Methodology

Purpose of this page

This page exists so that any claim on SwapKing can be checked rather than trusted. It describes current behavior. Where a claim cannot be verified, we say so explicitly. Where a claim depends on a third party, we name the third party. If you find a claim on the site that contradicts what is written here, please report it to [email protected].

How a Solana swap quote is produced

When you enter an amount in the swap widget, the frontend sends the SPL token pair and the amount to a Solana DEX aggregator. The aggregator queries one or more Solana DEXs and returns a route: a plan for how the input token will be swapped into the output token, potentially across multiple pools. SwapKing displays the route's expected output amount and, when available, the price impact relative to a reference rate.

Every quote is a snapshot with an implicit timestamp — the moment the request was sent to the aggregator. Solana blocks are produced roughly every 400 milliseconds. In practice, this means the quote you see on screen may be a fraction of a second old by the time you click Swap, and the actual execution price may differ. This is normal and expected on any Solana aggregator.

How Solana routing is chosen

The aggregator compares available routes and selects the one that maximizes the output SPL token amount for the specific input size, net of DEX fees and expected slippage. For small swaps, the route is typically a single pool. For larger swaps, the route may split across multiple pools and DEXs to reduce price impact. Every swap you sign with SwapKing is a single Solana transaction — the splitting happens inside the transaction, not across multiple signatures.

What "best rate" means on SwapKing

When SwapKing says "best rate," it means: the output amount returned by the aggregator at the moment of your request, for the specific pair and amount you entered. It does not mean a global optimum across all Solana DEXs at all times. It does not mean a future rate. It does not mean a rate that a different user with a different amount would receive. Solana liquidity shifts constantly. To get the current rate, refresh the quote in the widget.

What "under 2 seconds" means on Solana

"Under 2 seconds" describes the typical time between submitting a signed Solana transaction and seeing it confirmed on-chain under normal network conditions. Solana block time is approximately 400 milliseconds. In practice, most confirmed swaps complete in well under two seconds. However, this is not a guarantee for any specific transaction. Solana network congestion, priority fee competition, or issues with the specific RPC endpoint used at that moment can extend confirmation time. In rare cases, a transaction may need to be resubmitted.

Named data sources

SwapKing uses the following third-party sources. These are the only sources used for data displayed on the site.

Solana DEX routing and quotes: a third-party Solana DEX aggregator API that combines liquidity across multiple Solana DEXs including Jupiter, Raydium, Orca, Meteora, Phoenix, and PumpSwap.
Reference prices for routeable SPL tokens: the same aggregator's price endpoints.
Reference prices for cross-chain assets (BTC, ETH, XMR, and similar): a public market data provider, used only when an asset is not directly routeable by the Solana aggregator.
Solana on-chain state (balances, transaction status): a Solana RPC provider. The specific provider is configured at deployment and is documented on the Status page.
Token metadata (mint addresses, decimals): the SwapKing token catalog, cross-checked against on-chain data when a token page is first published.

Quote cache and timestamp conventions

Solana quotes are cached briefly on the client to reduce API load. The cache window is short — a few seconds — and any change to the pair, the amount, or the slippage tolerance forces a fresh request. The Status page documents the current cache windows for each endpoint. USD reference prices are cached slightly longer (on the order of a minute) because they change less frequently than swap routes.

What we do not measure and do not guarantee

SwapKing does not measure, verify, or guarantee any of the following:

1. The safety, legitimacy, or future value of any specific SPL token.
2. The continued availability of any Solana DEX, RPC provider, or third-party data source.
3. The correctness of third-party data at any given moment.
4. The absence of MEV or sandwiching activity around your transaction.
5. The outcome of any specific trade. Swap prices change; slippage tolerance defines the boundary of what you accept.
6. The accuracy of any price for SPL tokens that are not directly routeable through the Solana aggregator.
7. The uptime of any third-party service on which SwapKing depends.

Any of these can change without notice. If you want to understand the security scope in detail, see the Security page. If you want to know what SwapKing is architecturally, see How Swap Works.

Corrections

If you believe a claim on this site is incorrect, unverifiable, or out of date, write to [email protected] with the URL and a short description. Substantive corrections are made on the page and logged on the Editorial Policy page.

Related

Security · How Swap Works · Status · Authors · Editorial Policy · Slippage Explained