Trading setup
Axiom Trade settings explained: slippage, priority fee, bribe and MEV
Axiom gives you four settings that decide whether a Solana trade lands, how fast, and how much it costs on top of the trading fee. This guide explains what each one does, what the defaults are, and what to change when a buy fails with “slippage exceeded” or “insufficient SOL balance to cover priority fee and bribe fee”.
Short version: leave priority fee and bribe at Axiom’s defaults for everyday trades, keep MEV protection on, and only raise slippage for the specific token that needs it. Raise priority fee and bribe together for busy launches, then put them back.
The four settings at a glance
| Setting | What it does | Default | Who gets the money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slippage | The most the price can move against you between clicking and the trade confirming before Axiom cancels it. | Set per preset | Nobody. It is a limit, not a cost. |
| Priority fee | An extra payment that asks Solana validators to process your transaction ahead of others. | 0.001 SOL | Solana validators |
| Bribe | A tip sent alongside the transaction to encourage block builders to include it first. Also called a Jito tip. | 0.001 SOL | Block builders and validators |
| MEV protection | Routes the transaction through Jito so bots can’t see it in the public queue and sandwich it. | On | Nobody. It changes the route, not the price. |
The defaults and descriptions come from Axiom’s Solana fees documentation as read in September 2026. None of these go to Axiom. Axiom’s own cut is the trading fee, which starts at 1% and drops with volume and the invite code THANKS. See Axiom Trade fees for that side of the cost.
Slippage
Memecoin prices move between the moment you click Buy and the moment the transaction confirms. Slippage is the maximum move you will accept. If the price has moved further than your setting by the time the trade executes, Axiom cancels it and you see “Slippage exceeded”. Nothing is bought, but you still pay the network and priority fees for the failed attempt.
- Low slippage (1–5%) protects you from paying far more than you expected, but fails often on fast-moving tokens.
- High slippage (20%+) lands more often on volatile launches, but without MEV protection it is an open invitation to sandwich bots, which can take most of that margin.
Treat slippage as a per-token decision. Raise it for a specific trade, then lower it again. A high default across every trade is the most common way people quietly overpay.
Priority fee
Solana charges a tiny base fee for every transaction. On top of that, a priority fee asks validators to process yours sooner. When the network is quiet the default of 0.001 SOL is plenty. When it is congested, a transaction with a low priority fee can sit unconfirmed, expire, and fail.
Signs your priority fee is too low: trades take a long time to confirm, or they fail without a slippage message. Raising it is the fix. During heavy congestion, traders commonly go to 0.005–0.01 SOL for a short period. That is still a small amount per trade, but it adds up if you leave it there for hundreds of small trades.
Bribe (Jito tip)
A bribe is a tip paid to the block builder so your transaction is placed early in the block. It matters most on competitive launches, where many people are trying to buy the same token in the same second. Axiom’s default is 0.001 SOL.
For ordinary trading on tokens that already have liquidity, the bribe makes little difference and you can leave it at the default. For sniping a launch, people raise it alongside the priority fee. Remember both are paid whether or not the trade succeeds.
MEV protection
MEV stands for maximal extractable value. In practice it means bots watching the public transaction queue, spotting your buy, buying before you and selling after you, so you get a worse price. Axiom’s MEV protection sends your transaction only through Jito, which keeps it out of that public queue.
Keep it on. Axiom’s docs note it can slightly delay execution, and there are moments on very fast launches where people turn it off for speed, but they are accepting a known risk to do that. If you do turn it off, lower your slippage at the same time.
Suggested settings by situation
| Situation | Slippage | Priority fee | Bribe | MEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal trade, established token | Low | Default | Default | On |
| Volatile token, network quiet | Raised for this trade | Default | Default | On |
| Network congested | Unchanged | Raised | Default | On |
| Competitive launch or migration | Raised | Raised | Raised | On, unless you accept the risk |
These are starting points, not rules. The right numbers change with network conditions, and the only way to know is to watch whether your trades land. Many traders save two or three presets in Axiom and switch between them from Pulse Quick Buy, rather than editing values mid-trade.
Errors these settings cause, and the fix
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slippage exceeded | Price moved more than your limit. | Raise slippage for this trade, or wait for calmer trading. |
| Insufficient SOL balance to cover priority fee and bribe fee | Your wallet does not hold enough spare SOL for the extras, even if it holds USDC or tokens. | Keep a buffer of SOL, or lower the priority fee and bribe. |
| Transaction failed to send: this pair has too little liquidity and buys are not permitted | The pool is too thin for Axiom to route a buy safely. | Not a settings problem. Wait for liquidity, or skip the token. |
| Transaction expired or dropped | Priority fee too low for current congestion. | Raise priority fee and retry. |
For login problems, loading issues and how to reach support, see Axiom Trade not working?. For converting between SOL and USDC before a trade, see convert USDC to SOL on Axiom.
Settings FAQ
What is the bribe fee on Axiom?
A bribe is a tip paid to the block builder so your transaction is included early. It is sometimes called a Jito tip. Axiom’s default is 0.001 SOL and it goes to validators, not to Axiom.
Does MEV protection cost extra on Axiom?
Axiom’s docs don’t list a separate charge for MEV protection. It changes how your transaction is routed, and the docs say it may slightly delay execution.
What are the best settings for Axiom Trade?
There isn’t one best setting. For most trades: low slippage, default priority fee and bribe, MEV protection on. Raise priority fee when the network is busy and raise bribe only for competitive launches.
Do I pay the priority fee and bribe if the trade fails?
Yes, if the transaction was sent to the network. A trade that fails on slippage still costs the network and priority fees. A trade that never sends, for example because of insufficient SOL, costs nothing.
Does the invite code change these settings?
No. The Axiom Trade invite code THANKS takes 10% off Axiom’s trading fee. Priority fee, bribe and slippage are separate and go to the Solana network.