How to Use a Trailing Stop Bot
Automate position management with trailing stops that follow favorable price movements and lock in profits.
A trailing stop bot follows price in your favour at a set distance and closes the position when price retraces by that much. It automates the exit that most people intend and then talk themselves out of. The callback rate is the entire setting: too tight and normal noise closes you, too wide and you hand back most of the move.
Before you start
- An open position, or entry conditions for the bot to open one.
- A callback rate compared against the pair's normal swing rather than picked round.
Create a Trailing Stop Bot
Navigate to Trading Bots > Create Bot > Trailing. This bot places and manages trailing stop orders that automatically adjust as the price moves in your favor, locking in progressively more profit.
Select the Position to Trail
Choose the asset and direction. For a long position, the trailing stop follows the price upward and triggers a sell when the price drops by your callback amount. For a short position, it follows the price downward and triggers a buy on a rebound.
Set the Callback Rate
The callback rate is the percentage the price must reverse before the stop triggers. A 2% callback means the stop trails 2% behind the peak price. Tighter callbacks lock in more profit but may trigger on normal volatility. Wider callbacks give the price more room to fluctuate.
Configure Entry Conditions
Optionally set an activation price: the trailing stop only becomes active after the price reaches a specified level. This is useful for letting a position reach a minimum profit before the trailing mechanism engages.
Launch and Monitor
Start the bot and track the trailing stop level in real time on the chart. The stop level moves with favorable price action and locks when the price reverses. Once triggered, the bot executes the exit order. Review the execution summary showing entry, peak price, stop trigger price, and realized profit.
If something goes wrong
- The bot closed on an ordinary pullback.
- The callback was tighter than the pair's usual noise. Widen it, accepting that you return more of the move before it triggers.
- The trail never activated.
- Price did not reach the activation level you set. Check it against where the market actually traded, not where you expected it to.
Frequently asked questions
- What callback rate should I use?
- Wider than routine volatility on that pair. A few percent on a calm pair can be far too tight on a volatile one.
- Does it protect against a gap?
- It closes at market once triggered, so a fast gap can fill worse than the trigger. It limits exposure, not the exit price.
- Can I trail only part of a position?
- Yes — trail a portion and let the rest run, which is a common way to bank some of a move without ending it.