT page "shows details specific to an NFT such as its properties and trading history."
Step 2: Read the status
PolygonScan's help center says that once a transaction has been verified, its Transaction Details page will "read 'Success'". The same article also mentions a pending status. Etherscan, which built PolygonScan, lists the full set of statuses its explorers use: Successful, Pending, Failed, Dropped and Replaced. Its help center explains that a transaction marked "Successful" was approved by the blockchain, and that a dropped transaction can be replaced.
Step 3: Understand the fee, including on failed transactions
On Polygon PoS, the fee is paid in POL. A failed transaction still costs you the fee. PolygonScan's help center says that when a transaction fails, "the funds the sender intended to send are not deducted but remain in the sender's wallet," but the gas fee is still deducted because of the computation already done.
The same article lists common reasons for failure:
- Out of Gas: the gas limit was lower than the transaction needed.
- Reverted: the transaction did not execute and "all state has been reverted to the state before the transaction." The contract may show its own error message.
- Bad Jump Destination and Bad Instruction: errors that come from the contract's own code.
- ERC-20 Token Transfer Might Have Failed: for example, the token contract is locked, the balance is too low, or the contract does not emit a Transfer event.
A higher gas limit fixes an Out of Gas failure. It does not fix a revert caused by the contract itself.
What is your Polygon transaction telling you?
Answer what PolygonScan shows for your transaction hash to see what it means and what to check next.
You searched your transaction hash on PolygonScan. What does it show?
- Nothing: the hash is not found → next question
- Pending → Stuck pending transaction
- Failed → next question
- Success → next question
Does your wallet show chain ID 137 for the network you sent on?
- No, it shows a different chain → Sent on another network
- Yes, it shows 137 → Check the hash itself
Which reason for the failure does the transaction page give?
- Out of Gas → Gas limit was too low
- Reverted, Bad Jump Destination or Bad Instruction → The contract stopped it
- ERC-20 Token Transfer Might Have Failed → The token contract blocked the transfer
Did the transfer involve tokens or NFTs, not only POL?
- Yes, tokens or NFTs → Check the token transfer entries
- No, only POL → Read the value and the fee
An explorer can only find a transaction on the network it indexes. A transfer sent on a different chain will not appear on PolygonScan, which covers Polygon PoS (chain ID 137).
Copy the transaction hash again from your wallet's activity details and search for it. To see everything a wallet has done, search for the wallet address instead.
Transactions go through in nonce order, so a stuck one with a lower nonce holds up every later one. PolygonScan's help center describes replacing it with a zero-value transaction to your own address, using the same nonce and a higher gas fee; the Gas Tracker suggests a fee for current traffic. Not every wallet lets you set the nonce manually.
The funds you meant to send stayed in your wallet, but the gas fee in POL was still deducted. A higher gas limit fixes an Out of Gas failure.
These errors come from the contract's own code; a revert returns all state to where it was before the transaction. The funds stay in your wallet, the gas fee is still deducted, and a higher gas limit does not fix it.
Common causes are a locked token contract, a balance that is too low, or a contract that does not emit a Transfer event. The gas fee is still deducted.
The value field shows only POL sent directly. The token transfer entries on the same page show which assets changed hands, between which addresses and in what amounts.
The value field shows the POL sent directly, and the page shows what the transaction cost in POL. Success means the transaction was approved by the blockchain.
This covers only the statuses and failure reasons named in the article; it does not cover dropped or replaced transactions, token approvals, or problems inside a particular wallet or dapp.
Step 4: Check what actually moved
The transaction's value field shows only POL sent directly. If the transfer involved other tokens or NFTs, check the token transfer entries on the same page. They show which assets changed hands, between which addresses and in what amounts.
Step 5: Deal with a stuck pending transaction
PolygonScan's help center describes a workaround. You "cancel" a pending transaction by replacing it with a zero-value transaction to your own address. The replacement uses the same nonce and a higher gas fee. Look up the nonce by searching the pending transaction's hash on PolygonScan. The article's warning about order matters: transactions go through in nonce order, so a stuck transaction with a lower nonce holds up every later one. Not every wallet lets you set the nonce manually.
PolygonScan's Gas Tracker recommends a gas price based on current network traffic. Use it to choose a fee that will clear.
Step 6: Review and revoke token approvals
When you use a dapp, you often sign an approval that lets its contract move a token from your wallet. The wallet developer's support guide warns that these approvals often ask for unlimited access. If the contract is exploited or acts maliciously, it "can theoretically drain your wallet of the tokens you've allowed access to."
PolygonScan has a Token Approvals tool, listed under Services in its "More" menu at polygonscan.com/tokenapprovalchecker. It lists the approvals an address has granted, and you can connect your wallet to revoke them. Keep two points in mind:
- Revoking costs gas. A revocation is an on-chain transaction, so each one costs a fee in POL.
- Disconnecting does not revoke. Disconnecting your wallet from a site only stops the site from seeing your address. The token approval stays in place until you revoke it.
Phishing pages copy approval tools, so type the domain yourself rather than following a link.
Other tools worth knowing
The help center also covers an Address Watch List for tracking addresses, an Advanced Filter for searching transactions, event logs, a unit converter, token and NFT tracker pages, and a Verify Contract tool for developers.
