What is copy trading?
Copy trading means one account's trades are repeated on other accounts automatically. You trade one account as normal and the others follow, each at its own size.
One trade, repeated on every account at its own size
You trade the account you watch, the Leader. Every other account is a Follower that repeats the fill at its own size, so you stop placing the same order by hand while the market moves.
Each Follower's whole-number multiplier is applied before its order leaves.
- A four-lot lands as 4, 8 or 12 depending on the account
- Contracts can't be split, so there is no 0.5×
- A muted account sits the trade out
The muted evaluation skips this fill; the other three still copy it.
How a copier learns that the Leader traded
Either it polls the account or the broker pushes each fill as it happens.
| Execution events (Quanify) | Polling | |
|---|---|---|
| How it finds out | The broker pushes each fill with its own id | Asks what the account holds every few seconds |
| Two fills inside one interval | Two copies | Looks like one |
| Entry reversed inside the interval | Entry and exit both copied | Looks like nothing |
| Order filling in three pieces | Three copied fills | The size it ends up at |
Copy trading and automated trading
Both put orders on several accounts without you typing them. The difference is who decides.
- Copy Trader
- You take the trade on your Leader and your other accounts follow your fill.
- Automation
- A TradingView alert or script fires a webhook and orders go out with no one at the desk.
- Same accounts
- Both use the same broker connections. While an account follows a Leader, strategy signals to it are muted.
What copy trading does to risk
It multiplies it. Four accounts on one Leader is one position held four times, so a bad day hits every account at once. Commission is charged per account too, so a marginal strategy on one account is worse on four.
Per-account sizing helps: each account trades a size that fits its own balance. Before choosing a tool, see the six questions to ask a copier.
Is copy trading legit?Common questions
Short answers to what traders ask first. Anything else, the Help Center has it.
What is copy trading?
Copy trading is when one account's trades are repeated automatically on other accounts. In Quanify those are all accounts you own: one is the Leader, the rest are Followers, and each Follower places its own order at its own size when the Leader fills.
How does copy trading work in futures?
The copier receives an execution event from the broker when the Leader fills, resolves the contract, applies each Follower's whole-number multiplier and places a separate order for each Follower. Partial fills copy one for one.
Can I copy trades between different broker logins?
Yes, between Tradovate logins you own, and from a Tradovate leader onto TopstepX accounts. Quanify supports Tradovate and TopstepX today, plus Quanify Paper accounts; NinjaTrader and Rithmic are on the roadmap.
Do I need to keep my computer on?
No. Quanify holds the broker session on its servers, so copies continue with your machine off.
What happens to my open positions if I turn the copier off?
Nothing. Quanify doesn't close positions for you: not on power-off, not on cancellation, not when a group is deleted. New orders stop, and anything open stays at your broker.
Is copy trading the same as automated trading?
No. With copy trading you make the decision and your other accounts follow your fill. With automation a strategy decides and fires a webhook.
More on copy trading
Start on a simulated account. Go live when it earns it.
- Set up in minutes
- Nothing to download
- Paper account for testing
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