> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://graphdex-1.gitbook.io/graphdex-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://graphdex-1.gitbook.io/graphdex-docs/trading/execution-risks.md).

# Execution Risks

**Trading depends on the market, your wallet, the network, and your settings — any one of them can break a trade.**

Every order in GraphDex is the product of four things that can move independently: market price, wallet state, network conditions, and your Trading Settings. This page lists the most common ways those four interact to produce a failed or unfavourable trade — and what to check before submitting one.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Risk signals exist; safety guarantees don't**

GraphDex provides tools, signals, and configurable controls. It does not guarantee token safety, liquidity, execution speed, transaction success, or final price.
{% endhint %}

## The Main Failure Modes

* **Price moved.** Token price drifted between transaction creation and inclusion. Result: failed trade, or fill at a worse level.
* **Low liquidity.** Thin pools amplify price impact — a small position can move the market against itself.
* **Wide slippage.** Tolerance is high enough that the pool fills you at a far worse price.
* **Inflated execution cost.** Raised Priority or Bribe charged whether or not the trade succeeds.
* **Network failure.** Congestion or extreme volatility outruns the inclusion attempt.
* **Risk-laden token.** Holder concentration, bundled supply, insider activity, or other on-chain signals invalidate the trade thesis after you've already submitted.

## Review Before Every Trade

A condensed pre-trade checklist:

* **Token identity.** Address and pair both correct — not just the ticker.
* **Market data.** LIQ, MC, 5M Vol on the [token page](/graphdex-docs/trading/token-page.md).
* **On-chain context.** Transactions tab, Top holders.
* **Risk signals.** Security, Dev Holders, Top 10 Holders, Sniped, Insiders, Bundled — see [Audit Signals](/graphdex-docs/research/audit-signals.md).
* **Order direction.** Buy or Sell.
* **Order type.** [Market](/graphdex-docs/trading/market-orders.md) or [Limit](/graphdex-docs/trading/limit-orders.md).
* **Trade Strategy.** [Slippage](/graphdex-docs/trading/slippage.md), [Priority Fee](/graphdex-docs/trading/priority-fee.md), [Validator Bribe](/graphdex-docs/trading/validator-bribe.md).
* **Wallet prompt.** Verify the wallet address and amount before approval.

If the wallet prompt doesn't match what you saw in the terminal, **cancel** and investigate.

## When Full Functionality Is Locked

The trading screen can display:

> *"To use full functionality, register on the platform"*

This appears when sign-in or wallet connection is incomplete. Resolve it before expecting Buy / Sell, limit orders, or settings persistence to work end-to-end. See [Sign-in and Connect](/graphdex-docs/getting-started/sign-in-and-connect.md).

## What GraphDex Does Not Guarantee

* Token safety — risk signals are inputs, not verdicts.
* Liquidity — pools move independently of the terminal.
* Execution speed — Priority and Bribe shift probability, not certainty.
* Transaction success — every trade can fail.
* Final price — the pool decides at fill time.

## More to Explore

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="/pages/OMivUziEbyoA9jTgesYW"><strong>Risk of Fast Execution</strong></a></td><td>What goes wrong when Turbo and Quick Buy stack.</td><td><a href="/files/PvwZariSc5lrxmA3uidW">/files/PvwZariSc5lrxmA3uidW</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/ivf2Yli81NUiF5vCsxey"><strong>Audit Signals</strong></a></td><td>How to read the on-chain risk markers before submitting.</td><td><a href="/files/JBN29ujDJykAmMONwLxK">/files/JBN29ujDJykAmMONwLxK</a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/VpmkMK2En9UqElxOb2n7"><strong>Orders and History</strong></a></td><td>Inspect the cause when a trade ends up in Error.</td><td><a href="/files/PvwZariSc5lrxmA3uidW">/files/PvwZariSc5lrxmA3uidW</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
The fastest way to study a failed trade is in [Orders and History → My Orders → Error](/graphdex-docs/trading/orders-and-history.md). Each row's Actions column surfaces the failure cause.
{% endhint %}

## FAQs

<details>

<summary>My trade landed but at a worse price than the terminal showed — why?</summary>

The market moved between transaction creation and fill, and your Slippage tolerance accepted the new price. Tighten Slippage, or use \[Limit Orders]\(limit-orders.md) for stricter price control.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "insufficient liquidity" usually mean?</summary>

The pool doesn't have enough depth to fill your size at the price you wanted. Lower the size, raise Slippage, or wait for liquidity to build.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I avoid all execution risk?</summary>

No — execution risk is inherent to on-chain trading. You can reduce it with tighter Slippage, conservative Priority, smaller sizes, and pre-trade audit review.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where do I see why my trade errored?</summary>

\[Orders and History → My Orders → Error]\(orders-and-history.md). Each row exposes the cause; common ones include slippage exceeded, insufficient gas, and routing failure.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does GraphDex screen tokens for safety before listing?</summary>

GraphDex surfaces risk signals (audit, holders, dev activity) but does not pre-screen or curate tokens. Always read the signals before trading.

</details>


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