How to swap on PulseChain

Swapping on PulseChain is a transaction signed directly from your wallet. The main decisions are which route to take and how much slippage to allow. This guide explains the process on PulseSwap, from an empty wallet to confirming a trade, and highlights what each control on the screen does.

What you need before your first swap

You'll need three things, and only the first requires setup.

PulseChain in your wallet. MetaMask comes with Ethereum and a few popular networks, but PulseChain isn't included, so you'll need to add it manually once. Add PulseChain to MetaMask provides a one-click button and the RPC URL, chain ID, and currency symbol to enter manually.

Some PLS. PLS is the native currency of PulseChain and is used to pay for transaction costs. Without PLS, you can't send anything, including swaps, even if your wallet holds other tokens.

The token you intend to sell, in that same wallet. If it is still on another chain, bridging to PulseChain is the step before this one. Nothing is deposited anywhere, and no account is created. The swap settles directly from your wallet, and at no point does PulseSwap hold your funds.

How to swap on PulseChain, step by step

1. Open the swap on PulseChain. Visit pulseswap.io. At the top left, you'll see a chip labeled Network that opens the chain list. PulseChain is set as the default, so links without specified chains will land on PulseChain. Direct links like /?chain=pulsechain will automatically open the swap on PulseChain.
2. Connect your wallet. The button under the card displays Connect Wallet until your wallet is connected. If your wallet is on another chain, the button will say Switch Network and prompt your wallet to change over.
3. Pick the two tokens. The upper field shows You pay and the lower one shows You receive. Clicking either token opens a panel titled Select a token with a search box labeled Search name, symbol, or paste address. The search matches symbols and full token names, and you can paste a contract address to jump directly to that token.
4. Enter an amount. Input the amount in the You pay field, or use the percentage options: 25%, 50%, 75% and MAX. When selling PLS, MAX reserves some for gas so the swap does not fail for lack of it. Entering an amount in the You receive field instead works in reverse, quoting the required input to achieve that output.
5. Read the route list. Once an amount is entered, the quote request is sent to every enabled DEX and aggregator on the chain, 11 of them on PulseChain, and the panel counts them off as responses come back. Each row shows its source, a gas estimate, and the actual amount you would receive.
6. Approve, then swap. Selling an ERC-20 token requires two transactions initially: an Approve button, and once confirmed, a Swap button. Selling native PLS skips approval and goes straight to Swap, as no allowance is needed for the chain's currency. A pending swap displays Confirming Transaction with a View on Explorer link, which changes to Transaction Success once confirmed.

How do you know the route is the best one?

Routes are sorted by what reaches your wallet. Each route's output is priced, gas costs are subtracted, and rows are ordered by net amount. A route quoting a larger number but consuming more gas ranks below a more efficient one. The top row is tagged BEST. Other rows list how far behind they are as a percentage, and routes without a gas price are marked accordingly and sort last.

The best route is automatically selected, but you're not locked in. Each route is clickable. Choosing one makes it the route the Swap button will execute, which can be useful if you prefer a source over a slightly better number. Selecting a route stops PulseSwap from defaulting back to the top route for the session, without changing saved settings.

Quotes expire, so they're updated every 25 seconds. The refresh control beside the panel shows the countdown, and you can click it to refresh immediately if you'd rather not wait. Smart order routing explains more about what happens between requests.

What slippage should you set?

Slippage is the tolerance for price movement between signing and settling a trade. The default is 0.5%, and the chip beside the settings gear shows the active figure. The panel offers Auto (1%), 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, and a custom box for values above 0 and below 50.

If a number seems off, the panel pushes back. Above 1%, it warns of potential sandwich attacks. Below 0.05% on non-stablecoin pairs, it warns the transaction may revert, which happens when a small price shift causes the swap to fail. The summary under the route shows the minimum you'd receive after slippage, which is the number worth reading before signing.

What does gas cost on PulseChain?

Gas for a swap on PulseChain costs a fraction of a cent and is charged in PLS rather than the traded token. Each route row includes its own estimate because multi-hop routes through several pools are more costly than single-hop ones, and that difference is already in the ordering.

Common problems and how to fix them

The token isn't in the list. Paste its contract address into the search box. If there are no matches, PulseSwap will read the name, symbol, and decimals from the contract and offer an Add token button, saving the token for future use. Addresses that aren't contracts on this chain are rejected.

The list won't load at all. The panel will notify you and offer a Retry option, and pasting an address still works while it's down.

No route found. The message suggests reducing the amount or switching tokens, which is generally correct, as the pair may have too little liquidity at that size.

The button says Insufficient Balance. The route requires more of the sell token than is available in the wallet. Gas is separate, so selling your entire PLS balance leaves nothing for gas fees.

The swap failed and mentioned slippage. The price moved beyond the allowed tolerance. Requote and try again, increasing slippage if the pair is thin.

Your wallet is on the wrong network. The button will say Switch Network. Click it, approve the prompt, and the route list will requote on PulseChain.