Trade Execution Issues

When a signal arrives but the trade does not behave as expected, work through this page to diagnose the problem.

Signal Not Executing

Problem: You saw a signal in your Telegram channel, but no trade opened on your dashboard.

Checklist:

1. Check channel assignment: Is the channel assigned to an active MetaTrader account? Go to Dashboard > Channels, click on the channel, and verify the account assignment is set and active.
2. Check status lights: Are your broker connection and Telegram both green in the dashboard header? If either is red, see Connection Issues.
3. Check the Signal Log: Go to Dashboard > Signal Log and find the message.
   • If the signal is missing entirely: Your Telegram connection is broken. Reconnect Telegram.
   • If status is "SKIPPED": Click to see details. It may be a duplicate signal or a close/modification signal for a trade you do not have.
   • If status is "FAILED": Read the error message. Common errors include RISK_TOO_HIGH, SYMBOL_NOT_MAPPED, and MARKET_CLOSED. See Error Messages for fixes.
   • If status is "REJECTED": The signal failed validation. The detail view shows which validator caught the issue (wrong-side SL, extreme values, etc.).
   • If status is "IGNORED": The channel assignment is paused or there is no active assignment for this channel.

Wrong Lot Size

Problem: The trade opened with a lot size you did not expect (too large or too small).

Cause: TTMT never uses the lot size from the signal. It always calculates volume from your own settings, applying overrides in a specific hierarchy.

Fix:

1. Check channel profile: If the channel has a Config Profile assigned, that profile may override your account-level lot size. Go to Dashboard > Channels > [Channel] > Settings and check the assigned profile.
2. Check asset overrides: Under Settings > Symbol Mapping, you may have per-asset-class volume overrides that change the lot size for specific instruments.
3. Check max volume caps: TTMT enforces hard caps on lot size:
   • Normal risk: 5.0 lots maximum
   • Mid risk: 7.5 lots maximum
   • High risk: 10.0 lots maximum
4. Understand volume distribution: The total lot size is split across up to 12 orders (4 layers x 3 sub-orders). Each individual order will be smaller than your configured total. For example, 1.0 lot total means Layer 1 gets 0.30 lots split across 3 sub-orders (0.10 each).
5. Broker minimum: If the calculated lot size for a sub-order falls below your broker's minimum (usually 0.01), the trade may execute at the minimum or fail with INVALID_VOLUME.

Breakeven Not Activating

Problem: Trade hit TP1, but the stop loss did not move to entry.

Cause: Several settings and conditions affect breakeven behavior.

Fix:

1. Feature disabled: Go to Settings > Strategy. Is "Auto-move SL to Breakeven" enabled?
2. Trigger level: Check which TP level triggers breakeven. If you set it to TP2 instead of TP1, breakeven will not activate until TP2 is hit.
3. Fast market: If price hit TP1 and reversed within milliseconds, the broker may not have had time to process the SL modification. TTMT verifies the change and retries automatically, but extreme volatility can occasionally outpace it.
4. Config Profile override: If the channel has a Config Profile, the profile's breakeven setting may override your account default.

Trade Opened but No SL/TP

Problem: A trade was placed but it has no stop loss or take profit levels.

Cause: The signal did not include an SL or TP, and you do not have defaults configured.

Fix:

1. Set default SL/TP values: Go to Settings > Trading and configure default SL and TP values (in pips) for each asset class. These are used as fallbacks when a signal does not provide them.
2. Check "Invalid SL Handling": Under Settings > Trading, you can configure what TTMT does when a signal has no SL: skip the trade, use the default SL, or attempt to correct it.
3. Signal quality: Some channels consistently send signals without SL/TP. Consider using a Config Profile for that channel with stricter defaults.

Orders Stuck in Pending

Problem: You see orders with "Pending" status that never fill.

Cause: This is usually expected behavior, not a bug.

Fix:

1. Limit orders wait for price: TTMT's layered entry strategy places limit orders at prices below (for BUY) or above (for SELL) the current market price. These orders only fill when price reaches their level. If price moves in the trade's favor immediately, deeper layers (Layer 2, 3, 4) may never fill.
2. Check the entry zone: The order's entry price is shown in the trade detail view. Compare it to the current market price to see how far away it is.
3. Automatic cancellation: Pending orders are automatically canceled when:
   • The stop loss is hit (orphan order cancellation)
   • You have configured cancellation at a specific TP level (e.g., "Cancel unfilled orders at TP2")
   • The trade is closed manually or by signal

Automatic Safety Pause Tripped

Problem: Trades are not executing and you see a "Safety Pause Active" message.

Cause: The automatic safety pause activates when TTMT detects repeated execution failures, preventing further losses from a potentially broken connection or broker issue.

Fix:

1. Wait 30 seconds: The safety pause has a 30-second cooldown. After this period, TTMT tests with the next trade.
2. Two consecutive successes: The safety pause fully resets after 2 successful executions.
3. Check your connection: If the safety pause keeps activating, the underlying cause is likely a connection problem. Check Connection Issues.
4. Check your broker: The broker's trading server may be down or experiencing issues (common during weekends, holidays, or high-impact news).

Per-Account Isolation

Each MetaTrader account has its own independent safety pause. An activated safety pause on one account does not affect other accounts.