How to List Your Token on PancakeSwap (2025 Guide)

So you've created your token on BNB Smart Chain (BSC) and now you want people to be able to trade it. Listing your token on PancakeSwap is the most popular way to make your BSC token available for trading. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from creating a liquidity pool to getting your token listed.

What is PancakeSwap?

PancakeSwap is the leading decentralized exchange (DEX) on BNB Smart Chain. It allows users to swap tokens directly from their wallets without needing a centralized exchange account. When you list your token on PancakeSwap, you're creating a trading pair—typically pairing your token with BNB or a stablecoin like USDT or BUSD.

Unlike centralized exchanges that require applications and approvals, PancakeSwap is permissionless. Anyone can create a trading pair as long as they provide liquidity (both sides of the trading pair).

Prerequisites Before Listing

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Your token deployed on BNB Smart Chain (BSC)
• BNB in your wallet to pay for gas fees (usually $1-5)
• Liquidity tokens ready (both your token and the paired token, e.g., BNB or USDT)
• MetaMask or Trust Wallet connected to BSC
• Your token contract address (you'll need this to create the pair)

Important: You cannot list a token that doesn't exist yet. Make sure your token is fully deployed and you have the contract address from your deployment transaction.

Step 1: Visit PancakeSwap and Connect Your Wallet

Navigate to pancakeswap.finance and click the "Connect Wallet" button in the top right. Choose your wallet (MetaMask, Trust Wallet, WalletConnect, etc.) and approve the connection.

Security tip: Always verify you're on the official PancakeSwap website. Scammers create fake DEX sites to steal tokens. Bookmark the official site and double-check the URL.

Make sure your wallet is connected to BNB Smart Chain network. If it's set to Ethereum or another network, switch it to BSC. You can add BSC to MetaMask if needed using the network details: Network Name: BNB Smart Chain, RPC URL: https://bsc-dataseed.binance.org/, Chain ID: 56, Symbol: BNB, Block Explorer: https://bscscan.com

Step 2: Navigate to "Add Liquidity"

Once connected, go to the "Trade" menu at the top and select "Liquidity" (or go directly to pancakeswap.finance/liquidity). Click the "Add Liquidity" button.

You'll see two token input fields. The first field will be for selecting the base token (typically BNB, BUSD, or USDT), and the second will be for your custom token.

Step 3: Select Your Token Pair

In the first field, select BNB, BUSD, or USDT (whichever you want to pair with). These are the most liquid options and will make your token easier to trade.

In the second field, click "Select a token" and paste your token's contract address. PancakeSwap will automatically detect your token's name, symbol, and decimals. Verify that the information matches your token before proceeding.

Can't find your token? If PancakeSwap doesn't recognize your token address, double-check:

• The address is correct (copy directly from your deployment or BSCScan)
• Your token is deployed on BNB Smart Chain (not Ethereum or another chain)
• You've included the "0x" prefix if copying from some sources

Step 4: Set Your Initial Price

When you add liquidity, the ratio you provide determines the initial price. For example:

• If you add 1,000,000 of your tokens with 1 BNB, the price is 1,000,000 tokens per BNB
• If you add 100,000 tokens with 1 BNB, the price is 100,000 tokens per BNB

The price ratio is simply: Price per token = (Amount of paired token) / (Amount of your tokens)

Pricing strategy: Think carefully about your initial price. If it's too high, people won't buy. If it's too low, you'll give away value. Research similar tokens to understand market expectations.

You can adjust the price later by adding or removing liquidity, but major changes can impact your token's perceived value, so it's better to set it correctly from the start.

Step 5: Provide Liquidity Amounts

Enter the amounts for both tokens. You need to provide both sides of the pair:

• Amount of your token (e.g., 1,000,000 MAT tokens)
• Amount of paired token (e.g., 1 BNB or 100 USDT)

How much liquidity should you provide?

• Minimum for testing: $100-500 worth (ensures the pool exists but may have low liquidity)
• Recommended for serious projects: $1,000-5,000+ (better liquidity, easier trading, more trust)
• For established projects: $10,000+ (professional-grade liquidity)

More liquidity = better trading experience = more trust from potential buyers. However, start with what you can afford. You can always add more liquidity later.

Step 6: Approve Token Spending

Before you can create the pool, PancakeSwap needs permission to access your tokens. Click "Approve [Your Token Name]" and confirm the transaction in your wallet. This is a one-time approval per token.

Gas fee note: This approval transaction will cost a small amount of BNB (usually under $0.50). You'll pay another small fee when you actually add the liquidity.

Step 7: Add Liquidity and Confirm

After approval, click "Supply" or "Add Liquidity" and review the details:

• Token pair (e.g., MAT/BNB)
• Liquidity amounts
• Initial price
• You'll receive LP (Liquidity Provider) tokens representing your share

Confirm the transaction in your wallet. The transaction typically confirms within 10-30 seconds on BSC.

Once confirmed, congratulations! Your token is now tradeable on PancakeSwap. Users can swap BNB or other tokens for your token directly.

Step 8: Verify Your Listing

After the transaction confirms, you can:

• Go to the "Trade" → "Swap" section on PancakeSwap
• Search for your token by symbol or paste the contract address
• Verify it appears and you can see a price quote

Your token should now be searchable on PancakeSwap. Share the contract address or create a direct swap link to make it easy for people to find.

Important Considerations

Liquidity Locking

For serious projects, consider locking your liquidity for a period (e.g., 6-12 months) using services like PancakeSwap's locking feature or third-party lockers. This shows commitment and prevents "rug pulls" (where creators remove all liquidity suddenly).

Initial Market Cap

Your initial market cap = (Price per token) × (Total supply). Make sure your initial price and liquidity align with realistic expectations. A token with 1 billion supply priced at $0.001 needs $1 million in liquidity to maintain that price, which may not be realistic for a new project.

Price Impact

With low liquidity, even small trades can move the price significantly (high slippage). As you add more liquidity, price impact decreases. Start with enough liquidity to handle initial trading volume.

After Listing: What's Next?

Now that your token is listed, focus on:

• Building community: Share your token on social media, create a website, engage on crypto forums
• Adding more liquidity: As trading volume grows, add more liquidity to improve the trading experience
• Creating utility: Give your token a purpose beyond trading (governance, staking, access to features)
• Marketing responsibly: Avoid spam. Focus on genuine value and community building

Check out our guide on How to Promote Your Token After Launch for detailed marketing strategies.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Token Not Showing Up

If your token doesn't appear:

• Verify the contract address is correct
• Ensure you're on BNB Smart Chain network
• Try importing the token manually using the contract address
• Check BSCScan to confirm your token exists and is verified

Transaction Failing

Common reasons:

• Insufficient BNB for gas (keep at least $2-5 worth)
• Slippage too low (try increasing slippage tolerance to 5-10%)
• Insufficient token balance (make sure you have enough of both tokens)
• Network congestion (try again in a few minutes)

Price Seems Wrong

If the displayed price doesn't match your expectations:

• Check the ratio you provided (price = paired token / your token)
• Remember that prices fluctuate based on trades and liquidity changes
• Verify decimals are set correctly (should usually be 18 for BSC tokens)

Security Best Practices

• Never share your private keys or seed phrase with anyone, even if they claim to be from PancakeSwap
• Double-check URLs to ensure you're on the official PancakeSwap site
• Verify contract addresses on BSCScan before interacting with any token
• Start with small amounts when testing to minimize risk
• Lock liquidity if you're serious about your project to build trust