Slippage is when the final execution price of a trade is different from the price you were quoted. In crypto, it can happen when DeFi markets move while your transaction is still waiting to be confirmed onchain.
Since most DEXs use automated market makers (AMMs), your swap is routed through liquidity pools. If liquidity is low, or if you're swapping a large amount, the price can move more than expected, leading to slippage.
Why slippage occurs
To minimize the impact of slippage, it helps to understand where it comes from and what you can do about it. Here’s what tends to cause slippage:
- Markets moving fast: Prices change between when you submit a trade and when it lands onchain.
- Thin liquidity: If there aren’t enough tokens in the pool, the trade has to “slide” up or down the curve to fill.
- Big trades: Larger swaps cause more movement in the pool price.
- Negative MEV (Maximum Extractable Value): Searchers may front-run or sandwich large swaps — inserting their own transactions around yours to profit from the price movement your trade will cause. That widens the gap between the price you were quoted and the price you actually receive.
How slippage impacts your swaps
For some swaps, the price impact from slippage is minimal and hardly noticeable. But that’s not always the case.
For example, imagine that you are trading ETH for USDC and the quoted return is 10,000 USDC. If your slippage is set to 6% and the trade causes a large price movement, you could potentially receive 600 USDC less value than expected.
And if the price moves beyond your slippage tolerance, the swap may be stuck pending or fail — and you’ll still pay the network cost.
Over time, ignoring slippage and its effects can quietly erode your net returns.
How to set slippage on swaps
Lower slippage keeps prices tight but increases the risk of a failed swap. Higher slippage makes swaps more likely to settle, but you may pay a worse price.
Most swap interfaces let you set a slippage tolerance — the maximum percentage you’ll allow the quoted price to move.
The Uniswap Web App includes a slippage tolerance — usually between 0.1% and 5% — based on live gas fees and your swap size to help you execute smoothly without giving up too much on price.
You can further customize your slippage settings:
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Select the gear icon in the top‑right corner of the swap panel.
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Select a slippage percentage (e.g., 0.5 %, 1 %, 5 % — or enter a custom value).
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If the price moves beyond your tolerance, the swap won’t go through.
Take control of your swaps with Uniswap apps
Slippage is part of onchain trading, but with the right tools, it becomes much easier to manage. That’s why where you trade matters. Choosing decentralized exchanges (DEXes) with deep liquidity, like the Uniswap Protocol, helps keep your swaps smooth and reliable.
The Uniswap Web App and UniswapX allow you to easily manage your slippage settings on swaps. If you prefer to swap on the go, the Uniswap Wallet puts those same features in your pocket.
Whether you're trading blue chip assets or exploring new tokens, Uniswap apps help you swap with more confidence — even in volatile conditions.
