UX
• 4 min
Route breakdown users can verify
Show hops and pools, then explain the trade‑offs: output vs impact vs gas. The route becomes understandable, not magical.
developer newsroom • ethereum swap • quotes & routing
SushiSwap on Ethereum: swap engineering news
I write swap-focused notes the way I build swap UIs: prioritize quote clarity, route visibility, slippage behavior, ERC‑20 approvals (allowances), gas estimation, and safe signing flows. Every section is structured for fast crawling: clean headings, short paragraphs, and concrete terminology used by real swap pages.
Latest posts
Posts are written with the same vocabulary users see on Ethereum swap pages: quote, route, slippage, approvals, gas, and price impact.
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Deep dive
• 6 min
The quote lifecycle on Ethereum
Quotes drift. Congestion, MEV competition, and liquidity shifts between blocks change execution conditions.
UX
• 4 min
Slippage tolerance that fails safely
Slippage protects the user from receiving materially less than expected. Pair it with a deadline to avoid stale fills.
Security
• 5 min
Approval hygiene: allowances, spender visibility, revocation
Approvals are separate from swaps. Prefer limited allowances and make the spender address visible before signing.
Deep dive
• 7 min
Price impact vs fees: label them separately
Users often think impact is a “fee”. Separate impact, protocol fees, and Ethereum gas with explicit labels.
Security
• 3 min
Domain safety & phishing resistance
Bookmark trusted domains. Treat unexpected approval prompts as suspicious. Verify wallet prompts match your intent.
Ethereum swap mechanics (developer view)
A swap experience is a pipeline: quote → route → parameters (slippage/deadline) → optional approval → swap transaction → confirmation. The UI wins when it explains each step with minimal friction.
What to show in every quote
- Expected output and a last‑updated timestamp.
- Price impact (liquidity) separated from explicit fees.
- Route: hops/pools and why the route was selected.
- Minimum received computed from slippage tolerance.
- Gas estimate labeled as network cost (Ethereum).
What to enforce by default
- Conservative slippage and warnings for extreme settings.
- Transaction deadline to prevent stale fills.
- Approval minimization with spender visibility.
- Clear errors: RPC issues vs on‑chain revert reasons.
- Post‑trade receipt: tx hash + explorer link + final amounts.
Cost model users understand
- Price impact: liquidity cost caused by your trade size.
- Protocol fee: explicit fee (if applicable in the route).
- Ethereum gas: network fee to execute approval/swap transactions.
Security notes for swap flows
Most incidents are preventable with two practices: approval hygiene and domain safety. A good swap UI teaches both in-context.
Approvals
- Make the spender address visible before approval.
- Prefer limited allowances for large balances.
- Encourage periodic revocation of unused approvals.
- Explain: approval ≠ swap; it is a separate permission step.
Phishing resistance
- Bookmark trusted domains; avoid sponsored imposters.
- Verify wallet prompts match your intent (approve vs swap).
- Hardware wallets reduce risk for meaningful balances.
- Never share seed phrases; treat DMs as hostile by default.
FAQ
Short answers with the exact terms users search for: slippage tolerance, price impact, route, approvals, gas.
What is slippage tolerance on an Ethereum swap?
Slippage tolerance is the maximum adverse price movement you accept between quote and execution. If the price moves beyond this threshold, the swap transaction reverts instead of filling at a worse price.
Why does the route change between refreshes?
Routes change when liquidity and prices shift between blocks, or when congestion affects gas costs. A transparent route breakdown (hops/pools) helps users understand why the optimal path updates.
What is price impact vs fee?
Price impact is the liquidity cost caused by your trade size moving the pool price. A fee is an explicit charge. Label impact, protocol fees, and Ethereum gas as separate line items.
Why do I need an ERC‑20 approval before swapping?
ERC‑20 tokens require permission for a contract to spend your tokens. An approval sets an allowance for a spender contract. After approval, the swap transaction can move tokens within that allowance.
Why does gas matter for swap UX?
Gas is the network cost to execute approval and swap transactions on Ethereum. Congestion increases gas; complex routes can increase execution cost. Show estimates and explain that the final cost is set by the chain at execution time.