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

# Trade

Swap on Base or across chains, place limit orders, automate recurring trades, and keep track of everything and what your AI spends.

Everything on this page happens on [Trade](https://app.beamswap.io/trade), [Automate](https://app.beamswap.io/automate), [Activity](https://app.beamswap.io/activity) and [Spending controls](https://app.beamswap.io/spending). You sign every transaction in your wallet. If you want your AI to trade by itself inside limits, see [Let your AI trade](https://docs.beamswap.io/agent-vaults).

## Swap

Open [Trade](https://app.beamswap.io/trade) and stay on **Swap**.

* **On Base:** Beamswap's own route finds a price through KyberSwap and 0x. You sign one transaction, and the swap settles in it. If the price moves past your **Max slippage**, the transaction fails and you only spend the network fee.
* **Across chains:** choose a different network in **To**. LI.FI finds the route across Base, Arbitrum, Optimism and Ethereum. You sign one transaction on the source network. Funds arrive on the destination network, usually within a few minutes.

Steps:

1. Choose the **From** network, token and amount.
2. Choose the **To** network and token. You see the estimated amount you receive.
3. Open **Swap details** to set **Max slippage** or **Send to another address**.
4. Read the review card: what you receive at least, the fees, the estimated arrival and the route.
5. Press the button that matches the current step: switch network, approve the token if needed, then send.

If the quote changes while you review it, Beamswap tells you. Check the new numbers and press send again. After a cross-chain send, a tracker shows the source transaction, live status, the destination transaction and what arrived. If a route fails, LI.FI returns your funds on the source chain or as another token, and the tracker shows exactly what arrived.

### Swap fees

* **Beamswap's own route on Base:** 0.1% of the output, lower with staked GLINT (0.05% at tier 2 and 0.03% at tier 3). The fee is taken from the amount you receive, inside the swap. See [GLINT staking](https://docs.beamswap.io/glint-staking).
* **LI.FI routes:** LI.FI's own 0.25% fee, plus the route's bridge and network costs. The review card lists each one.
* You also pay network gas in ETH for the transactions you send.

## Limit orders

Open [Trade](https://app.beamswap.io/trade) and choose **Limit order**. Limit orders run on Base through CoW Protocol.

A limit order sells a token only at your price or better. It waits until the market reaches your price or it expires.

1. Enter the token and amount in **You sell**.
2. Choose the token you buy.
3. Set the **Limit price**. Use the Market, +1%, +5% or +10% buttons, or type your own. Use the flip button to show the price the other way round. The market price shows once you enter an amount.
4. Choose when it expires: 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days (the default), 30 days or 90 days.
5. Open the extra options if you want partial fills, unlimited approval or another receiving address.
6. Check the review card, then press **Sign and place order**.

Steps your wallet may ask for, in order: sign in (free, no transaction), wrap ETH (only if you sell ETH, because CoW needs WETH), approve the token (the exact amount by default), then sign the order.

**Gasless placement.** Signing the order costs no gas. You only pay gas for the wrap and approve steps, when they are needed. CoW solvers fill your order at your price or better before it expires.

**Cancel.** Cancelling an open order is free. Under **Your orders**, press **Cancel order**, then confirm. A cancel signature tells CoW to stop filling it.

**Your orders** lists the limit orders of the wallet you sign in with. Each shows the pair, amounts, limit price, how much has filled, when it expires and its status, with a link to CoW Explorer.

**Fee.** Limit orders carry a CoW partner fee of up to 0.1%, lower with staked GLINT (0.05% or 0.03%). It comes out of a better price, never below your minimum. The review card shows the fee before you sign.

## Automate

Open [Automate](https://app.beamswap.io/automate). Pick a template, set a few fields and check the live preview. Nothing runs until you press **Create automation**.

| Template           | What it does                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Recurring buy**  | Spends a fixed amount on a schedule (daily, weekly, every 30 days or every few hours), up to 365 runs.                                                     |
| **Split a trade**  | Sells a total in equal parts over time. It sets 2 to 48 parts, spaced from every 5 minutes to every day, so one big trade does not hit the market at once. |
| **Reserve refill** | Watches a balance and prepares a top-up when it falls below your level. It waits at least one hour between top-ups.                                        |

Each part is a CoW limit order. When a run is due, it shows in the "trades are ready to sign" card, and you press **Review and sign**. A part you do not sign in time is skipped, not repeated later. Beamswap never trades from your wallet without your signature.

Every automation has a total budget. A run is only created if it fits the budget, and the budget bar shows how much is used. You can have up to 20 active or paused automations. You can pause, resume or cancel each one. Pausing stops new runs. An order you already signed stays open until you cancel it.

For trading with no signature at all, use an [Agent Vault](https://docs.beamswap.io/agent-vaults).

## Activity and CSV export

[Activity](https://app.beamswap.io/activity) lists what your wallet did with Beamswap. Signing in is free, sends no transaction and lasts 24 hours in your browser tab. The tabs are:

* **Distributions**, with a **Repeat** action to start again from a previous list.
* **Orders**, limit orders and automation parts you signed.
* **Automations**, refills, split trades and recurring buys.
* **Transfers**, swaps across chains with their status.
* **API receipts**, paid API calls.

Each tab has **Export CSV**. Amounts are exact decimal values.

## Spending controls for agents

If your AI pays for Beamswap API calls with your wallet, [Spending controls](https://app.beamswap.io/spending) keeps that spending in check. Connect and sign in with the wallet that pays.

* **Pause.** The switch reads "Paid calls are allowed" or "Paid calls are paused". While paused, Beamswap refuses every call your AI makes with that wallet before any payment, and nothing is charged.
* **Budgets.** Set a daily, weekly and monthly cap in USDC. Days reset at 00:00 UTC, weeks on Monday and months on the 1st. A call that would go over a cap is refused before the payment settles.
* **Task budgets.** Give a job its own cap and optional end date. Tell your AI to send the header `x-beamswap-task: <name>`. The local MCP does it when you set `BEAMSWAP_TASK`.
* **Receipts.** Every paid call your AI made, with its settlement transaction and **Export CSV**.

Your AI can pause spending. Only you can resume it, or raise or remove a cap, with a wallet signature on this page. Free and quota-covered calls do not count against budgets. See [Prices and payments](https://docs.beamswap.io/pricing).