# Swap deadlines: why an old quote can stop executing

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.

Evidence: [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps)

Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/swap-deadlines-expired-quotes/
Published: 2026-10-02
Substantively modified: 2026-10-02
Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T19:18:00.092Z
Data current through: 2026-10-02

AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied.

## Key facts

- **Time bound:** The v3 deadline is expressed as a Unix timestamp. ([Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps))
- **Price bound:** Output and input limits remain separate parameters. ([Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps))
- **Failure cost:** An included transaction that reverts may still use chargeable gas. ([Gas and fees](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/gas/))

## 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.

Evidence: [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps)

## 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.

Evidence: [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps)

## 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.

Evidence: [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps); [UniswapX Overview](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/uniswapx/overview)

## Questions

### 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.

Evidence: [Gas and fees](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/gas/); [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps)

## Claims and scope

### swap-deadlines-expired-quotes-quick-answer

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: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### swap-deadlines-expired-quotes-fact-time-bound

Time bound: The v3 deadline is expressed as a Unix timestamp.

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### swap-deadlines-expired-quotes-fact-price-bound

Price bound: Output and input limits remain separate parameters.

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### swap-deadlines-expired-quotes-fact-failure-cost

Failure cost: An included transaction that reverts may still use chargeable gas.

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

## Sources

- [Single Swaps](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/v3/guides/swaps/single-swaps) — Uniswap. Version-specific router constraints and worked integration examples. Locator: exactInputSingle; exactOutputSingle; deadline; amountOutMinimum; amountInMaximum. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:19.662Z.
- [Gas and fees](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/gas/) — ethereum.org. Network resource cost separately from swap fees. Locator: Gas; transaction fees; failed transactions. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:23.863Z.
- [UniswapX Overview](https://docs.uniswap.org/contracts/uniswapx/overview) — Uniswap. Outcome-based swap authorization and filler settlement. Locator: Signed orders; fillers; auctions. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T18:53:19.990Z.

## Revision history

- 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and separate automated verification.

## Cite this entry

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/