How Trade Copying Works

Start with a Source and a Destination

A Trade Copier route begins with a Source account and one or more Destination accounts. The Source provides the original trade activity. Each Destination receives a related order according to the controls defined for that route.

Source and Destination describe the technical direction of copying. They do not imply that different people own the accounts. A trader can copy between their own accounts, distribute one strategy across several destinations or organise separate routes for different strategies.

Build the copy route

Connecting accounts does not start copying automatically. A route must first bring the relationship together in one place: the Source, the selected Destinations, sizing, symbol behaviour, direction controls, trade handling, protection coverage and current route status.

Use clear route names and confirm that every selected account is connected before activation. Keeping the route paused while the settings are reviewed reduces the chance of starting with the wrong account, sizing method or destination.

Choose sizing for each Destination

Fixed sizing uses a selected destination volume. Proportional sizing adjusts the copied volume according to a defined balance or equity relationship. The suitable method depends on the Destination account, not only on the Source strategy.

Balances, leverage, margin rules, contract sizes and provider limits can differ between accounts. The same Source trade can therefore create a different level of risk on each Destination. Review the resulting exposure before relying on a live route, especially when accounts differ substantially in size or conditions.

Define how trades should be handled

A complete route must cover more than the opening order. The copy workflow may also need to respond to stop-loss and take-profit changes, pending orders, partial closes and full closes, depending on the supported connector and selected route settings.

Decide which order types and changes should be copied before activation. When a Destination cannot accept an instruction, the route event should remain visible so the difference can be reviewed rather than assumed to have completed successfully.

Check symbols, specifications and directions

Brokers can use different names or suffixes for the same market, and the underlying contract specifications may not be identical. Symbol mapping helps match the Source market to the correct Destination market where the route supports that relationship.

Direction and symbol controls can also limit which trades belong in a route. Review long and short permissions, included markets and any account-specific restrictions. A matching symbol name alone does not guarantee matching point values, volume steps or trading conditions.

Copy across supported brokers and platforms

The Source and Destination do not need to use the same broker. They can also use different trading platforms when both accounts are connected through supported live connectors. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are currently live, with additional platform connectors planned.

Cross-broker and cross-platform copying changes the connection path, but not the basic route model. The Source still provides the trade activity and each Destination still follows its own sizing, account conditions and protection. Review the supported platform overview before planning a route.

Understand execution differences

In this guide, execution means how the copied instruction is processed and filled on the Destination account. It does not mean that the Source and Destination will always receive the same price or final result.

Spread, liquidity, latency, market hours, slippage, margin availability, minimum volume, volume steps and symbol specifications can all create differences. A copied order may be filled at another price, adjusted to an allowed size, skipped or rejected by the Destination broker.

Monitoring should therefore show copied, skipped and failed outcomes—not only whether the Source order was detected.

Add protection around the Destination

A Source strategy can continue trading even when a particular Destination has reached its own limit. Account Protection allows that Destination or route to use boundaries for loss, drawdown, exposure, losing streaks and selected trading behaviour.

The configured response can alert the trader, restrict new activity, pause copying or take another supported action. Protection does not remove trading risk, but it makes the intended response visible before pressure arrives. Learn more in Account Protection.

Monitor route health and account status

After activation, review the route as an ongoing operation. Connection health, active or paused status, order events, alerts and protection coverage should remain visible alongside the account activity.

A disconnected account, unavailable symbol, rejected volume, closed market or insufficient margin can prevent a Destination order from matching the Source. Investigate the route event and account condition before resuming or changing the setup.

Historical Analytics can then compare Source and Destination outcomes over time and help identify whether differences come from sizing, execution, account conditions or the strategy itself.

Keep Trade Copier and Peer Copy terminology distinct

Trade Copier uses Source and Destination for the technical route. Master and Follower are reserved for Peer Copy, where independent traders connect through a private network.

In Peer Copy, the Master manages access to the strategy network. Each Follower connects their own Destination account and keeps control of its protection. The underlying copying principles are related, but the ownership, access and subscription responsibilities are different. Read How Private Peer Copy Works for that workflow.