Guides
How To Swap
Swapping is the simplest way to use Pharaoh.
What is Swapping?
A swap lets you trade one token for another directly from your wallet using liquidity available across Pharaoh's pools. When you initiate a swap, Pharaoh checks available liquidity and routes the trade based on current market conditions, pool depth, fee tiers, price impact, and expected output. Some swaps may route through a single pool, while others may use multiple pools to reach the token you want to receive.
Before swapping, make sure you are using the official Pharaoh app and that you understand the transaction details shown in the interface. Pharaoh is built on Avalanche, and your wallet will guide you through any required network or transaction prompts. You may need AVAX available for gas when completing on-chain actions.
Always verify that you are using the official Pharaoh app before connecting your wallet. Be cautious with links from search results, unsolicited messages, fake support accounts, or copied websites.
How to Swap
1. Connect wallet
Open the official Pharaoh app and select Connect Wallet. Choose your preferred wallet and approve the connection request.
Your wallet may show prompts related to network connection, account access, approvals, or transactions. Review each prompt carefully before approving anything. Connecting your wallet does not move funds by itself, but signing approvals or transactions can grant permissions or submit on-chain actions.
2. Select token you're selling
Choose the token you want to trade from your wallet. This is the asset you are selling. After selecting the token, enter the amount you want to swap. Pharaoh will use this amount to calculate the expected output, route, rate, price impact, and minimum received.
Anyone can create a token with a similar name, ticker, or logo. If a token does not appear automatically and you need to import it manually, verify the contract address before trading.
3. Select token you're buying
Choose the token you want to receive. This is the asset you are buying. Once both tokens are selected, Pharaoh will generate a quote based on current pool liquidity. This quote can change as pool prices, liquidity, and market conditions shift.
Before continuing, confirm that both selected tokens are correct. Make sure you are not trading into a fake or unsupported token.
4. Review route, rate, price impact, and minimum received
Before confirming, review the transaction details carefully. These numbers help you understand what may happen when the transaction executes on-chain:
- Route - Shows how your trade will move through available liquidity. Some swaps route directly between tokens, while others use multiple pools for better execution.
- Rate - The quoted exchange rate between the token you are selling and the token you are buying. This can move before the transaction confirms.
- Price impact - How much your trade is expected to affect the pool price. Larger trades in smaller pools create higher price impact. If this is high, you may receive fewer tokens because your swap consumes a meaningful amount of liquidity.
- Minimum received - The lowest amount of the output token you are willing to accept after accounting for slippage. If the final output falls below this amount, the swap should fail instead of executing at a worse rate.
A quote is not final until the transaction confirms on-chain.
5. Set slippage
Slippage is the difference between the quoted price and the final execution price. Some slippage is normal because prices can change between the moment you submit a swap and the moment it confirms. Slippage is more common during volatile markets, when trading less liquid tokens, or when placing a large trade relative to pool liquidity.
- A lower slippage setting gives you more protection against price movement, but can make your transaction more likely to fail.
- A higher slippage setting makes the transaction easier to execute, but gives the trade more room to fill at a worse price.
Use a slippage setting that matches the asset, pool liquidity, and market conditions. Never set slippage higher than you are comfortable with.
6. Approve token if needed
If this is your first time swapping a specific token through Pharaoh, your wallet may ask you to approve that token before the swap can be completed.
A token approval gives the smart contract permission to use that token from your wallet. This approval is separate from the swap itself and requires its own wallet confirmation. Review approval prompts carefully and make sure the token, app, and permission amount are what you expect. Some wallets allow custom approval limits, which can help avoid granting more permission than needed.
After the approval confirms, you can continue with the swap.
7. Confirm swap
Once you've reviewed the token pair, route, rate, price impact, minimum received, and slippage, you can confirm the swap. Your wallet will ask you to sign the transaction. Review the prompt carefully before approving and make sure the transaction matches what you intended to do.
After confirmation, the transaction will be submitted on-chain. Most swaps confirm quickly, but timing may vary depending on network activity and market conditions.
8. Verify transaction
After submitting the swap, you can verify the transaction through your wallet or an Avalanche block explorer. Checking the transaction helps you confirm:
- Whether the swap succeeded
- How much gas was paid
- What tokens moved
- How much of the output token you received
If a transaction fails, your tokens should remain in your wallet, though gas may still be spent. Failed swaps can happen when the market moves beyond your slippage setting, the route changes, liquidity becomes unavailable, or the transaction cannot execute under current conditions.
Swap Risks to Understand
Swapping is simple, but it still involves risk. Understanding these factors will help you make informed decisions and protect your assets:
Price impact - Occurs when your trade moves the pool price. This is more common with large trades or pools with limited liquidity.
Slippage - Occurs when the final execution price differs from the quoted price. Volatility, low liquidity, and delayed confirmations can increase slippage.
Token approvals - Give contracts permission to use tokens from your wallet. Review approval amounts carefully and only approve tokens through the official Pharaoh app.
Fake tokens - May use the same name, ticker, or logo as legitimate assets. Always verify token contract addresses before trading unfamiliar tokens.
MEV and volatile markets - Can affect execution, especially when prices are moving quickly. During high volatility, swaps may execute at a worse rate or fail.
Explorer links - Help verify what happened on-chain. If your wallet balance does not update immediately or something looks incorrect, check the transaction details through a block explorer.