---
title: "TradeMate user guide · MyAlgoMate"
source: https://myalgomate.com/guide/trademate
retrieved: 2026-11-01
publisher: MyAlgoMate (Myalgomate Technologies LLP, Rajkot, India)
---

# TradeMate — User Guide

This guide covers TradeMate from installation and first sign-in through daily use — connecting your broker, choosing what to trade, placing and managing positions from the live [option chain](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#option-chain), setting risk and adjustment rules, and monitoring your book. Figures shown in screenshots are sample data for illustration, not results.

Getting started

## Install and first run

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(Image: The sign-in screen)

TradeMate is a Windows application.

**Getting the installer.** After your purchase, sign in to your MyAlgoMate account and open [your subscriptions](https://myaccount.myalgomate.com/user/account/subscription). Your TradeMate subscription is listed there with a **Download** button.

1. Download the installer from that page.
2. Run it. Windows asks for administrator permission.
3. Choose the folder, or keep the one suggested.
4. Open TradeMate from the desktop or the Start menu.

Sign in with your **MyAlgoMate account**. That is the email and password you registered with. These are not your broker details. You log in to your broker in the next step.

> Figures shown in screenshots throughout this guide are sample data for illustration, not results.

## Paper trade or live trade

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(Image: TradeMate — Paper trade or live trade)

The sign-in screen has a switch for the mode: [**PAPER TRADE**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#paper-trading) or **LIVE TRADE**.

- **Paper trade** simulates every order inside TradeMate. Nothing reaches your broker.
- **Live trade** sends real orders to your broker. A red border runs round the whole window.

TradeMate remembers the last mode you chose. To change it, restart TradeMate and pick the other one when you sign in.

**Remember me** is ticked to begin with. It saves your email and password on this computer, so the next sign-in is quicker. Untick it to save nothing.

Try a new way of working in Paper mode first. It is the safest way to see what each button and rule does.

## The main screen

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(Image: The main screen)

Everything happens in one window.

- **The session bar** at the top. On the left is the **index and expiry tile**. Next to it are the live numbers: Spot, Syn Fut, [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money) [Straddle](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle), Pos Value, VIX and [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market). On the right are **MTM**, **Payoff** and **Indices**, text size, theme, **Support** and the Settings gear.
- **The [option chain](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#option-chain)** in the middle, with the **Rules panel** beside it. The Rules panel has four tabs, **Risk**, **ATM**, **Rolling** and **Price**, with the **Active Rules** list below them. Drag the grip between them to show more rules or more of the tab.
- Each tab opens with one line of explanation. Press **More** to read the rest.
- The panel shows the expiry it is working on, above the tabs. It is not a picker. Every new rule is created on the index and expiry selected in the tile at the top left, so there is only one place to choose them.

**The index and expiry tile.** This is the one place you choose what the chain shows. Click it and a menu opens in two parts:

- **Trading today** — the indices that are switched on, each with its expiries. Click an expiry to show it in the chain. The switch beside it turns that expiry off.
- **Switch on another index** — everything else. The switch turns an index and expiry on there and then. It says *getting ready…* while its prices arrive, then *ready*.

Under the tile you see how many chains you are using out of what your broker plan allows, and the [lot size](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#lot-size).

- **The books** at the bottom: the Positions and Orders tabs.
- **The status bar** at the very bottom. It shows the last message, the **BROKER** and **FEED** lights, the date and the time. When the feed drops, **FEED RECONNECTING** blinks.

You can drag the line between the chain and the books to give either more room.

Connect your broker

## Log in to your broker

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(Image: The broker login window)

After you sign in, the **Add broker account** window opens. You log in to your broker each time you start TradeMate.

1. **Select your registered account.** This list shows the accounts on your TradeMate licence. Each row shows the broker, the client ID and the days left.
2. The **Broker** and **Client ID** fill in by themselves. The account you used last time is selected for you.
3. Fill in your credentials. The fields depend on your broker. See *What each broker asks for*.
4. Press **Login**.

TradeMate then checks your licence, logs in to the broker, reads your funds, downloads the day's contract list and connects the live feed. Each step shows below the form. When it is done you see *Broker login, instruments, and market feed are ready.*

- An expired account cannot be picked. Use the renew button on its row.
- After buying or renewing, press **Check for New Accounts** to refresh the list.
- The edit button on a row changes the broker or client ID on your licence. You can do this once a day.
- Your credentials are saved on this computer each time you press Login. Next time, they fill in by themselves.

## What each broker asks for

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(Image: The login form for an XTS broker)

Every broker asks for an **A/C Name**, which is any name you choose, and your **Client ID**. The rest depends on the broker.

| Broker | Fields |
| --- | --- |
| Finvasia (Shoonya) | Password, TOTP Secret, Secret Key, Vendor Code |
| AliceBlue | Password, TOTP Secret, API Key, Secret Key |
| Dhan | Mobile Number, PIN, Password, TOTP Secret, API Key, Secret Key |
| Kotak Neo | Mobile Number (+91 and 10 digits), TOTP Secret, API Key, MPIN |
| XTS brokers — IIFL, AC Agarwal, Jainam, Share India, Wisdom Capital | Market API Key, Market Secret Key, Interactive API Key, Interactive Secret Key, and the settings below |

**[XTS](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#symphony-xts-api) brokers** have a few extra settings:

- **Enable [TOTP](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#totp-2fa)** — turn it on if your account uses TOTP. It unlocks TOTP Secret and Password.
- **Base URL** — your broker's [API](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#api) address.
- **Binary Market URL** — on to begin with.
- **Host Lookup** — with its URL and version, if your broker uses one.
- **User Type** — Pro to begin with. If you are not Pro, fill in **Dealer Code**.

The link under the form, **How to get your broker's credentials**, opens your broker's own setup guide.

## Static IP or proxy

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(Image: The proxy settings)

Some brokers only accept orders from a registered IP address. If yours does, use a proxy.

1. Tick **Enable [Static IP](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#static-ip) / Proxy**.
2. Fill in **Host**, **Port**, **Username** and **Password**.
3. Press **Test & Copy IP**. TradeMate checks the proxy and copies the IP address it uses. Register that address with your broker.

The proxy is saved with the account you are logging in to.

## Your subscription

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(Image: The Renew Plan window)

**Settings ▸ Subscription** shows your plan for the account you are logged in with: the client ID, the broker and the dates it is valid. It warns you when seven days or fewer are left.

1. Press **Renew Plan**.
2. Choose the **Duration**, and the **No. of Accounts** if your plan allows more than one.
3. Check the total and press **Submit**.
4. A checkout window opens. Complete the payment there.

The checkout window closes by itself when the payment goes through. TradeMate then shows *Subscription updated*.

You can also renew from **Support ▸ Renew subscription** in the top bar. It opens the same window, and the menu shows when your plan ends.

**When your plan is about to end.** In the last 7 days of your plan, TradeMate reminds you once each time it starts. Press **Renew now** to open Renew Plan, or **Skip** to be reminded next time. Until you renew, a **Renew** button with the days left sits in the top bar.

Settings

## Opening Settings

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(Image: The Settings window)

Press the gear in the session bar. Settings also opens by itself after you log in to your broker, on the Instruments page.

- The list on the left has three groups: **Trading**, **App** and **Housekeeping**. **Tickets**, under App, opens MyAlgoMate support.
- **Find a setting** searches every page.
- A dot next to a page means it has unsaved changes.
- **Save** saves every page at once. **Save & close** saves and closes the window in one press.
- **Close** or Esc closes the window. If anything is unsaved, TradeMate asks first.

Nothing is locked while you trade. Every page can be changed at any time.

## Instruments

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(Image: The Instruments page)

Choose what you trade today. There is a table for NSE and BSE indices and a table for MCX commodities.

| Column | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| On | Trade this instrument today. Everything starts off each time TradeMate opens. |
| Expiry | A tick list. Tick every expiry you want to trade. The earliest one you tick is the one the chain opens on. |
| Strike gap | The spacing between strikes in the chain. It must be a multiple of the exchange's step. Leave it blank to use the exchange's step. |
| Max qty / order | The largest quantity in one order. It steps in lots. |
| Days to expiry | Trading days left, not counting weekends and holidays. For information only. |

Nothing on this page is locked. Switch an index or an expiry on or off whenever you like. The tile at the top left of the main screen does the same without opening Settings.

**Several expiries of one index.** Tick two or three and TradeMate trades them side by side. Each one is its own chain, with its own strikes and its own [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money) [straddle](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle). Your broker plan sets how many chains you can run at once, and the tile at the top left shows how many you are using.

Switching an expiry off is refused while it still holds an open position or an armed rule.

On most brokers it also does not stop that expiry's prices arriving. TradeMate stops using them, but the feed keeps running until you close TradeMate. So the chain slot is free again only after a restart.

If an expiry says it is still downloading, wait a few seconds. The list refreshes by itself.

## Orders

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(Image: The Orders page)

Decide how TradeMate prices its orders. Pick **Entry**, **Exit** or [**Stop loss**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) at the top. Each has one row per instrument.

| Column | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Product | Entry only. MIS or NRML for new orders. Exits use the product of the position. |
| Limit price from | The price the limit is built from: LTP, BestBidAsk, IMFill or AvgBidAsk. |
| Buffer | How far from that price to set the limit. |
| Unit | Whether the buffer is a % or Pts. |
| Min buffer | The smallest buffer in points, when the unit is %. |
| If not filled | Revise Limit Price moves the price again. Do Nothing & Wait leaves it. |
| Revise every (s) | Seconds between revisions. |
| Max revisions | How many times to revise. |
| After last revision | What happens after the last revision: the order waits at its price. |

The copy button on a row gives every instrument that row's settings.

Entry and exit orders are always [limit orders](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#limit-order). [Stop-loss orders](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss-order) are always stop-limit (SL) orders.

## Order retry

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(Image: The Order retry page)

Choose what happens when your broker rejects an order. This applies to every instrument.

- **Retry rejected orders** — place the order again by itself. On to begin with.
- **Max retries** — how many attempts. 3 to begin with.
- **Wait between retries (seconds)** — 1 second to begin with.
- **Retry only with a reduced quantity** — only retry when the quantity has been reduced. Off to begin with.

## Trading behaviour

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(Image: The Trading behaviour page)

- **Work out [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money) from** — how the ATM strike is found: **Spot / index**, **Index future** or [**Synthetic future**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#synthetic-future). The session bar and the rules use it. The [option chain](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#option-chain) keeps its ATM until you press ATM ⟳.
- **SL, [TSL](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#trailing-stop-loss) and target step** — how much the up and down arrows change a [stop loss](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss), trailing or target price in the books. 0.1 to begin with.
- **[RMS](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#rms) step** — the same for the levels on the Risk and ATM tabs. 1 to begin with.

## Confirmations

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(Image: The Confirmations page)

Choose which actions ask "Are you sure?" before they run. All nine ask to begin with.

| Action | Where |
| --- | --- |
| Exit 25%, Exit 50%, Exit 75%, Exit 100% | The Quick exit buttons |
| Exit selected positions | The position books |
| Add to selected positions | The position books |
| Cancel all orders | The position books |
| Cancel selected orders | The order book |
| Turning on KeyBoard Order | The option chain |

Ticking **Don't show again** on one of these questions turns it off here too.

## Telegram alerts

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(Image: The Alerts page)

TradeMate sends alerts through a Telegram bot that you create.

1. Create a bot in Telegram with @BotFather and copy its token.
2. Paste it into **Bot token**.
3. Put your chat ID or @channelname in **Channel or chat ID**.
4. Tick **Send Telegram alerts**.
5. To get your [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) regularly, tick **Send live MTM every** and pick an interval.
6. Press **Save**.

When you save, TradeMate sends a test message. If it does not arrive, check the token and the chat ID. Live MTM is not sent while the market is closed or when MTM is zero.

Go live

## Going live

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(Image: Choosing today's indices)

There is no START button. Market sync begins as soon as your broker is logged in.

1. Log in to your broker. TradeMate starts the price feed, your books and the rules checker.
2. **Settings opens on Instruments and stays open until you switch on at least one index and press Save.** Without one there is nothing to show or trade.
3. Read the risk agreement and press **I accept**.
4. Each index and expiry gets ready on its own. The chain says *Getting NIFTY 30-09-2026 ready…* while its prices arrive, and its buttons come alive when they do.

- You can switch an index or an expiry on at any time, from the tile at the top left. You wait a few seconds for that one, not for everything.
- Switching one off is refused while it still holds an open position or an armed rule. The message says which.
- If your broker session expires during the day, log in again from the top bar. Everything carries on.

## The risk agreement

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(Image: The risk agreement)

The agreement appears once after you log in to your broker, each time you run TradeMate.

Read it and press **I accept** (or Enter). **Disagree** (or Esc) closes it, and TradeMate will not place any order until you accept. It is offered again the next time you log in.

Trade from the option chain

## Straddle, Strangle and Custom

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(Image: The option chain in Straddle mode)

Pick the mode with the tabs at the left of the chain toolbar. Pick the index and the expiry from the tile at the top left.

- [**Straddle**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle) — each row is the call and the put at one strike.
- [**Strangle**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#strangle) — each row is a call strike and a put strike the same distance from [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money). The row shows both strikes.
- **Custom** — you build the rows. Pick a call strike and a put strike on each row. **+** adds a row and **−** removes one. Custom rows are cleared when you change the index.

(Image: The option chain in Custom mode)

The option chain in Custom mode

Pick the expiry from the same tile as the index, at the top left. Every expiry you ticked in **Settings ▸ Instruments** is listed there, and the chain switches to whichever one you click.

## The strike window and ATM

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(Image: TradeMate — The strike window and ATM)

- **± [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money)** sets how many strikes show above and below ATM. The default is 10 each side.
- The chain keeps the same ATM row until you press **ATM ⟳**. This stops rows moving under your mouse as the index moves.
- The ATM row is highlighted. In-the-money cells are shaded.
- In [Straddle](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle) mode, **Spot** and **Syn Fut** lines show where those prices sit between two strikes. Turn them on or off with the **Show** chips in the toolbar.
- A green or red pill next to a strike shows your open quantity there. Green is long, red is short.

## Choosing columns

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(Image: The chain's column menu)

Press the sliders icon in the chain toolbar to choose columns.

- **Calls and puts** — PNL, Qty, Buy, Sell, Exit, Move ½, Move 1 and [Delta](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#delta). Each tick shows or hides the column on both sides.
- **Combined** — Qty, Buy, [LTP](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#last-traded-price), Sell, Exit, PNL and Net Qty for the pair.

LTP and Strike always show. If you hide everything, press **Show all** to get the columns back.

## Placing orders

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(Image: Order buttons on a chain row)

1. Set the default quantity in the toolbar **Qty**. It is saved for each index.
2. Change a row's **Qty** if you want a different amount for one order.
3. Press **B** to buy or **S** to sell a call or a put. Use **B** or **S** in the Combined band for both legs.
4. Press **EXIT** to close your whole position in that contract.

Quantities are in units and must be whole lots. A red Qty box means the number is not a lot multiple or is above your Max qty / order.

The buttons stay grey until the session has started and the chain has prices. They also go grey for a moment while a new index loads.

## Hedge on sell

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(Image: Hedge turned on in the chain toolbar)

1. Tick [**Hedge**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#hedge) in the chain toolbar.
2. Set the distance in strikes. The default is 5.

Each Sell button now reads **S+B**. Pressing it first buys the same option type that many strikes further out, for the same quantity. Then it sells the contract you clicked.

The hedge stays linked to the short. Exiting the short exits the hedge with it. Adding to the short buys more hedge first.

## Moving your shorts

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(Image: TradeMate — Moving your shorts)

The **Move** column moves your short positions to the row you click.

- **1** moves all of your other shorts on that side (CE or PE) to this strike.
- **1/2** moves half of each.

Only positions with the same index, product and expiry are moved. Each one is closed and opened again at the new strike.

## Trading with the keyboard

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(Image: The keyboard shortcuts sheet)

Click any cell in the chain, then use the arrow keys to move around.

To place orders from the keyboard, tick **KeyBoard Order** in the chain toolbar and confirm.

| Key | Action |
| --- | --- |
| Arrow keys | Move between cells |
| Enter on a Qty cell | Confirm the quantity |
| B / S / E | Buy, sell or exit the focused leg |
| Enter or Space on a button | Press it |
| + / − on a Strangle strike | Buy or sell |

The keyboard icon in the toolbar opens the full list of shortcuts.

Manage your positions

## The position books

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(Image: The position books)

The **Positions** tab has three books: **Sell positions**, **Buy positions** and **Closed positions**. Click a book's header to fold or unfold it. Closed positions starts folded.

- The header shows how many positions there are, and the CE, PE and net quantity.
- The [**MTM**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) chip shows the live MTM of all positions.
- Click the Positions tab again to refresh it.

## Columns, filters and groups

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(Image: The Columns menu)

- **Columns** — show, hide or reset columns. The pin keeps a risk or action column on the right edge while you scroll.
- **Filters** — click a column header's filter to pick the values to show. With a filter on, **Filter [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market)** shows the MTM of the rows you can see. **Clear filters** removes them all.
- **Group** — group rows by Index, Expiry, Strike or CE/PE. Each group row shows the count and net quantity. Grouping is for display only and resets when you restart.
- Click a column header to sort.

## Exit and add by size

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(Image: Size, Exit and Add in the books toolbar)

1. Tick the rows you want. Tick none to act on all open positions.
2. Pick a **Size**: 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, **Custom QTY** or **Custom %**.
3. Press **Exit** or **Add** and confirm.

Shares are rounded to whole lots. If a share of a leg is less than one lot, that leg is skipped.

## Quick exit and timed exits

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(Image: Setting a timed exit)

The **Quick exit** buttons exit a share of your positions straight away: **Exit 25%**, **Exit 50%**, **Exit 75%** and **Exit 100%**.

To exit at a set time instead:

1. Tick the rows, or none for all positions.
2. Press the clock next to a Quick exit button.
3. Type the time in 24-hour form, for example 15:10:00. It must be later today.
4. Press **Set Time**. The button now shows the time, for example *Exit 50% at 15:10:00*.

To remove it, clear the time and press **Set Time** again.

- A timed exit belongs to today only.
- If TradeMate was closed when the time passed, the exit is dropped.
- **Cancel All** cancels every open order and clears every timed exit.

## Row buttons

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(Image: Row buttons in the position book)

Each position row has its own buttons.

| Button | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Exit | Exit the quantity in the row's box, or 1/4, 1/2 or all of it |
| Add | Add the quantity in the row's box, or 1/4, 1/2 or all of the open quantity |
| Away / Away 2 | Roll the leg one or two strikes further from the money |
| Close / Close 2 | Roll the leg one or two strikes nearer the money |
| Move To | Roll the leg to the strike you pick |

The roll buttons show the new strike and its price before you click. A roll button is grey if that strike is not available. A [hedge](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#hedge) leg cannot be rolled on its own. Roll its short instead.

## The order book

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(Image: The order book)

The **Orders** tab shows the day's orders at your broker. The number on the tab is the count.

- **All**, **Open** and **Complete** filter the list.
- The pager is at the top and the bottom. **Page size** sets 5, 10, 25 or 50 rows.
- Drag a column header to move it.
- To cancel orders, tick the open ones and press **Cancel**.

Risk management

## The stop loss and target bar

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(Image: The stop loss and target bar)

Turn on **SL** or **TGT** in the positions toolbar. The settings bar opens under it.

- **Auto arm on** — which positions are armed by themselves: **Sell positions** or **Buy positions**.
- [**Stop loss**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) — **Auto arm**, the distance in **Pts** or **%**, the **Qty** to act on, what happens **On hit**, and **At broker**.
- **Target** — the same, without At broker.

When you change anything, the bar turns amber and shows **Unsaved**, with **Save** and **Cancel** beside it. Nothing you changed is in use until you press **Save**. **Save** keeps these as your defaults and applies them to every open position. **Cancel** puts back what was saved. Neither sends anything to your broker.

**What On hit means:**

| Choice | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| Exit | Exit the chosen quantity |
| Add | Add the chosen quantity |
| Away, Away2, Away3 | Roll the leg 1, 2 or 3 strikes further from the money |
| Close, Close2, Close3 | Roll the leg 1, 2 or 3 strikes nearer the money |

**Which one to use for which job:**

- To limit a loss on a short leg, use **Exit** with **At broker** on. The stop order sits with your broker, so it works even if your computer is off.
- To keep a short position but move away from a rising price, use **Away**.
- To take part of the position off at a target, set **Qty** to **50%** and **On hit** to **Exit**.

Auto arm is always off when TradeMate starts. Turn it on again each day if you use it.

## Trailing stop loss

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(Image: TradeMate — Trailing stop loss)

In the **Trail SL** box:

- **every X** — how far the price must move in your favour before the stop moves.
- **move SL Y** — how far the stop moves each time.
- **Pts** or **%** — the unit for both.
- **At broker** — each step also changes the stop order at your broker.
- **Auto arm** — trails new positions by itself. It needs the [stop loss](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) Auto arm on too.

**Example.** A short NIFTY call with a stop loss, trailing every 10 points by 5 points. Each time the premium falls another 10 points, the stop loss moves 5 points lower. If the premium rises, the stop stays where it is.

## Stop loss and target on one row

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(Image: A row's stop loss, trailing and target cells)

Each position row has **SL**, **T SL** and **TGT** cells.

- Tick the cell to arm it. Edit the price with the box or its arrows.
- Pick the quantity: Full, 90%, 75%, 50%, 25% or **Custom Qty**.
- Pick the **On hit** action for that row.
- Tick **T SL** and set X and Y to trail that row.

The tick box in a column header arms or disarms every row at once.

A [stop loss](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) price must be at least one price step away from the current price. For a short position it must be above the current price. For a long position it must be below it. A price exactly at the current price is not accepted, because it would fire at once.

A stop loss that is armed stays armed after a partial exit or an add on the same side. It is worked out again only after the position is closed and opened again.

## The Risk tab

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(Image: The Risk tab)

The **Risk** tab is the first tab of the Rules panel. It holds the rules that watch your **total [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market)**, and your margin. They act on all your open positions, across every index.

At the top you see your **Total MTM**.

**To set a [stop loss](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) on your MTM:**

1. In the **Stop loss** card, type the level in **When MTM falls to**. Use a negative number for a loss, for example -5000.
2. Choose the **Action**, for example *[Exit all](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#kill-switch) positions*.
3. Choose the **Qty**, for example *Full* or *50%*.
4. To trail it, tick **Trail SL** and set **every** and **move SL**.
5. Press **Add**. The card shows **ARMED** and the rule appears under **Active Rules**.

The **Target** card works the same way, with **When MTM rises to**.

**The Action menu:**

| Action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Exit all positions | Exit every open position |
| Add to all positions | Add to every open position |
| Exit buy positions | Exit only your long positions |
| Exit sell positions | Exit only your short positions |
| Exit loss-making positions | Exit only the positions that are in a loss |
| Exit profit-making positions | Exit only the positions that are in profit |

**Qty** sets how much of each position the action covers: Full, 75%, 67%, 50%, 33% or 25%.

**Which one for which job:**

- To stop the day's loss at one number, set a stop loss with *Exit all positions* and *Full*.
- To lighten up when MTM reaches a level, set a target with *Exit all positions* and *50%*.
- To cut only the positions that are going wrong, use *Exit loss-making positions*.

**Trailing example.** Stop loss at -5000, every 1000, move SL 500. When MTM rises by 1000, the stop loss moves up by 500, to -4500. It never moves back down.

**Changing or removing a rule.** Change the level, action or quantity and press **Update**. The bin removes the rule. On a card that is not armed, the bin just clears it.

- Stop loss and target are a pair. When one fires, both are removed.
- If MTM has already reached your level, TradeMate asks before it acts.
- These rules work as soon as your broker is logged in. They are cleared when TradeMate restarts.

**Margin** at the bottom of the tab shows your **Total**, **Used** and **Available** margin, from your broker.

## The ATM tab

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(Image: The ATM tab)

The [**ATM**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money) tab comes after Risk. Its heading reads *ATM [Straddle](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle)*. It holds the rules that watch the ATM straddle premium: the call and the put at the ATM strike added together. The top of the tab shows the live premium and the strike.

**To set a [stop loss](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#stop-loss) on the premium:**

1. In the **Stop loss** card, type the level in **When premium rises to**.
2. Choose the **Action**: *[Exit all](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#kill-switch) positions* or *Add to all positions*.
3. Choose the **Qty**.
4. To trail it, tick **Trail SL** and set **every** and **move SL**.
5. Press **Add**.

The **Target** card works the same way, with **When premium falls to**.

**Why the stop loss is above the premium.** A short straddle loses when the premium rises. So the stop loss sits above today's premium, and the target sits below it.

**Example.** The NIFTY ATM straddle is at 212. A stop loss at 250 exits your positions if the premium climbs to 250. A target at 170 exits them if it falls to 170.

- When the stop loss or the target fires, both are removed.
- **The rule belongs to one index and one expiry** — the ones selected at the top left when you added it. It watches that straddle, and it exits that expiry's positions only. Earlier versions exited every open position across every index.
- The [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) rules on the **Risk** tab still watch your whole portfolio and still exit everything.
- Your ATM rules keep running whichever index the tile is showing.
- How the ATM strike is found is set in **Settings ▸ Trading behaviour**.

## Rolling rules

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(Image: The Rolling tab)

Open the **Rolling** tab in the Rules panel.

The tab starts with one line on what a rolling rule does. Each card ends with a sentence that says what this rule will do, so you can check it before you press Add.

1. Pick the **Type**: [**Straddle**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#straddle), [**Strangle**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#strangle) or **All**.
2. Pick what it watches. For Straddle, the **Strike**. For Strangle, the **CE** strike, and the **PE** strike if you want. For All, the **Index**, the **Leg** and the **Side**.
3. Choose the band with the swap button next to **Band**: **Pts** or **Manual**.
4. Set **Upper** and **Lower**.
5. Choose **From**: **Spot** or **Synthetic**.
6. For All, set **Move (strikes)**, the number of strikes each leg moves. In Manual mode, set **Next band** too.
7. Press **Add**.

**How the bands work:**

- **Pts** — the bands are points above and below the price when you added the rule.
- **Manual** — the bands are the prices you type.

**When a band is crossed:**

- **Straddle** and **Strangle** roll both legs one strike. An upper cross moves the call away and the put closer. A lower cross does the opposite.
- **All** moves every matching leg by **Move (strikes)**. Away on an upper cross, closer on a lower one.

After each roll the rule sets itself again around the new price. It removes itself when its legs are closed. It does not act while the market is closed.

**Example.** A NIFTY straddle at 25000, with Pts, Upper 50 and Lower 50. If NIFTY rises 50 points, both legs shift up one strike: the call and the put move from 25000 to 25050. The rule then watches 50 points either side of the new price.

## Price rules

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(Image: The Price tab)

Open the **Price** tab in the Rules panel. Each index can have one rule of each type.

**Price Check CE** or **Price Check PE** watches a short call or put.

| Field | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Adjust at | Move the leg when its premium reaches this value |
| After ticks | Wait for this many ticks above the level first |
| Auto and Offset | Set Adjust at to your highest short entry price plus the offset, in % or Pts |
| New leg | Where to move: Premium at or below a value, Below the adjust level, or Move away N strikes |

**Price Difference** watches a short call and a short put together.

| Field | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Adjust at gap | Move when the gap between the two premiums reaches this, in % or Pts |
| After ticks | Wait for this many ticks first |
| Buffer | Room allowed when choosing the new strike |
| New leg | Nearest to the other leg, or Move closer N strikes |

Under the fields, each card says in one sentence what the rule will do.

The **Live** readout shows the reference, the level and the current gap.

**Adjustments** shows how many moves have been made and the maximum. At the maximum the rule stops and shows *Max Adj Done*. You can raise or lower the maximum during the day. The count starts again from zero when you restart TradeMate. If a move fails, the rule is removed. Other problems pause it for 30 seconds.

## Active rules

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(Image: The Active Rules list)

The **Active Rules** list sits below the tabs and is the same whichever tab is open. It shows everything that is armed, for every index and expiry: [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) and [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money) rules, rolling rules, price rules and timed exits. Each one is written in plain words, with its index and its expiry beside it.

- Five rules are shown to begin with. **Drag the grip above the list** to show more or fewer, and double-click it to go back to five.
- Remove one rule with its bin icon.
- **Delete All Rules** removes every armed rule, on every index.

Rules are for the current session. They are all cleared when you restart TradeMate.

Monitor

## The session bar

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(Image: The session bar)

| Tile | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| Spot | The index price, the day's high and low, and the change |
| Syn Fut | The synthetic future: ATM strike + call price − put price |
| ATM Straddle | The call and put price at ATM added together, with the strike |
| Pos Value | The value of your CE and PE positions |
| CE – PE | The difference between your CE and PE value |
| VIX | India VIX |
| MTM | Your MTM, its day high and low, and the number of open positions |

Pos Value and CE – PE show once you have positions. [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) shows once your broker is logged in.

## Index summary

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(Image: The Index Summary)

Press **Indices** in the session bar. The Index Summary opens in its own window that stays on top of other windows.

It has one row for each index you trade and a TOTAL row. Use **Columns** to choose what shows: [LTP](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#last-traded-price), Change, Fut, Syn Fut, [ATM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#at-the-money), [MIS](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mis) [MTM](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market), [NRML](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#nrml) MTM, MTM, MTM High, MTM Low, Decay, [Delta](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#delta) and Net Qty.

## MTM history

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(Image: The MTM History chart)

Press [**MTM**](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#mark-to-market) in the session bar. The MTM History opens in its own window.

- Pick the interval, from **1s** to **1h**, and **TOTAL** or one index.
- The top shows the current MTM, the high and the low, and the time of each.
- **+ Indicator** adds an SMA, EMA, WMA or Bollinger line. You can add up to six. Set the period from 2 to 500. The default is 20.
- **Fit** fits the whole day in the window.
- Copy the data, or download it as CSV.

## Payoff graph

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(Image: The payoff graph)

Press **Payoff** in the session bar and pick the underlying.

- **The chart** has two lines. One is the payoff at expiry, green above zero and red below. The other shows today. It also marks the spot, the break-even points, and bands one and two standard deviations from spot. Scroll to zoom. Drag to move.
- **The summary** shows the highest and lowest payoff at expiry, the break-even levels, the chance of profit, the net credit or debit, the live P&L, and [Delta](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#delta), [Theta](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#theta) and [Vega](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#vega).
- **What if** moves the date towards expiry and shifts [implied volatility](https://myalgomate.com/glossary#implied-volatility) up to 20% either way. **Reset** puts both back.
- **The legs table** lists each position. Turn a leg off to leave it out of the graph.

The graph refreshes every 2 seconds.

> Every figure on the payoff graph, including **Chance of profit**, is a calculation from today's prices and implied volatility. It is not a forecast of what will happen.

## Messages and the status bar

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(Image: TradeMate — Messages and the status bar)

- Messages appear at the corner of the screen and close by themselves. Errors stay longer. The same message repeated shows a count, for example ×3.
- Order rejections from your broker appear as messages too.
- The status bar keeps the last message. Its **BROKER** and **FEED** lights show the connection. **FEED** also shows how fresh the prices are.

Appearance and housekeeping

## Theme and text size

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(Image: TradeMate — Theme and text size)

- The sun and moon button in the session bar switches between **Dark** and **Light**.
- **A−** and **A+** change the text size from 80% to 200%. You can also use Ctrl + and Ctrl −. Click the percentage to go back to automatic, which follows your screen size.

## Data and reset

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(Image: The Data and reset page)

**Settings ▸ Data & reset** keeps TradeMate tidy.

- **Delete old log files after N days** — on to begin with, at 10 days.

| Action | What it does | Restarts TradeMate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Download CSV | Saves the full contract list as a CSV file | No |
| Clear instruments | Deletes the saved contract list. It downloads again at the next broker login. Use it when an index or expiry is missing. | Yes |
| Clear layout files | Deletes the saved grid layouts | Yes |
| Reset all settings | Puts every setting back to its default | Yes |

Each action asks you to confirm first.

## Software updates

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(Image: The update window)

TradeMate checks for a new version when you sign in. If there is one, a window shows your **Current Version**, the **Latest Version** and a **What's New** list.

- **Update Now** downloads the new version and checks it, then installs it.
- **Remind Me Later** carries on with the version you have.

Once the download is done, TradeMate closes, installs the update and starts itself again. A countdown shows how long until it restarts, and **Restart Now** does it straight away. **Do not open TradeMate yourself while it is installing.**

If the download fails, the button becomes **Retry Update**.

Some updates are marked **Update Required**. Then there is no Remind Me Later and no close button — you update before you can carry on.

Troubleshooting

## Common problems

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(Image: TradeMate — Common problems)

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The chain buttons are grey | That expiry is still getting ready. The chain says so at the top. Buttons come alive when its prices arrive, usually within a few seconds. |
| An index is missing from the chain | Switch it on from the tile at the top left, under Switch on another index. No restart needed. |
| An expiry is missing | Wait a few seconds. If it is still missing, use Clear instruments in Data & reset and log in again. |
| Settings will not close | You have no index switched on. Switch one on and press Save. |
| This expiry still has an open position | Close that expiry's positions, or remove the rules armed on it, then switch it off. |
| I switched an expiry off but its prices keep coming | Most brokers cannot stop a price feed once it has started. TradeMate has stopped using that expiry. The feed stops when you close TradeMate. |
| The Qty box is red | The quantity is not a whole number of lots, or it is above your Max qty / order. |
| No other sell positions to move | Move only works on short positions with the same index, product and expiry. |
| Turn on an index first | No instrument is on. Turn at least one on in Settings. |
| FEED RECONNECTING blinks | Your internet or the broker feed dropped. TradeMate reconnects by itself. Prices may be old until it does. |
| Session expired | Your broker session ended. Use the login button in the top bar. The trading session carries on. |
| An account cannot be picked at login | Its subscription has expired, or its broker is not supported. Use the renew button, or update the broker on the row. |
| My stop losses are not armed after a restart | Armed rules and Auto arm are for one session. Turn them on again after each start. |

**Still stuck? Use the Support menu.** Press **Support** in the top bar. It holds three things:

- **User guide** — this guide, inside TradeMate. **F1** opens it too.
- **Tickets** — MyAlgoMate opens in its own window, with TradeMate already chosen as the product. Create a ticket, or follow up on one you raised before. You can attach your session or day logs, so the support team can see what happened. **Settings ▸ Tickets** does the same.
- **Renew subscription** — the same Renew Plan window as Settings ▸ Subscription.

The end date of your plan is shown at the bottom of the menu, with the days left.

[← Back to TradeMate](https://myalgomate.com/products/trademate)

---
MyAlgoMate is a technology provider: its software automates the user's own trading rules. It does not give
trading tips, calls or investment advice and never promises returns. Site map for AI assistants:
https://myalgomate.com/llms.txt