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Encyclopedia DeFi · Entry 318

Swap deadlines: why an old quote can stop executing

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Key facts

Key facts for Swap deadlines: why an old quote can stop executing
FactDetailSource
Time boundThe v3 deadline is expressed as a Unix timestamp.[1]
Price boundOutput and input limits remain separate parameters.[1]
Failure costAn included transaction that reverts may still use chargeable gas.[2]
01

Distinguish submission from execution

Imagine a swap is signed with an illustrative deadline of 12:05. Broadcasting it at 12:04 does not guarantee success: a block evaluating it after the deadline can reject it. A transaction hash identifies the request; it does not prove timely execution.

The clock and exact comparison come from the deployed contract. An interface’s quote refresh countdown may be an off-chain policy rather than the same on-chain deadline.

02

Refresh both conditions

A stale quote can fail before its deadline if available execution no longer meets the minimum output. Conversely, an economically attractive trade can fail because its deadline passed. Extending time alone does not make the old price acceptable.

A new quote should be reviewed as a new instruction: assets, amounts, recipient, route and time limit all matter. Merely approving token spending does not refresh an already signed swap.

03

Do not generalize one router’s field

Other routers and signed-order systems use their own validity rules. UniswapX orders also have auction parameters whose prices change over time. Read the instruction’s actual validity window rather than assuming every trade has the same default duration.

Direct answers

Questions people ask

Will expiry automatically refund a failed swap’s network fee?

No. Expiry can cause execution to revert, but gas already consumed by an included transaction can still be charged. Refund behavior for unspent input is a separate integration question.

Inspect the evidence

The answer and key facts have stable claim links. These records retain the scope and qualification when reused.

A swap deadline is a time condition enforced by a particular router or order contract. The documented Uniswap v3 router parameters reject execution after the specified Unix time. A deadline limits how long an instruction remains usable; the minimum-output or maximum-input bound separately limits its price.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T19:18:00.092Z.

Link to this claim
Time bound: The v3 deadline is expressed as a Unix timestamp.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T19:18:00.092Z.

Link to this claim
Price bound: Output and input limits remain separate parameters.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T19:18:00.092Z.

Link to this claim
Failure cost: An included transaction that reverts may still use chargeable gas.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T19:18:00.092Z.

Link to this claim
Revision history
  1. — First publication after primary-source research and separate automated verification.

Source register

Sources and references

Retrieval dates and locators are recorded individually.
  1. Single SwapsUniswap

    Version-specific router constraints and worked integration examples.

    Locator: exactInputSingle; exactOutputSingle; deadline; amountOutMinimum; amountInMaximum · Version / scope: Documentation retrieved for the 2026-10-02 editorial scope; content hash recorded · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:19.662ZOpen source
  2. Gas and feesethereum.org

    Network resource cost separately from swap fees.

    Locator: Gas; transaction fees; failed transactions · Version / scope: Documentation retrieved 2026-10-02 · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:23.863ZOpen source
  3. UniswapX OverviewUniswap

    Outcome-based swap authorization and filler settlement.

    Locator: Signed orders; fillers; auctions · Version / scope: Documentation retrieved for the 2026-10-02 editorial scope; content hash recorded · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:19.990ZOpen source
How this article was made

Research and drafting use AI assistance. A separate automated review checks claims against primary sources; no external expert or named human review is implied. Publication, substantive editing, source retrieval and verification are recorded separately. This version was independently checked by an automated reviewer on 2 October 2026.

Editorial method and corrections

Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Swap deadlines: why an old quote can stop executing.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/swap-deadlines-expired-quotes/