cow-protocol-sdk

USE FOR:

• "CoW Protocol / CoW Swap integration"
• "MEV-protected DeFi trading"
• "intent-based DEX order"
• "TWAP on-chain order"
• "limit order on DEX (crypto)"
• "cross-chain swap / bridge"
• "batch auction solver trading"
• "TypeScript DeFi trading SDK"

tags: [CoW-Protocol, DeFi, DEX, MEV-protection, TWAP, limit-order, intent-based, Ethereum, TypeScript, solver, batch-auction] kind: sdk category: crypto-defi-trading

What Is CoW Protocol?

Intent-based trading protocol with MEV protection via batch auctions and solver network.

• Repo: https://github.com/cowprotocol/cow-sdk
• Docs: docs.cow.fi
• Interface: swap.cow.fi (CoW Swap)
• Model: Coincidence of Wants — direct peer-to-peer matching when possible

How CoW Works

User submits signed intent (not on-chain tx)
         ↓
Solver network competes to find best execution:
  Option A: CoW match   → peer-to-peer, no AMM needed (best price)
  Option B: AMM route   → Uniswap/Curve/etc. (fallback)
  Option C: Aggregator  → 1inch/Paraswap route
         ↓
Best solver wins batch auction → executes on-chain
User gets guaranteed price or better (surplus → user)

MEV Protection: Orders are signed intents, not on-chain txs → front-running impossible. Surplus: Any price improvement beyond quoted amount goes back to the user.

Supported Networks

Ethereum · BNB Chain · Gnosis Chain · Polygon · Base · Arbitrum One · Avalanche · Linea · Ink · Sepolia (testnet)

Package Architecture (14 packages)

Installation

npm install @cowprotocol/cow-sdk
# or
pnpm add @cowprotocol/cow-sdk

Core Usage: Quote → Sign → Post

import { TradingSdk, SupportedChainId, OrderKind } from "@cowprotocol/cow-sdk"
import { createWalletClient, http } from "viem"
import { privateKeyToAccount } from "viem/accounts"
import { mainnet } from "viem/chains"

// Setup
const account = privateKeyToAccount("0x...")
const walletClient = createWalletClient({ account, chain: mainnet, transport: http() })

const sdk = new TradingSdk({
  chainId: SupportedChainId.MAINNET,
  signer: walletClient,
})

// 1. Get quote
const quote = await sdk.getQuote({
  kind: OrderKind.SELL,
  sellToken: "0xC02aaA39b223FE8D0A0e5C4F27eAD9083C756Cc2", // WETH
  buyToken:  "0x6B175474E89094C44Da98b954EedeAC495271d0F", // DAI
  amount: "1000000000000000000", // 1 WETH (18 decimals)
})

console.log(`Quote: sell 1 WETH → get ${quote.buyAmount} DAI`)

// 2. Post order (sign + submit in one step)
const orderId = await sdk.postSwapOrder({
  ...quote,
  slippageBps: 50, // 0.5% slippage tolerance
})

console.log(`Order posted: ${orderId}`)
// Track at: https://explorer.cow.fi/orders/${orderId}

Order Types

Market Order (Swap)

// Execute immediately at best available price
const orderId = await sdk.postSwapOrder({
  kind: OrderKind.SELL,
  sellToken: WETH,
  buyToken: DAI,
  amount: parseEther("1"),
  slippageBps: 50,
})

Limit Order

// Execute only when price reaches target
const orderId = await sdk.postLimitOrder({
  kind: OrderKind.SELL,
  sellToken: WETH,
  buyToken: DAI,
  sellAmount: parseEther("1"),
  buyAmount: parseUnits("3200", 18), // Only fill if 1 WETH ≥ 3200 DAI
  validTo: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + 86400, // expires in 24h
})

TWAP (Time-Weighted Average Price)

import { buildTWAPOrder } from "@cowprotocol/sdk-composable"

// Split 10 WETH into 10 parts over 24 hours
const twapOrder = buildTWAPOrder({
  sellToken: WETH,
  buyToken: DAI,
  totalSellAmount: parseEther("10"),
  numberOfParts: 10,
  timeBetweenParts: 2 * 60 * 60, // every 2 hours
  span: 0,                         // execute anytime within each window
})

const orderId = await sdk.postComposableOrder(twapOrder)

OrderBook API (Direct)

import { OrderBookApi, SupportedChainId } from "@cowprotocol/cow-sdk"

const orderBook = new OrderBookApi({ chainId: SupportedChainId.MAINNET })

// Get all open orders for a wallet
const orders = await orderBook.getOrders({ owner: "0x..." })

// Get order status
const order = await orderBook.getOrder(orderId)
console.log(order.status) // "open" | "fulfilled" | "cancelled" | "expired"

// Cancel an order
await orderBook.cancelOrder(orderId, signature)

Cross-Chain Bridging

import { BridgingSdk } from "@cowprotocol/sdk-bridging"

const bridge = new BridgingSdk({ chainId: SupportedChainId.MAINNET })

// Bridge USDC from Ethereum → Arbitrum
const bridgeOrder = await bridge.postBridgeOrder({
  sellToken: USDC_MAINNET,
  buyToken: USDC_ARBITRUM,
  amount: parseUnits("1000", 6),
  targetChainId: SupportedChainId.ARBITRUM_ONE,
})

Key Advantages Over Standard DEX Aggregators