Skip to main content

Pre-live Trade Copier verification checklist

Complete this checklist in simulation before enabling a copier on a live or funded account. A successful entry is not a complete test. Verify protection, closing actions, connection recovery, and evidence collection.

It covers both copiers. Most items apply to either one. Where a section forks by broker, the Tradovate items are listed separately.

Configuration​

  • Correct source account
  • Correct follower accounts
  • Correct copy mode
  • Correct quantity rule for every follower
  • Maximum quantity checked
  • Instrument filters checked
  • Instrument replacements checked
  • Inversion disabled unless intentionally tested
  • Strategy or order filters checked
  • Unrelated accounts excluded

On Tradovate, also confirm:

  • Leader and follower are in the same environment (Demo to Demo, or Live to Live under one login). Cross-environment and cross-identity pairs are still being validated
  • Only one copier exists for this leader and follower pair
  • Mode matches intent: signal mode copies CrossTrade commands only, execution mode copies every leader fill at market, and order mode mirrors the leader's working orders
  • Symbol replacements are only relied on for unbracketed market entries
  • Drift correction setting is deliberate

Order lifecycle​

  • Market entry tested if used
  • Limit entry tested if used
  • Stop entry tested if used
  • Stop loss placement tested
  • Profit target placement tested
  • Order change tested
  • Single-order cancel tested
  • Cancel-all behavior tested if used
  • Flatten behavior tested
  • Partial fill behavior reviewed or tested when available
  • Source and follower end flat after the test

Connection and recovery​

On NinjaTrader 8:

  • NinjaTrader 8 connection status verified
  • CrossTrade NT8 add-on connection status verified
  • Controlled disconnect tested in simulation
  • Reconnect behavior tested

On Tradovate, there is nothing local to disconnect, so verify recovery instead:

  • Both Tradovate identities show as linked
  • Understood that execution-mode fills during an outage are not replayed afterwards
  • Reconnect catch-up behavior reviewed, and drift correction set deliberately
  • Understood that a fixed-quantity follower only auto-corrects to flat, not mid-position

Both:

  • Source position checked after reconnect
  • Follower positions checked after reconnect
  • Working orders checked after reconnect
  • Out-of-sync procedure reviewed
  • New automation remains paused until state is reconciled

Evidence and support​

  • Source order identifiers saved
  • Follower order identifiers saved
  • Signal or strategy identifier saved
  • Relevant copier logs saved
  • Error or block reason saved
  • Timestamp and timezone saved
  • Expected result recorded
  • Actual result recorded
  • Incident explainer available for a structured report

Rules and account permissions​

  • Current broker rules reviewed
  • Current prop-firm rules reviewed
  • Automation permission verified
  • Copying permission verified
  • Account ownership requirements verified
  • Prohibited strategy or coordination rules reviewed

CrossTrade does not determine whether a trader's exact workflow complies with a broker or prop-firm agreement. Rules can change. Use the firm's current official terms as the source of truth.

Rollback readiness​

  • Person responsible for stopping automation identified
  • Method to disable the copier verified
  • Method to cancel working orders verified
  • Method to flatten positions verified
  • Account reconciliation procedure available
  • Previous configuration saved if this is a migration

Approval record​

Record:

  • Test date and timezone
  • Broker (NinjaTrader 8 or Tradovate)
  • CrossTrade NT8 add-on version and NinjaTrader version, on NT8
  • Tradovate environment (Live or Demo) and linked identity, on Tradovate
  • Source account
  • Follower accounts
  • Copy mode
  • Tester
  • Result
  • Known limitations