How to Create a Solana Token Presale Step by Step.

Okay, look. Most "how to" crap out there jumps straight into code or pretends you need a dev team. That's bullshit. You don't. Honest. If you're trying to set up a Solana token presale, the biggest mistake is thinking it's complicated. It's not. Tools like PandaTool or Smithii let you do this no code, in minutes, for like 0.1-0.3 SOL. But skip the basics? You'll burn cash on failed txs or rug accusations. In my experience, half the noobs forget to pre mint their token or check balances. Don't be that guy.

Why does this matter? One wrong param, and your presale address eats SOL with no refunds. Users freak, you look sketchy. So we're fixing that right now. Casual walk through. Pick a tool, follow along. You'll have a live presale by coffee break.

First, You Need a Token. Duh.

Can't presale what doesn't exist. If you haven't minted your Solana token yet, hit up PandaTool or Smithii's token creator. Costs peanuts, like 0.2 SOL tops. I usually go PandaTool 'cause it's dead simple.

Connect Phantom wallet. Pick your supply - say 1 billion tokens. Revoke mint after? Smart move for trust. Boom, token address in your clipboard. Got it? Good. If not, pause here. No token, no presale.

Quick Token Mint Checklist

  1. Wallet with 0.5 SOL min. Gas is ~0.000005 SOL per tx, but buffers save headaches.
  2. Name it something catchy. Symbol too. Metadata uploads easy.
  3. Mint full supply to your wallet. You'll transfer presale chunk later.
  4. Copy that contract address. You'll need it.

Sound familiar? Yeah, it's that fast. Now, tools time.

PandaTool Way: Dead Simple, Transfer Only

Love this for pure no frontend vibes. Users just send SOL to your presale address, get tokens auto. No website needed. Creator gets SOL instant, minus tiny fees. But strict rules - one share per tx, exact SOL or fail. No refunds. The thing is, it's automated AF.

Fees? 0.3 SOL to create. Then 0.005 SOL per user buy, skimmed from your cut. Price per share min 0.01 SOL. Total shares x tokens/share can't change post create. Got it?

Step by Step PandaTool Setup

  1. Connect Wallet. PandaTool presale page. Top right, hit "Connect". Phantom pops up. Approve. Address shows? You're in.
  2. Fill Params. Token address first - paste yours, hit check. Name/symbol auto fills. Total presale shares: say 1000. Tokens per share: 10000. Price per share: 0.02 SOL. Limit per address: 10 shares max. Duration: 7 days default, no tweak.
  3. Transfer Tokens. Send exact presale tokens (shares x per share) to the generated presale address. Wallet confirms.
  4. Create Now. Click it. Wallet tx for 0.3 SOL. Wait seconds. Success? Don't enter console yet - presale ain't live till you do.

Now what? Console. Menu > Console. Status "Normal"? Ready. Click in to start. Users send SOL to presale address. They get tokens auto. You get SOL minus fees. Delay? Network jam - wait 2 mins.

Problems? Insufficient SOL (need 0.4+). Token balance short. Network hiccup - switch RPC. Creation fails? Refresh, retry.

Smithii Alternative: Fancier, With Frontend

But if you want a slick page to share - progress bar, buy button, whitelist - Smithii's your jam. 0.1 SOL fee. Supports SOL/USDC payments. Whitelist phase optional, cheaper prices there. Soft/hard caps for pro look. In my experience, communities love the UI. Downside? Tokens locked till sold out or end. Buyers claim later.

FeaturePandaToolSmithii
Fee0.3 SOL create + 0.005/user0.1 SOL flat
FrontendNo, transfers onlyYes, shareable page
WhitelistNoYes, CSV upload
CapsTotal shares onlySoft/hard + min/max buy
ClaimInstantPost sale

Okay, Smithii steps. Super quick.

Smithii Launchpad Flow

  1. Smithii tools > Create Launch. Connect wallet.
  2. Sale Token. Paste your token address. Payment: SOL (or USDC). Price: 0.00001 SOL per token. Sale rate: tokens per SOL.
  3. Limits. Min buy 0.1 SOL, max 5 SOL per wallet. Soft cap 5 SOL, hard 50 SOL. Calculates tokens needed auto.
  4. Phases. Whitelist? CSV or manual adds. Dates/times local. Public start/end. No WL? Skip.
  5. Info. Image, name, Twitter, roadmap text. Preview looks dope.
  6. Create. 0.1 SOL tx + send tokens to contract. Live link generated. Share it.

Buyers hit page, connect, buy. Progress tracks. Edit pre start only. Post start? Locked. Reach hard cap? Tokens claimable. Fail soft? Future reclaim, but set realistic.

Common Screw Ups and Fixes

  • Wrong SOL Amount. Panda: Exact per share or tx fails, no refund. Smithii: Buy button enforces.
  • No Tokens Received. Wait 2 mins. Congestion. Check explorer.
  • Over Limit. Per address cap hits? Extra SOL stuck. Warn users hard.
  • Early End. Panda: Withdraw remaining tokens. Smithii: Admin claim unsold.
  • Wallet Dry. Always 0.5+ SOL buffer. Gas spikes.

Why skim fees? Covers automation. 0.005 SOL/user ain't bad for hands off SOL flow.

Params That Actually Matter

Don't eyeball these. Math 'em out. Say 1B supply. Presale 10%: 100M tokens. 1000 shares x 100k tokens/share. Price 0.02 SOL/share = 20 SOL total raise. Min 0.01/share. Per wallet limit 5% to avoid whales.

Smithii soft cap 10 SOL? Realistic for test. Hard 100 SOL. Min buy 0.05 SOL keeps spam low. Questions like "How many tokens for 50 SOL raise?" - tool calc's it.

Tweak Example Table

ScenarioSharesTokens/SharePrice/SOLTotal Raise
Small Test10010k0.011 SOL
Medium50050k0.0210 SOL
Big Presale2000100k0.0360 SOL

Pick based on hype. Too cheap? Looks dumpy. Too high? No buys.

Post Launch: Don't Ghost

Presale live. Share the address/link everywhere. Telegram, Twitter. "Send exact SOL to [address] for tokens!" Panda style. Or "Buy on [link]" for Smithii.

Monitor console/dashboard. SOL hits your wallet auto. Tokens gone from presale address? Success. End early? Withdraw rest. But announce.

In my experience, transparency kills FUD. Post tx proofs. "Raised 40/50 SOL. Next: liquidity."

Whitelist? Only If You Got VIPs

Smithii shines here. CSV format: wallet per line. Upload. Set WL price lower, like 0.015 vs public 0.02. Limits separate. Phase ends, public opens. Pro move for OGs. Panda? No WL, everyone equal.

Manually add? Copy paste wallets. Test with your burners first.

Legal ish Heads Up

Not advice. US? Check regs. Presales scream "security" to SEC sometimes. KYC? Your call. But tools don't care - blockchain don't ask.

Build trust: Lock LP post presale. Revoke authorities. Announce plans.

Scale It: Multiple Rounds?

One presale done? Create another. Different params. Or use Bitbond style for vesting - tokens release over time. Stages: 25% TGE, 25% monthly. Fancy, but more steps.

Honestly, start simple. Panda for quick. Smithii for polish. Iterate.

Stuck? Telegram groups for tools. But you'll nail it first try if you double check balances.