Copy Trading FAQ

Is copy trading investment advice?#

No. Copy trading is a tool. It is not personalized investment advice from Trade Echo or from pilots. Past performance (theirs or yours) does not guarantee future results. Only use money you can afford to lose.

How does linking my broker work?#

We use a secure broker-connection partner - a standard way to connect broker accounts without Trade Echo storing your broker password. You log in at your broker during setup. The link you create inside Copy Trading is only for copying. It is separate from Broker Sync if you use the trade journal elsewhere in the app.

Why is Copy Trading empty or showing an error?#

Common reasons:

• Copy trading is not enabled on your subscription yet.
• We are still rolling the feature out to more members.
• Your broker link expired or needs reconnecting - try Broker Accounts and reconnect.

Try signing out and back in, then use the Refresh button on the Overview tab's Recent activity card. If it persists, contact support with the approximate time (and your timezone) and a screenshot of any message on screen.

Do I have to keep the Copy Trading page open?#

No. After you are connected and following pilots, the platform keeps working in the background. You use the dashboard to check in, change settings, and answer approval prompts. Turn on notifications (email or device) if you use manual approval so you do not miss time-sensitive prompts.

What is a pilot? What is a subscriber?#

• Pilot - A trader other members can choose to copy, when the program allows it.
• Subscriber - A member who follows one or more pilots and routes copied activity to a linked broker account.

The app shows the tabs that match your role.

Can I stop or pause copying?#

Yes. You have three ways, from broadest to narrowest:

• Pause all in the header (or the Pause all copying switch at the top of Settings) stops new copies from every trader you follow. Resume copying turns it back off.
• Pause this pilot until in Settings stops new copies from one trader until a time you pick.
• Pause copying this trader in the row menu on Overview pauses one trader until you resume them.

Pausing stops new copies only. Exits for positions you already hold still go through, and nothing is closed for you - check Positions and your broker directly for open risk. To stop following a trader for good, use Unfollow.

What does "Paused" mean on the Traders tab?#

A trader shows Paused only when copying from them is really paused:

• Pause all copying is on (by you, or by your daily loss limit or drawdown auto-pause),
• a timed pause (Pause this pilot until) is still running, or
• you paused that trader yourself.

Hover the tag to see which one. Traders you unfollowed, and follows the system turned off (for example after a lapsed subscription or a disconnected broker), show as not following with a normal Follow button. See What "Paused" means.

I clicked Unfollow by mistake#

Unfollow always asks first. If you see the confirmation, choose Keep following and nothing changes.

If you did unfollow, follow the trader again. Before you do:

1. Open Broker Accounts and make sure the working, connected account you want copies to go to has the Default badge. If not, tap Set as default on it first. If no broker account is connected at all, the follow stops with "You must connect a broker account first to follow a trader."
2. Open Traders and Follow the trader.

A few things to know:

• New trades copy again once you finish the follow steps. Trades the trader made while you were not following are not copied.
• Positions you already held stay in your broker either way.
• The follow steps ask you to pick a risk tier again, and sizing and caps follow the tier you pick.
• Settings are saved per broker account. On a monthly or yearly plan the new follow uses your current default account, so your earlier ticker and expiration filters carry over only if that default account has not changed. If you switched default accounts, set them again.
• Open Settings afterward and check sizing, caps, and filters before the next trade.
• On a monthly or yearly plan you can follow one trader at a time, so unfollow anyone you followed in the meantime first.

I missed a manual approval - what happens?#

That specific trade was not copied. Review Positions (the row shows the approval timed out) and Performance.

Why did my copy trade skip?#

A skip means the platform evaluated a pilot signal but did not send an order to your broker. Common causes:

• Capital % gate - Estimated cost exceeds your Max capital per trade (% of account), or account capital was unavailable for the risk check.
• Max contract price gate - The contract's total cost (premium × 100 for options) exceeded your Max contract price setting. This limit is total dollars per contract, not the per-share premium - a $2.50 option counts as $250 against it.
• Sizing rounded to 0 - Percent-of-trader sizing can round down to zero contracts (for example, copying 50% of a 1-lot pilot).
• Paused - Pause all copying is on (shown as "Copying is paused in your settings"), or a timed Pause this pilot until is running for that trader ("You have this trader paused"). A daily loss limit or drawdown auto-pause also turns on Pause all copying. A trader you paused yourself from Overview, or unfollowed, does not copy new trades.
• No buying power - Your linked broker account did not report enough buying power at order time.
• Slippage / strict limit - Strict slippage or a wide spread vs your Max spread can leave a limit unfilled; the buy is skipped instead of chasing with a market order.
• Broker permissions - The linked account is not eligible for copy trading, or no default broker is selected.
• Filters - The ticker is excluded, the expiration is outside your DTE filter, or the trade came outside your trading hours.

Where to look: Skipped copies show their reason inline in Recent activity on Overview and in Positions → All activity (use the Skipped chip). Reasons distinguish a capital gate from sizing rounded to 0, spread/slippage limits, pause states, and broker issues. Click Why? Ask on a row to ask the Support assistant. Then adjust Settings or reconnect on Broker Accounts based on what you see.

Monthly vs Lifetime broker routing#

• Monthly / Yearly subscribers - Copy trading routes through one default broker account at a time. Connect on Broker Accounts, then tap Set as default on the funded account you want copies to use (Cash or Margin, whichever you trade).
• Lifetime subscribers - You still choose a default broker on Broker Accounts; it is used for new pilots. You can also route each pilot to a different linked account, or add a second broker for a pilot, from Copies into in that pilot's Settings.

If copies land in the wrong account, open Broker Accounts: the card with the Default badge is your default, and the Routing table shows where each pilot copies to.

VIP Alerts vs Copy Trading#

Discord VIP alerts can show a pilot's posted trades for the community. Copy Trading mirrors fills detected on the pilot's default linked broker account inside Trade Echo.

If a pilot's everyday "main" trading account is not the same account they set as default for copy trading, followers may see VIP alert posts but miss those trades in copy. That is expected routing, not a platform glitch. Pilots should use Set as default on the account they actually trade for alerts and live execution. See Pilot Setup.

What is the Support tab?#

Subscribers see a Support tab inside Copy Trading with an in-app assistant powered by Cortex. It reads your fills, skips, broker status, and settings (read-only) to answer questions like why a trade skipped or whether copying is paused. It cannot place orders or change anything. An Account check card next to it shows your copying state, broker connection, and recent skips at a glance. Use it before Discord or email when the question is about your copy setup.

Where do I get help?#

• Copy Trading Support tab (subscribers) - In-app Cortex assistant tied to your account; see the section above.
• Trade Echo support - email from Talk to a person on the Support tab.
• Discord community - Great for how-to questions with other members.

When you write in, include what you were trying to do, what you saw on screen, and a screenshot if possible. You do not need to send technical logs unless support asks.

Why does Trade Echo say you are testing copy trading sometimes?#

We expand access carefully. If you see a message about testing or limited rollout, features may change or be unavailable briefly while we improve stability. We will communicate when access widens.