How To Finally Fix the Frustrating “No Quotes Available” Error on MetaMask

Tried to make a swap on MetaMask but got the dreaded “No quotes available” error message? I feel your pain. This super annoying error essentially means there’s not enough liquidity for the tokens you’re trying to trade.

But don’t stress! In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you step-by-step through why you’re seeing this error, along with multiple proven solutions to fix it so you can complete your swap successfully.

By the end, you’ll be a pro at dealing with insufficient liquidity and avoiding the “No quotes available” nightmare for good!

Why the Heck Am I Getting the “No Quotes Available” Error on MetaMask?

To understand why this error happens, you first need to know how swapping tokens actually works under the hood.

When you attempt a swap in your MetaMask wallet, it searches decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap and PancakeSwap for pools that contain both of the tokens you want to trade.

For example, say you want to swap Token A for Token B:

MetaMask looks for pools that contain both Token A and Token B.
It then checks the pool ratios to calculate the exchange rate between the two tokens.
Based on the exchange rate, it provides you with a quote for how much Token B you can get for your Token A.

This allows you to see the quote and preview the trade before submitting the transaction.

However, if there isn’t a large enough liquidity pool containing both tokens, MetaMask can’t find a suitable exchange rate to give you a quote. Hence the unhelpful “No quotes available” error.

Here are some common reasons you‘ll run into insufficient liquidity:

Trying to swap a brand new token before enough pools have been established
Trading large amounts of an obscure altcoin with low liquidity
Attempting to swap two tokens with minimal trading volume

Basically if there aren‘t enough people providing liquidity for your specific token pair, you‘ll get this error. Bummer!

But don’t pull your hair out just yet…there are several smart workarounds to fix these liquidity issues so you can successfully complete your swap. Keep reading and I’ll walk you through exactly how to do it!

6 Reliable Ways to Troubleshoot MetaMask Liquidity Errors

Let’s dive into the top troubleshooting tips and tricks to solve "No quotes available" problems and other insufficient liquidity errors on MetaMask:

1. Crank Up the Slippage Tolerance

One easy potential fix is to adjust your slippage tolerance settings within MetaMask.

Slippage tolerance determines the maximum amount the price is allowed to slip between the time you send a transaction and when it’s confirmed.

By default, MetaMask sets slippage at 3%. But for token pairs with low liquidity, you’ll likely need to increase your allowed slippage to account for greater potential price fluctuations before your trade can process.

Here’s how to tweak your slippage tolerance step-by-step:

Open MetaMask and try the swap again.
When you get the "No quotes available" error, click the little gear ⚙️ next to the Swap button.
Under "Slippage tolerance", click the dropdown menu and select a higher percentage like 5% or 10%.
Click Swap again and see if it goes through now with the higher slippage.

I’d start with small bumps like 5% first. But don’t be shy about cranking it up to 10%, 15%, or even higher for extremely illiquid pairs.

Just be mindful of the risks of high slippage before you set it too aggressively. A higher tolerance can lead to major slippage losses if the price moves against you between transaction submission and confirmation.

2. Use a Decentralized Exchange (DEX) Directly

If tweaking slippage doesn’t cut it, try completing the swap directly on a DEX like Uniswap or PancakeSwap instead.

Remember, MetaMask aggregates liquidity from various DEX sources. Even if MetaMask couldn’t find a workable quote, there may still be enough liquidity available right on the DEX itself.

Here are the basic steps to trade on a DEX:

Visit Uniswap.org or PancakeSwap.finance and connect your MetaMask wallet.
Select the token pair you want to trade.
Approve the DEX contract to access your tokens if prompted.
Review the exchange rate and trade details. Adjust slippage if required.
Complete your trade!

For Ethereum-based tokens, Uniswap is usually your best bet in terms of liquidity. For BSC tokens, it’s hard to beat PancakeSwap.

The key is checking multiple sources to uncover the best liquidity pool for your specific pair. More on that next…

3. Use DEX Aggregators to Find the Best Liquidity Sources

As we’ve discussed, MetaMask defaults to fetching swap quotes from just a few DEXs like Uniswap and PancakeSwap.

However, even more advanced DEX aggregators exist that combine liquidity pools from dozens of sources:

1inch – Aggregates liquidity from all major DEXs and finds the most efficient swap routes
Matcha – Draws real-time liquidity data from 0x API to get the best quotes
Paraswap – Optimizes across all liquidity sources like 1inch
Mobiles – Aggregator with focus on minimizing slippage

The advantage of these aggregators is they scan liquidity across a huge web of DEXs and routing options, then provide the best available quote.

This gives you the highest chance of pulling off your swap by tapping into the maximum amount of liquidity across multiple sources.

So when in doubt, try plugging your token pair into an aggregator like 1inch instead of going directly through MetaMask. The extra liquidity could make the difference between a failed or successful swap!

4. Bridge Between Tokens Using Intermediaries

If no direct pool exists between the two tokens you want to trade, you may need to connect them using intermediary tokens.

Think of this as building a liquidity “bridge” between your start and end tokens in multiple hops.

For example, to swap Token A for Token B with no direct pool:

First swap Token A for a popular base token like ETH or BNB
Then swap the base token for your target Token B

This allows you to tap into the vast liquidity available with top base tokens like ETH and BNB to indirectly swap between your more obscure tokens.

You‘ll need to account for additional trading fees and slippage with this multi-step approach. But it can successfully work around low liquidity issues when direct pools don‘t exist.

5. Provide Your Own Liquidity to Fix Low Liquidity Pairs

Here’s an advanced technique: you can actually add your own liquidity to help fix token pairs suffering from low liquidity!

On platforms like Uniswap and PancakeSwap, anyone can provide liquidity by contributing an equal value of both tokens to a pool. Over time, you earn a share of the pool‘s trading fees proportional to your liquidity share.

By adding your own tokens, you directly increase the liquidity available in the pool you want to swap in. This raises the odds your desired swap can process successfully.

Now your pool share also gives you a cut of all future trading fees from other users tapping into the liquidity you helped provide. So you get compensated for facilitating trades!

Just keep in mind providing liquidity can come with risk of impermanent loss. So it‘s best suited for long-term holders rather than active traders.

6. Have Patience and Try Again Later!

For brand new token pairs, sufficient liquidity pools simply may not exist yet shortly after launch.

In these cases, you may just need to wait patiently for initial liquidity to build up over several days or weeks as more users provide funds.

You can monitor sites like Uniswap Info to check liquidity data over time. Often liquidity starts low but rapidly improves.

At first, even tiny swaps may fail. But fast forward a few weeks, and much larger amounts can process as liquidity ramps up.

So don’t obsessively bang your head against the wall. Sometimes the best move is to just wait a bit for the pools to deepen!

Key Tips to Avoid MetaMask Liquidity Errors

Here are some final pearls of wisdom to minimize running into “No quotes available” and other liquidity failures on MetaMask moving forward:

Whenever possible, stick to trading major pairs like ETH/USDC with deep liquidity.
Avoid swapping brand new niche tokens before ample liquidity develops.
Start with tiny swap amounts first to test the liquidity waters before diving in.
Use DEX aggregators like 1inch to tap into the maximum available liquidity.
Watch your slippage tolerance and bump it up slowly if needed.
Don’t be afraid to “bridge” between tokens using popular intermediaries.
Consider supplying your own liquidity to kickstart new pairs.
Have patience and wait for initial liquidity to improve over time.

Let’s Recap – How Do You Fix MetaMask “No Quotes Available” Errors?

Just to recap, here are the 6 proven solutions covered in this guide to fix "No quotes available" and other insufficient liquidity errors on MetaMask:

Increase slippage tolerance – Start with small bumps like 5%, but go as high as needed.
Use DEXs directly – Try Uniswap, PancakeSwap, etc in case they have enough liquidity.
Leverage DEX aggregators – 1inch, Matcha, Paraswap to tap into the most liquidity.
Bridge tokens with intermediaries – Use base tokens like ETH to indirectly swap between obscure tokens.
Provide your own liquidity – Add tokens to pools yourself to directly help low liquidity pairs.
Be patient – Wait for initial liquidity to improve over days and weeks for new pairs.

Phew, that was a boatload of troubleshooting tips! But now you‘re armed with an expert-level understanding of how to handle these tricky errors.

No more will you be frustrated when MetaMask rudely gives you the "No quotes available" screen. You‘ve got this!

So next time you encounter one of these frustrating liquidity issues, calmly work through the solutions above. Before you know it, you‘ll have completed your swap successfully and finally fixed that pesky error for good. Onwards!