๐ How to Use the Polygon Bridge How to Use the Polygon Bridge
Move your tokens between Ethereum and Polygon, wait a few minutes, and keep a little POL for gas on the other side.
A bridge carries tokens between two networks. The Polygon bridge connects Ethereum and Polygon: on a deposit it locks your token on Ethereum and mints a matching one on Polygon, and a withdrawal does the reverse. The official tool is the Polygon Portal.
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1Open the official Polygon Portal
Go to portal.polygon.technology and read the address before you do anything. Fake bridge sites copy the look of the real one.
Bookmark the real Portal and reach it from your bookmark, not from search ads or links in DMs.
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2Connect your wallet on Ethereum mainnet
Connect a self-custody wallet such as MetaMask, and check it is set to Ethereum mainnet. The bridge moves tokens between your own wallet on both networks, so you never paste an address by hand.
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3Choose Deposit and enter the amount
For Ethereum → Polygon, pick the Deposit (transfer) direction, select the token, and type the amount. Read the token, amount, and direction back to yourself before moving on.
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4Approve the two Ethereum transactions
Your wallet asks you to sign twice: first a token approval, then the bridge deposit. Both run on Ethereum, so both cost a little ETH for gas.
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5Wait for the tokens on Polygon
Give it roughly 7 to 10 minutes. When it finishes, the matching token shows up in your wallet on Polygon. If you bridged ETH, it usually arrives as wrapped ETH (WETH).
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6Keep some POL for gas
POL is the native gas token on Polygon, a fast layer-2 style network. Hold a small amount of POL there, or you won't be able to move what you just bridged.
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7To go back, choose Withdraw
For Polygon → Ethereum, pick Withdraw and confirm on Polygon. The PoS bridge then needs a separate exit/claim transaction on Ethereum to release the original tokens.
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8Allow time for the withdrawal
A withdrawal through the PoS bridge usually takes about 45 minutes to 3 hours, and the claim step on Ethereum costs ETH gas. This is run by a smart contract, so it can't be rushed.
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9Bridge a small amount first
Send a small test amount through the whole flow once. Seeing it land before you move anything larger is the cheapest way to learn the steps.
โ ๏ธ Stay safe
- ๐ Only use portal.polygon.technology; bookmark it and ignore ads and DM links
- ๐ซ Never send tokens by hand to the other network instead of bridging โ they can be lost for good
- โฝ Keep ETH on Ethereum to deposit, and POL on Polygon afterward to transact
- ๐ธ Ethereum gas can spike when busy, so a tiny bridge may cost more than it's worth
- ๐ Double-check the token, amount, and direction before you confirm
โ FAQ
- What address do I use? Do I send tokens manually?
- You don't paste an address. The bridge moves tokens between your own wallet on both networks. Sending tokens by hand to the other network instead of using the bridge can lose them for good.
- Why do I still need POL after bridging?
- POL is the native gas token on Polygon, so every transaction there costs a little POL. Keep a small amount on Polygon, or you won't be able to move what you just bridged.
- Why is the deposit cheap but it costs ETH?
- The approval and deposit happen on Ethereum, so you pay ETH gas there, which can be high when the network is busy. The Polygon side is cheap, so bridging a tiny amount may not be worth the Ethereum fee.