What Slippage Should You Set for a Wallet Swap?

Set slippage to the lowest tolerance that lets your wallet swap execute. Slippage tolerance is the maximum adverse change in the swap’s execution price, expressed as a percentage of the quoted output; it is not an extra fee. A higher tolerance lets the transaction complete after a larger price move, but may let you receive less than the quote.

What does slippage tolerance control?

It sets the minimum output your transaction will accept. If the quoted output is Q and your tolerance is t, the transaction generally reverts if the actual output falls below Q × (1 − t). The exact calculation can vary by route and interface, so check the wallet’s displayed minimum received and transaction details.

That limit matters because an AMM quote can change before your transaction is included. A trade moves the pool’s reserves and creates price impact; other trades, pending transactions and block timing can move the price between quote and execution. For a fuller account of how those settings work in practice, see sushiswap.

How should you choose a setting?

Start with the wallet’s suggested tolerance, then compare it with the route’s liquidity and the minimum output shown. For a deep pool and a modest trade, a low tolerance is usually enough. A thin pool, large trade or volatile market may need more room, but a wide setting trades execution certainty for a weaker price limit.

• Read the quoted output and minimum received before signing.
• Check whether the route uses one pool or several; each hop can add price movement.
• If the swap fails, refresh the quote and inspect the route before raising tolerance.

A revert can cost network fees even though the swap does not complete. Raising tolerance may address a quote that has gone stale, but it does not improve the pool’s price or remove price impact. If the minimum output looks unacceptable, wait, reduce the trade size or choose a better time rather than accepting a much wider limit.

Can a high setting create extra risk?

Yes: it gives the transaction more room to execute at a worse price. On public chains, a wide tolerance can make a swap more exploitable by transactions that alter the price around yours, including sandwich attacks. The practical choice is the narrowest limit that accommodates ordinary movement for your route and the time it takes to confirm.

Before you sign, watch the minimum received number: that is the output floor your transaction is prepared to accept.