How to Trade on Raydium: Solana Swaps, Entries and Execution Guide (2026)
— By Tony Rabbit in Tutorials
Learn how to trade on Raydium with a Solana execution mindset: picking pairs, checking liquidity, placing swaps, managing slippage, and avoiding bad fills.
Intent check: This page is the trading-focused Raydium guide for pair selection, entries, swaps, and execution quality. If you want the broader product tour that also covers liquidity pools and CLMM mechanics, read How to Use Raydium on Solana.
Raydium is the largest decentralized exchange on Solana, processing billions in daily trading volume through its concentrated liquidity market maker (CLMM) and automated market maker (AMM) pools. Whether you want to swap SPL tokens, provide liquidity, or farm yields, Raydium is the place to start.
This tutorial covers everything from connecting your wallet to executing swaps, providing liquidity, and earning RAY rewards - with practical tips to minimize slippage and maximize returns.
What Is Raydium?
Raydium is a Solana-based DEX and AMM that launched in early 2021. It was the first AMM built on Solana and introduced hybrid liquidity by integrating with the Serum order book (now replaced by OpenBook). In 2023-2024, Raydium added concentrated liquidity (CLMM) pools, following the model pioneered by Uniswap V3.
Key features of Raydium:
- CLMM Pools - Concentrated liquidity for capital-efficient trading with tight spreads
- Standard AMM - Classic constant-product pools for long-tail tokens
- AcceleRaytor - Launchpad for new Solana projects
- Farming - Earn RAY and partner tokens by staking LP positions
- Token Creation - Launch and list tokens directly through Raydium
Step 1: Connect Your Wallet
Raydium supports all major Solana wallets. Here is what you need:
- Go to raydium.io
- Click Connect Wallet in the top-right corner
- Select your wallet - Backpack, Phantom, Solflare, or any Solana-compatible wallet
- Approve the connection in your wallet popup
- Make sure you have SOL for gas fees (typically 0.001-0.01 SOL per transaction)
Pro Tip
Always keep at least 0.05 SOL in your wallet for transaction fees. Solana transactions are cheap, but running out of SOL means you cannot do anything - including withdrawing your tokens.
Step 2: Swap Tokens
Swapping is the most common action on Raydium. The interface routes your trade through the best available pool automatically.
- Navigate to the Swap tab
- Select your input token (e.g., SOL) and output token (e.g., USDC)
- Enter the amount you want to swap
- Review the price impact, minimum received, and route
- Click Swap and confirm in your wallet
Understanding Swap Settings
• Slippage Tolerance: Default is 0.5%. For popular pairs (SOL/USDC), this is fine. For low-liquidity memecoins, you may need 1-5%.
• Priority Fee: During congestion, increase the priority fee to get your transaction included faster. Start with "Turbo" mode during high-traffic periods.
• Price Impact: If this number is above 1%, consider splitting your trade into smaller amounts or using a different route.
Step 3: Provide Liquidity
Providing liquidity earns you a share of trading fees. Raydium offers two types of pools:
Standard AMM Pools
These are simple constant-product pools. You deposit equal value of two tokens, and the pool manages the ratio.
- Go to Liquidity > Standard
- Select a pool or create one
- Enter the amount of one token - the other amount auto-calculates
- Click Add Liquidity and confirm
- You receive LP tokens representing your share
Concentrated Liquidity (CLMM) Pools
CLMM pools let you concentrate your liquidity within a specific price range, earning more fees per dollar deployed.
- Go to Liquidity > Concentrated
- Select your token pair
- Set your price range (tighter range = more fees but more rebalancing)
- Enter deposit amounts
- Click Add Liquidity and confirm
Warning: Impermanent Loss
When you provide liquidity, you are exposed to impermanent loss. If the price of one token moves significantly compared to the other, you could end up with less value than if you had just held. This risk is amplified in CLMM pools with tight ranges.
Step 4: Farm RAY Rewards
Some pools offer additional rewards beyond trading fees. Here is how to farm:
- Provide liquidity to an eligible pool (look for the "Farm" tag)
- Go to Farms in the navigation
- Find your pool and click Stake
- Stake your LP tokens or CLMM position
- Claim rewards periodically by clicking Harvest
Farm rewards are typically paid in RAY (Raydium's native token) plus partner tokens depending on the pool.
Step 5: Use Raydium on DEXTools
DEXTools tracks all Raydium pools in real-time, giving you charts, liquidity data, and holder analytics that Raydium's native interface does not show.
- Go to DEXTools and select the Solana chain
- Search for any Raydium pool by token name or contract address
- Check the Pool Explorer for liquidity depth, holder distribution, and recent transactions
- Use DEXTools Score to evaluate token safety before swapping
Why use DEXTools with Raydium?
Raydium shows you the swap interface. DEXTools shows you what is happening under the hood - who is buying, who is selling, where the liquidity sits, and whether the token contract has any red flags. Always check DEXTools before swapping into unfamiliar tokens.
Fees on Raydium
Raydium vs Other Solana DEXs
Security Tips
- Verify the URL - Only use raydium.io. Bookmark it. Phishing sites are common.
- Check DEXTools Score - Before swapping into any token, check its safety score on DEXTools
- Start small - Test with a small amount before committing significant capital
- Revoke approvals - Periodically revoke token approvals you no longer need
- Watch for MEV - Use MEV protection tools for large trades
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Raydium safe to use?
Raydium's smart contracts have been audited and it has processed billions in volume since 2021. However, in December 2022, Raydium suffered an exploit due to a compromised private key. The team compensated affected LPs and improved security. As with any DeFi protocol, only deposit what you can afford to lose.
What is the RAY token used for?
RAY is Raydium's governance and utility token. It is used for staking rewards, farming incentives, and AcceleRaytor participation. A portion of swap fees goes to RAY buybacks.
Why is my swap failing?
Common reasons: insufficient SOL for gas, slippage set too low, or network congestion. Try increasing slippage tolerance, adding priority fees, or reducing your trade size.
Can I use Raydium on mobile?
Yes. Raydium's website is mobile-responsive. Use the in-app browser of Phantom or Backpack wallet to connect on mobile. The experience is similar to desktop.