FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one Trade Copier, or one per broker?
There are two, and they work differently. The NT8 Trade Copier runs inside NinjaTrader through the CrossTrade NT8 Add-On, so NinjaTrader has to be running for copying to happen. The Tradovate Copier runs in CrossTrade's cloud against Tradovate's API, with nothing to keep running and your computer able to be off. Answers below note where they differ.
Can I copy from a live account to a demo account?
On NinjaTrader 8, yes: copying is supported between any account types, including live, demo, sim, and prop. On Tradovate, same-environment copying (Demo to Demo, or Live to Live under one login) is the validated configuration. Copying across environments or across linked identities, such as live-to-demo or between funded-firm logins, is still being validated, so verify it with demo accounts before relying on it.
How many copiers can I create?
There is no limit to the number of copying relationships you can establish. On Tradovate one additional rule applies: a given leader and follower pair may be linked by one copier only, in any mode, because two copiers on the same pair would copy the same leader activity twice.
Can one account be both a leader and follower?
Yes. Accounts can simultaneously lead some copiers and follow others.
On NinjaTrader 8, is the Trade Copier faster than multi-account placement?
The multiple orders from CSV-separated accounts would be sent within a few milliseconds of each other. The trade copier (especially in order mode) is responding to the moment the order gets entered for the account local to NT8. CSV account list and copier in order mode are comparable. Execution mode is going to be slower because it only enters after a position has been opened.
What happens if my internet connection drops?
On NinjaTrader 8 the Auto-Sync Engine restores synchronization when the connection is reestablished, realigning positions based on your copier configuration. On Tradovate your own connection is not in the path, since copying runs in CrossTrade's cloud. If the copier's own connection to Tradovate drops, execution-mode fills that land in the gap are not replayed afterwards. With drift correction enabled, reconnect runs a bounded catch-up pass to converge positions instead. In order mode, orders the leader placed during the gap are copied when the connection returns, and orders that were already copied are not duplicated.
How fast is the copying?
Order Mode (NT8 and Tradovate) and Signal Mode (Tradovate) replicate orders as they're placed. Execution Mode waits for the leader's fill before copying, so it lands slightly later.
What if I accidentally close a position in the wrong account?
On NinjaTrader 8, Auto-Sync detects the misalignment and corrects it on its next pass: every 10 seconds by default, or as often as every 3 seconds if you set it lower. On Tradovate this depends on the mode: execution mode places rate-limited correction orders after each copy and on reconnect, order mode places them on reconnect, and signal mode only detects drift and writes a warning to the copy log.
Can I copy different position sizes?
Yes. Use ratio-based sizing (e.g., 0.5x) and set maximum position limits for risk management.
How does symbol replacement work with different contract sizes?
A replacement swaps the contract, not the quantity. Mapping ES to MES at ratio 1 sends the follower 1 MES, not 10. Sizing is a separate setting, so pair the replacement with a ratio that reflects the contract-size difference: ES to MES at ratio 10 is the usual choice, since MES is a tenth the size. This is the same on both copiers.
What happens if the leader account trades more than my follower's maximum position size?
On both copiers, Max Position Size is a ceiling on the follower's total net position. On NinjaTrader 8 the follower will not exceed the maximum you configured, regardless of leader position size. On Tradovate, entries that would push the follower past the cap are trimmed to fit or skipped (the copy log records which), fills that reduce the position always pass, and drift-correction orders respect the cap. One Tradovate caveat: if the follower's position cannot be read in time, that copy proceeds with the per-order clamp only and a warning is written to the copy log.
I place my trades manually in Tradovate with TP/SL brackets. Do my followers get their own brackets?
It depends on the mode. In execution mode, no: followers enter at market with no resting take-profit or stop-loss of their own, and exit at market when your leader's exits fill. Order mode mirrors your working orders, brackets and OCO pairs included. Signal mode preserves brackets too, but only for entries your CrossTrade webhooks place, since it does not see manual Tradovate trades. The Tradovate Copier page covers what each mode copies.
Are copied orders marked as automated?
On Tradovate, yes. Tradovate flags every API-submitted order as automated at the platform level, and CrossTrade never represents an automated order as manual entry. Stealth Mode on Tradovate only removes the attribution text naming the leader account and order. On NinjaTrader 8, copied orders are ordinary NinjaTrader orders, and Stealth Mode gives them neutral names instead of CrossTrade's tracking IDs. Stealth Mode does not change order timing, size, or type, and whether copying is permitted on an account is set by the firm or broker that issued it.
Is this compliant with prop firm rules?
Stealth Mode doesn't decide that; your firm's rules do, so check them before using any copier. Some firms ban copiers outright or allow only their approved ones. On NinjaTrader 8, Stealth Mode gives copied orders neutral names instead of CrossTrade's tracking IDs. On Tradovate, the order is still flagged as API-submitted at the platform level, and Stealth Mode only removes the copied-from attribution text.
Can Stealth Mode recover from software crashes?
On NinjaTrader 8, yes: order mapping relationships survive a disconnection or a complete NT8 restart, so synchronization resumes without manual intervention. The Tradovate Copier has nothing local to crash, since it runs server-side.
Can I have one follower copy different instruments from different leaders?
Yes, as long as each instrument is unique to one leader per follower. For example, Follower A can copy ES from Leader X and NQ from Leader Y.
Can I invert trades for hedging?
Yes. Enable trade inversion to have the follower account trade opposite to the leader, creating automatic hedging. On Tradovate this applies to unpriced market entries: priced and bracketed entries are skipped, because absolute entry, stop, and target prices cannot be inverted safely. That is also why inversion does very little in order mode, where most mirrored orders carry a price.
How do I handle different brokers?
The NT8 Trade Copier works across the different broker connections inside NinjaTrader. Set up symbol replacement if contract specifications differ between them. Copying between NinjaTrader and Tradovate is not supported: each copier stays within its own platform, so a Tradovate copier pairs Tradovate accounts only.
Why isn't my copier executing trades?
On NinjaTrader 8, check that: the copier is switched on in the Copier On/Off column; both accounts are connected in NT8; instrument filters allow the traded symbol; maximum position size isn't preventing execution; and if you recently added a follower account without restarting NT8, restart it (NT8 orders do not start propagating through the event system the copier is listening to until it's restarted). On Tradovate, check that the copier is active, that the leader and follower identities are still linked, that instrument filters allow the symbol, and that you are using the right mode: signal mode does not see manual trades placed inside Tradovate, so use execution mode or order mode for those. Then read the copy log, which records skips and broker rejections with the reason.
How can I see what the copier is doing?
On NinjaTrader 8, use the "Activity Log" in the Add-On or click "See Logs" on the web dashboard for execution history, sync events, and configuration changes. On Tradovate, open the copy log with "See Logs" on the Tradovate Copier page: it records submitted actions, broker rejections, drift warnings and corrections, and skip decisions, with leader and follower order IDs where that stage has them.
What if positions get out of sync?
On NinjaTrader 8, use the "Auto-Sync Followers" action in the copier's row menu for an immediate manual sync, or rely on Auto-Sync to correct alignment automatically. On Tradovate, execution mode and order mode place rate-limited correction orders when drift correction is enabled, after each copy and on reconnect for execution mode, and on reconnect for order mode. One limit worth knowing: a fixed-quantity follower only auto-corrects to flat, because mid-position the correct target size is ambiguous for a fixed-qty config, so the drift is logged as a warning instead.
Why is my NT8 copier opening double?
If you have the same account authorized to multiple NT8 connections, each connection will execute order updates for the account independently, resulting in duplicate orders. NinjaTrader even warns about this in the Control Panel logs but still fires OrderUpdate events from each connection, effectively doubling each order. The immediate fix is to only connect each account once.