Slippage, tolerance and the minimum you receive
What the tolerance setting does, why the expected amount and the minimum differ, and when a minimum is guaranteed.
Expected amount and minimum are not the same
The expected amount is what the route should deliver at the current price. Prices move while a swap is carried out, so every route also has a minimum: below it, the swap does not go through.
The tolerance you choose sets how far below the expected amount the minimum may be: 2.5% by default, and never more than 20% on this site.
When the minimum is guaranteed
For swaps through KyberSwap and THORChain the minimum is written into what you sign and enforced after the protocol’s fees: this page calls it the guaranteed minimum.
Chainflip enforces a minimum price before its deposit and payout fees. This page shows that protected amount and, separately, an estimate after the fees, which is not a promise.
Choosing a tolerance
A tighter tolerance protects the price but makes a refund more likely when the market moves; a refund still costs the network fees. When a protocol recommends a wider tolerance for a swap, the route says so and offers to compare again at that tolerance.
Up to 3% is a click away, and you can type up to 20%. Above 3% the page warns you, and above 5% it asks you to accept that value before comparing: a wide tolerance can deliver much less than expected, and leaves room for bots to take the difference.
Compare routes for your own swap
Pick two assets and an amount: every source is asked at once and ranked on what arrives after every fee. No wallet needed to compare.
This page explains how swaps work. It is not investment advice.