Spot trading
What is Slippage and How to Manage It?
2026-05-19 06:12030
[Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes]
When trading cryptocurrencies, the price you see on screen and the price at which your order is ultimately executed may differ. This difference is called slippage. Understanding slippage and how to control it helps you trade with greater confidence and transparency.
What is Slippage?
Slippage occurs when a market order is executed at a different price than the one displayed at the time of order submission.
Slippage only applies to market orders. By submitting a market order, you are instructing Bitget EU to execute your trade at the best available price(s), accepting that some slippage may occur. Limit orders are not subject to slippage, as they only execute at your specified price or better.
Slippage Control on Bitget EU
To protect you from unexpected price deviations, Bitget EU implements a slippage control mechanism. To protect users from unexpected price changes, the system automatically sets a maximum slippage limit of 10%. Regardless of your personal settings, any market order with an execution price deviating more than 10% from the displayed price at submission will be automatically rejected. This built-in protection ensures your orders are never filled at a price significantly different from what you saw when placing them.
You can view and further customize your slippage settings at any time directly from the Spot/Margin (Spot) trading interface.
How to Configure Your Slippage Settings
You can access your slippage settings directly from the trading interface. Once opened, the Slippage panel displays two configurable options:
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Slippage Tolerance
The slippage tolerance defines the maximum price deviation you are willing to accept on a market order. Even if you do not configure this setting, the system automatically protects you with a default slippage limit of 10%.
How to configure it:
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Use the toggle in the top right of the Slippage Tolerance section to enable or disable this feature.
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When enabled, enter your desired maximum slippage percentage directly in the input field, or drag the slider left or right to adjust the value.
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The value can be set anywhere between 0% and 10%, in increments of 1% (i.e. 0%, 1%, 2% ... up to 10%).
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The default and maximum value is 10%.
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Once configured, tap Confirm to save your setting.
How it works:
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If the slippage on your order exceeds your configured threshold, the order — or the unfilled portion of it — will be automatically canceled.
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Setting a lower tolerance (e.g. 2%) gives you tighter price control, meaning your order is more likely to be canceled if the market moves against you, but you will never be filled at a price far from what you expected.
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Setting a higher tolerance (e.g. 10%) increases the likelihood that your full order is executed, but means the final execution price may deviate more significantly from the last displayed price.
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Setting the tolerance to 0% means your order will only execute if there is no price deviation at all from the displayed price. Any slippage will result in the order being canceled.
⚠️ Note: Due to rapid changes in market price, the final execution price may still deviate slightly from the configured settings in some circumstances.
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Slippage Warning
The slippage warning is an optional alert that lets you know when the estimated slippage on your order is likely to go beyond your set threshold, giving you a chance to review before placing it.
How to configure it:
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Use the toggle in the top right of the Slippage Warning section to enable or disable alerts.
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When enabled, enter your desired warning threshold in the input field, or drag the slider to set your preferred value.
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The value can be adjusted in increments of 1%, independently from your slippage tolerance. For example, you may set a warning at 4% while still allowing orders to be executed up to 10%.
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There is no default warning threshold — you define the value that best suits your trading style.
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Once configured, tap Confirm to save your setting.
How it works:
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Each time you place a market order, the system checks live market data to estimate whether slippage is likely to exceed your warning threshold.
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If it does, you will receive an alert before the order is placed, giving you the opportunity to review and decide whether to go ahead.
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This feature is particularly useful if you want early visibility of potentially unfavorable market conditions without fully restricting order execution.
Summary of Slippage Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Configurable Range | Step Size | Default |
| Slippage Tolerance | Sets the maximum acceptable price deviation. Orders exceeding 10% are always canceled. | 0% – 10% | 1% | 10% (system default, always active) |
| Slippage Warning | Alerts you when estimated slippage is likely to exceed your warning threshold. | 0% – 10% | 1% | User defined |
How to Avoid Slippage Entirely
If you want to eliminate slippage entirely, consider using a limit order instead of a market order. With a limit order, you specify the exact price at which you want to buy or sell. Your order will only execute at that price or better — never at a worse price. The trade-off is that your order may not be filled immediately, or at all, if the market does not reach your specified price. But if price certainty matters more to you than speed of execution, a limit order gives you full control.
| Market Order | Limit Order | |
| Slippage Risk | Yes | No |
| Execution Speed | Immediate | Conditional on price |
| Price Control | Limited | Full |
| Best Used When | Speed is critical | Price certainty is priority |
FAQs
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Does slippage apply to limit orders? No. Limit orders execute only at your specified price or better, so slippage does not apply.
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What happens if my market order exceeds the slippage tolerance? The portion of your order that would exceed the slippage tolerance will be automatically canceled. The maximum slippage limit is 10%.
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Is there always a slippage cap even if I have not configured any settings? Yes. Even if you have not personally configured any slippage settings, the system automatically applies a default maximum slippage cap of 10%. Your order will never be executed at a price that deviates more than 10% from the displayed price at the time of submission.
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Can I set my slippage tolerance higher than 10%? No. The maximum slippage tolerance is capped at 10% to protect you from large, unexpected price swings.
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Can I set my slippage tolerance to 0%? Yes. Setting your slippage tolerance to 0% means your order will only execute if there is no price deviation at all from the displayed price. Any slippage will cause the order to be canceled. This gives you maximum price protection, but your order is less likely to be filled during fast-moving or volatile market conditions.
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In what increments can I adjust my slippage settings? Both the slippage tolerance and slippage warning can be adjusted in increments of 1%, either by using the slider or by entering a value directly in the input field. The slippage tolerance defaults to 10%, while the slippage warning threshold is set by you when you enable the feature.
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Will I always be warned before a high-slippage trade? Only if you have enabled the Slippage Warning feature. When enabled, you will receive an alert when estimated slippage is likely to exceed your configured warning threshold.
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Why might my execution price still differ from my configured settings? Markets can move very quickly, and in some cases the final execution price may differ slightly from your configured settings — even when slippage controls are active. This is due to rapid price changes occurring between order submission and execution.
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Do my slippage settings apply to all market orders? Yes. Your configured slippage settings will apply to every market order you place.
Disclaimer and Risk Warning
All trading tutorials provided by Bitget EU are for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Please conduct thorough research before trading. Bitget EU is not responsible for trading decisions made by users.
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