A Swap Stuck on a Permit Signature Needs a State Check

If a swap is stuck on a permit signature, first identify whether the wallet is waiting for your signature, the app is waiting for a signature you already made, or an on-chain approval transaction is still pending. Those are different steps, even when the swap page labels all three “approval.” A permit can authorize token spending with an off-chain signature, avoiding a separate approval transaction; the swap still needs to be submitted afterward.

Before permits, many swaps required a token approval transaction, followed by a separate swap transaction. That route is easier to track on a block explorer, but it uses gas for approval and adds a transaction step. A permit can reduce that friction. The trade-off is that a signature may have no transaction hash or visible on-chain status, and the app must still turn it into a valid swap. Route choice is a separate decision: for the route trade-offs, see how to choose a QuickSwap route. It won’t resolve a wallet prompt that is still open.

What is a permit signature, and is it a transaction?

A permit signature is usually a wallet-signed authorization, not a transaction sent to the chain. For tokens that support the ERC-2612 permit standard, the signed data includes an owner, spender, amount, deadline and nonce; a contract can submit it to set the allowance. Permit2 uses a separate contract and supports signature-based transfers as well as allowances with specified amounts and durations. The details depend on the token and swap app, so “permit” does not describe just one flow.

That distinction explains why a wallet can finish signing while the swap page appears stuck. The wallet has produced a signature, but the app may still need to submit it with a swap call. A signature alone does not prove that tokens moved or that a swap was executed. Conversely, if the wallet is asking you to approve a transaction and shows a network fee, you may be looking at an on-chain approval rather than an off-chain permit.

Check the wallet activity and the swap page for a transaction hash. If there is no hash and the wallet still shows a signature request, the signature step has not completed. If a hash exists, inspect that transaction on the relevant chain’s block explorer. This is a more reliable way to distinguish a pending transaction from an app that has not updated its display.

What should I do when the wallet signature prompt is stuck?

If the wallet is still waiting for your signature, the request has not been accepted yet. Check that the wallet is unlocked, connected to the account you intend to use, and displaying the same network as the swap. With a hardware wallet, check that it is connected and ready to sign. If the request is unfamiliar or the details do not match the swap, reject it and start again from the app.

If the prompt is clearly for the swap you started but the wallet or browser has stopped responding, close the request, reconnect the wallet, and reload the swap page. Reconnect only through the site you opened directly; don’t follow a link from a surprise message. Then fetch a fresh quote and try again. A previous quote’s permit may have a deadline or nonce that no longer matches the current request, so repeating an old signature can fail even when the wallet itself is working.

Before signing again, inspect the details the wallet provides. Confirm the token, spender, amount or limit, network, and any expiry shown. A signature can grant permission without asking you to pay gas, but that does not make every signature harmless. If the wallet shows unclear data or a spender you did not expect, stop and verify the request with the app’s own interface.

What if I signed, but the swap still has not moved?

If the wallet says the signature succeeded but the swap page is waiting, refresh the app’s state and request a new quote before signing again. The first signature may have expired, the quote may have changed, or the app may have failed to receive the signature. Changing accounts or networks after signing can also leave the app with a signature that does not fit the active request. A fresh quote and one fresh signature are usually the cleanest recovery path.

If the wallet instead shows a pending approval transaction with a hash, do not treat it like a stuck signature. Check its status on the block explorer. If it is pending, the wallet may offer a speed-up or cancellation using the same account nonce; those actions submit replacement transactions and can require additional gas. A cancellation request is not proof the original transaction has disappeared until the chain confirms the replacement. If the approval succeeds, return to the swap and submit it separately if the app has not already done so.

• Wallet prompt open, no hash: complete or reject the signature, then reconnect and request a fresh quote if needed.
• Signed, app still waiting: refresh the app and check the account, network, quote and expiry before signing again.
• Approval hash pending: follow the transaction on the explorer and use the wallet’s replacement controls only if needed.
• Approval confirmed, no swap hash: return to the app and submit the swap; the approval did not execute it.

The practical rule is to diagnose the last completed step before repeating anything. A permit signature can save a separate approval transaction, while a conventional approval can be easier to trace once it has a hash. Watch for the wallet prompt to clear, the approval or swap transaction to appear, and the app’s quote or signature deadline to expire. Those signals tell you which step needs attention next.