Quick Overview

Raydium is a Solana-based AMM and liquidity layer that routes trades to Serum’s order book for deeper liquidity and better prices. Swapping tokens on Raydium is fast, low-cost, and non-custodial — you trade directly from your wallet.

Step-by-Step: Swap Tokens on Raydium

1

Prepare a Solana Wallet

Install a Solana-compatible wallet such as Phantom, Solflare or a hardware wallet (Ledger). Create or restore your wallet, and ensure you keep your seed phrase offline and secure.

2

Fund Your Wallet

Send a small amount of SOL (for fees) and the token you want to swap (USDC, RAY, etc.) to your wallet address. Solana fees are very low, but having SOL avoids failed transactions.

3

Open Raydium Swap Interface

Visit the official Raydium app and open the Swap page. Always verify the URL and SSL certificate. Click Connect Wallet and approve the connection in your wallet extension or mobile app.

4

Select Tokens & Amount

Choose the token pair (From → To) and enter the amount. Raydium will show price, estimated output, and route. If the token account doesn’t exist, your wallet may ask to create it (small SOL fee).

5

Check Slippage & Price Impact

Adjust slippage tolerance (usually 0.3%–1% for liquid pairs). Higher slippage helps transactions succeed but may cost you value. Review price impact and pool liquidity — higher impact means worse rates.

6

Approve & Confirm

Approve the token (if first time) and sign the swap transaction in your wallet. Confirm details before signing. Once confirmed, the swap executes on-chain — you’ll see a transaction hash and can view it on a Solana explorer.

7

Verify & Manage

After the swap, check your wallet balance and the Raydium dashboard. You can add the new token to your wallet for easy viewing, or provide liquidity to pools to earn fees if desired.

Pro Tip: For large trades, check aggregated liquidity and consider splitting orders or using limit orders where available to reduce slippage.

Understanding the Card-Based Dashboard

Raydium’s dashboard shows modular cards for: market prices, pool liquidity, recent trades, and your wallet positions. Look for:

  • Pool Depth: Higher depth = lower slippage.
  • Price Impact: How much your trade moves the market.
  • Fees & Rewards: Liquidity providers earn fees — check APY before depositing.

Security Best Practices

  • Always verify the official Raydium domain and SSL certificate.
  • Use hardware wallets (Ledger) for large balances and approvals.
  • Double-check token addresses to avoid fake tokens on Solana.
  • Keep your seed phrase offline and never share private keys.

Common Beginner FAQ

Why did my swap fail?
Common reasons: insufficient SOL for fees, low slippage tolerance, or temporary low liquidity. Retry with adjusted settings or smaller amount.
What is slippage tolerance?
It’s the max price movement you accept for your swap. Set low for stable pairs, higher for volatile or low-liquidity tokens.
Can I get my SOL back after creating token accounts?
Token accounts cost a small rent (in SOL) to create — this is refundable only by closing the token account later.

Ready to swap? Connect your wallet, choose the pair, set sensible slippage, and confirm the transaction — you’re trading on Solana in seconds.