Are you seeing a "Transaction Failed" error on Uniswap? This common issue often arises due to rapid price changes or incorrect settings.
You might encounter an error message like: "This transaction will not succeed either due to price movement or fee on transfer. Try increasing your slippage tolerance."
This guide explains what causes these failures and provides actionable steps to resolve them effectively.
Understanding Why Uniswap Transactions Fail
Uniswap transactions can fail for several reasons, but the most common is price volatility.
When you attempt to swap one token for another, the market price can change between the time you submit the transaction and when it’s processed. If the shift is too significant, the transaction will revert to protect you from an unfavorable trade.
Your slippage tolerance setting determines how much price movement you’re willing to accept. If the actual price swing exceeds your set tolerance, the transaction fails.
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Step-by-Step Fixes for a Failed Transaction
Here’s how to adjust your settings to get your transaction through, starting with the least aggressive change.
Increase Your Slippage Tolerance Gradually
Slippage tolerance is the core setting to adjust. Start small and only increase as needed.
- Start at 1%: If you were using the default 0.1%, try 1% first.
- Move to 3%: For more volatile tokens, a 3% tolerance is a common starting point.
- Try 5% or 6%: If 3% fails, incrementally increase to 5% or 6%.
- Use 12% as a last resort: A 12% tolerance is very high and should only be used for extremely volatile assets, as it significantly increases the risk of a bad price.
The key is to increase your tolerance bit by bit after each failed attempt until the transaction succeeds. This minimizes the risk of paying far too much or receiving far too little.
How to Change Slippage Tolerance on Uniswap
The process is the same regardless of the percentage you choose.
- Navigate to the Uniswap interface and connect your wallet.
- Select the tokens you wish to swap from and to.
- Click the settings (gear) icon to open the transaction settings menu.
- Locate the "Slippage tolerance" field and enter your new percentage.
- Confirm the settings, approve the transaction if prompted, and try swapping again.
Adjust the Gas Fee
Sometimes, a transaction fails not because of price movement but due to network congestion and low gas fees.
- What are gas fees? They are payments made to network validators to process your transaction.
- How to adjust: In the same transaction settings menu where you adjust slippage, you can often also manually set a higher gas fee (or "priority fee"). Increasing this amount can help your transaction get processed faster during busy network periods, preventing it from being dropped.
Try Again Later
If you’ve increased your slippage tolerance to a level you’re uncomfortable with and the transaction still fails, the best action might be to wait.
Market volatility is often temporary. Pausing for 30 minutes or a few hours can allow the market to stabilize, enabling you to execute your swap at a more reasonable slippage setting.
Risks of a High Slippage Tolerance
While increasing slippage can fix a failed transaction, it comes with important trade-offs.
- Buying at a higher price: You may pay significantly more than the expected price for the token you want.
- Receiving fewer tokens: You may receive far fewer tokens than initially quoted due to a negative price swing.
- Susceptibility to MEV and sandwich attacks: Extremely high slippage settings can make your transaction a target for bots that exploit these price differences for profit, worsening your trade execution.
This is why gradually increasing your tolerance is crucial for protecting your funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is slippage tolerance on Uniswap?
Slippage tolerance is the maximum percentage of price movement you are willing to accept between the time you submit a trade and when it is executed. It acts as a buffer against market volatility. If the price changes beyond this set percentage, the transaction will fail to prevent an undesirable trade outcome.
Why does my Uniswap swap keep failing?
Your swap likely keeps failing because the price volatility of the token you are trying to trade exceeds your current slippage tolerance setting. The network is protecting you from a trade that would give you a worse outcome than you are willing to accept. The solution is to incrementally increase your slippage percentage.
Is a 5% slippage tolerance too high?
A 5% slippage tolerance is considered moderately high. It is appropriate for trading tokens known for their high volatility but is excessive for stablecoins or major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. For most major assets, a tolerance of 0.5% to 1% is usually sufficient.
What is the best slippage tolerance for Uniswap?
There is no single "best" setting, as it depends entirely on the asset's volatility. For stablecoin pairs, 0.1% to 0.5% is often fine. For newer or more volatile altcoins, start at 1-3% and increase gradually if needed. Always use the lowest tolerance that allows your transaction to succeed.
Can high gas fees cause a transaction to fail?
Yes, insufficient gas fees can cause a transaction to fail independently of price slippage. If the network is congested and your offered gas price is too low, validators may ignore your transaction, causing it to stall and eventually fail. Increasing the gas fee can resolve this specific issue.
What should I do if nothing works?
If you have tried increasing slippage tolerance and gas fees to reasonable levels and the transaction still fails, the best course of action is to pause and try again later. Market conditions may be exceptionally turbulent. 👉 Explore more strategies for successful trading
Key Takeaways
Fixing a failed Uniswap transaction typically involves adjusting your slippage tolerance. Start with a small increase from the default setting and only raise it incrementally after each failure. Remember that a higher tolerance increases your risk of a unfavorable trade, so always use the minimum necessary amount. For persistent issues, check gas fees or simply wait for the market to become less volatile before trying your swap again.