Inclusion Pipeline

Inclusion Pipeline

The Inclusion Pipeline is the process by which a parachain block candidate becomes part of the relay chain. It consists of three stages: candidate generation (collators produce a block candidate), backing (a subset of validators attest to the candidate’s validity), and inclusion (the relay chain’s block author includes the backed candidate in a relay chain block). Each stage enforces protocol rules to ensure correctness.

After inclusion, the block undergoes the availability and disputes phases, where the block data is distributed across validators and any disputes are resolved before the block is fully finalized. This pipeline ensures that every parachain block inherits the security of the relay chain’s nominated proof-of-stake consensus.

Where it fits: The inclusion pipeline is the fundamental security mechanism connecting parachains to the relay chain. It determines how every parachain block gets validated, included, and finalized within Polkadot’s shared security model.

Learn more: Official Polkadot Docs