> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.raydium.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Your first swap > Step-by-step walk-through of a single SOL → USDC swap on raydium.io/swap. What to enter, what to expect on each screen, and how to verify it worked. **Prerequisite:** a funded Solana wallet with at least \~0.05 SOL. If you don't have one yet, see [`getting-started/what-you-need`](/getting-started/what-you-need). ## Goal Swap a small amount of SOL (say, 0.1 SOL) for USDC. This is the simplest possible Raydium trade and covers the full flow — connecting a wallet, picking tokens, reviewing a quote, signing, and verifying. **What you'll pay:** * 0.25% trading fee (split between LPs and protocol). * A few thousandths of a dollar in network fee. * At current SOL price \~\$160, the total friction cost on a 0.1-SOL trade is well under a dollar. **What you'll have after:** * 0.1 SOL less SOL (plus a small wSOL cleanup dust). * \~16 USDC (give or take, depending on exact price at execution). * A transaction signature you can look up on a Solana explorer. ## Step-by-step ### 1. Open raydium.io/swap Go to [`raydium.io/swap`](https://raydium.io/swap) in your browser. **Verify the URL** — phishing clones exist. The correct domain is exactly `raydium.io`. The swap panel has: * A **"From"** section (which token you're spending). * A **"To"** section (which token you're buying). * A **swap button** in the middle to flip directions. * A **settings gear** in the top-right for slippage and priority fee. * A **share icon** for referral links (see [`user-flows/referrals-and-blinks`](/user-flows/referrals-and-blinks)). ### 2. Connect your wallet Click "Connect Wallet" in the top-right. A modal appears with the Solana wallets currently integrated with Raydium. Pick yours. Your wallet prompts you to approve the connection — this is **read-only**. It allows the site to see your address and suggest transactions. It does not move funds. Confirm. After connecting, the top-right shows your wallet address (truncated) and your SOL balance. ### 3. Pick tokens * **From:** SOL (should be default). * **To:** click the dropdown and type "USDC". The token with the **verified** badge is the canonical USDC (mint `EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v`). **Avoid lookalikes** with similar names but different mints. ### 4. Enter amount Type `0.1` in the "From" field. The "To" field auto-populates with the quoted output (e.g. `16.2 USDC`). Below the fields, Raydium shows: * **Price:** "1 SOL ≈ 162 USDC" or similar. * **Slippage tolerance:** "0.5%" by default. Acceptable for SOL/USDC. * **Routing:** shows which pool(s) Raydium will route through. For SOL/USDC this is usually a single CLMM pool. * **Price impact:** how much your trade moves the price. For 0.1 SOL, near zero. ### 5. Review and swap Click the **Swap** button. A confirmation modal appears showing: * Minimum amount you'll receive (after slippage). * Estimated network fee. * The "route" breakdown. Click **Confirm**. Your wallet pops up a signing prompt. ### 6. Approve in your wallet The wallet shows: * The transaction details: two or three instructions (maybe wrap SOL, swap, unwrap). * Network fee estimate. * Simulation result (token balance changes). **Read the simulation.** You should see SOL decrease by about 0.1 and USDC increase by about 16.2. If the simulation says otherwise — e.g. "SOL decrease by 1.0" — reject and investigate. Click **Approve / Confirm**. The wallet signs and broadcasts. ### 7. Confirmation Within a few seconds, Raydium shows "Transaction succeeded" with a link to Solscan / Solana Explorer. Your balances update. If it fails, see [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) below. ## Verifying it worked ### In your wallet Open the wallet's token list. You should now see: * **USDC** balance: \~16.2 USDC. * **SOL** balance: decreased by \~0.1 SOL plus a small network fee (\~0.0015 SOL). * A recent transaction with status "Success". ### On a Solana explorer Copy the transaction signature (from Raydium's success toast or your wallet's transaction log) and paste into: * [`solscan.io`](https://solscan.io) * [`solana.fm`](https://solana.fm) * [`explorer.solana.com`](https://explorer.solana.com) You'll see: * **Status:** Success. * **Signer:** your wallet address. * **Token balance changes:** your SOL out, your USDC in, plus pool-side transfers. * **Programs invoked:** a Raydium program (CPMM, CLMM, or AMM v4 depending on route), the Token program, the System program. This is final. The transaction cannot be reversed. ## What just happened, one level deeper 1. You asked Raydium to swap X SOL for Y USDC. 2. The frontend (or Trade API) looked up pools, picked the best, and constructed a transaction. 3. The transaction had 2–4 instructions: possibly create a USDC ATA (if you didn't have one yet), wrap SOL into wSOL, call the Raydium swap program, unwrap any residual wSOL. 4. Your wallet signed the transaction with your private key. 5. The RPC broadcast it to Solana validators. 6. Once confirmed, the Raydium program moved tokens: wSOL from you to the pool, USDC from the pool to you, and accrued fees to LPs. For the developer view of this, see [`user-flows/swap`](/user-flows/swap). ## Troubleshooting ### "Transaction simulation failed" or "custom error: 0x1" Usually means insufficient SOL for fees, or the route changed between quote and execution. **Fix:** ensure you have at least 0.02 SOL *above* your swap amount for fees, and try again. ### Slippage tolerance exceeded The pool price moved more than your slippage cap between quote and execution. Common during volatile moments. **Fix:** open settings (gear icon), raise slippage to 1% or 2%, and retry. Don't raise much higher than 2% for majors — that's an invitation for MEV sandwich attacks. ### "Token account does not exist" The destination token (USDC in this case) needs an ATA in your wallet. Raydium's swap transaction normally includes the ATA-creation step, but some old wallets skip this. **Fix:** update your wallet. If it persists, manually create the ATA via your wallet's "Add token" flow, then retry. ### It just "hangs" in pending Solana is congested. Your transaction may be waiting, dropping, or re-trying. **Fix:** wait 30 seconds. If nothing lands, close the modal, open settings, raise the **priority fee** ("Turbo" or "Max" in the Raydium UI), and retry. See [`integration-guides/priority-fee-tuning`](/integration-guides/priority-fee-tuning). ### USDC didn't arrive Check the transaction status on the explorer. * **Success:** USDC is in your wallet. Refresh your wallet's token list. * **Failed:** fees were paid but no swap happened. Check the on-chain error message in the explorer log. * **Not found:** the transaction never landed; your SOL is safe. Retry. ## After your first swap * **Scale up gradually.** Once comfortable, do bigger trades or try other tokens. * **Explore LP:** [`user-flows/add-remove-liquidity`](/user-flows/add-remove-liquidity) and [`user-flows/choosing-a-pool-type`](/user-flows/choosing-a-pool-type). * **Stake RAY:** earn a share of protocol fees. [`products/farm-staking/overview`](/products/farm-staking/overview). * **Learn referral mechanics:** [`user-flows/referrals-and-blinks`](/user-flows/referrals-and-blinks). ## Common mistakes first-timers make * **Not leaving enough SOL for fees.** Swapping literally all your SOL leaves no room for the fee — the transaction fails. Always keep \~0.02 SOL. * **Slippage set too low on volatile pairs.** 0.5% default is fine for SOL/USDC but tight for memecoins. Raise to 2–5% for those. * **Slippage set too high.** 10%+ slippage on a major pair invites sandwich attacks. Keep it at the minimum that still lets the trade land. * **Swapping the wrong token.** "USDC" vs "USDC.wh" (wrapped from Ethereum via Wormhole) are **different** mints. Always use the one with the **verified** badge unless you specifically want the wrapper. * **Clicking random "airdrop" tokens.** If an unknown token appears in your wallet, **do not interact with it**. Many are scams where interacting triggers a malicious approval. ## Where to go next * [`user-flows/swap`](/user-flows/swap) — technical walkthrough of the same flow. * [`getting-started/trust-and-safety`](/getting-started/trust-and-safety) — avoiding scams. * [`getting-started/faq`](/getting-started/faq) — more answers.