ATR Ordering

Setting the right Stop Loss and Take Profit can be difficult. 

• Is your Stop Loss too wide?
• Is it wide enough to avoid market noise?
• Does it actually match the current market conditions?
• And when you take a trade, how many contracts should you use – 3, 5, or something else?

ATR Ordering takes care of the math for you.

It is an order-entry and management tool that does the math for you. Set your ATR multiple, your Reward:Risk ratio, and your maximum loss per trade. When your order fills, ATR Ordering reads the market's current volatility, places your Stop and Target, and sizes the position so that a stopped-out trade costs you no more than the Max Loss you set.

No manual calculations. No watching the screen. No oversized positions.

Why ATR?

Markets don't move the same amount every day. A stop that is too tight on a volatile day gets taken out by noise. A stop that is too wide on a quiet day exposes you to more risk than the setup deserves.

Average True Range (ATR) measures how much an instrument is actually moving. Placing your stop at a multiple of ATR (1.5 ATR, 2 ATR, or whatever fits your strategy) lets your risk adapt to the market instead of relying on a fixed number of ticks that is right one day and wrong the next.

ATR Ordering takes that principle and automates it end to end, from stop placement to position size.

Key features

1. Two order types, one workflow

ATR Ordering supports two order types, so you can trade your way:

• Market Order: enter immediately at the current market price.
• Pending Order: place your order at the level you've chosen and let the market come to you.

Either way, the same risk logic applies.

2. Stops placed by ATR, measured at the moment of the fill

When your order is filled, ATR Ordering reads the ATR value at that exact moment, not when you placed a pending order. Your stop reflects the volatility you are actually trading in.

Stop Distance = N × ATR

N is your ATR multiple, for example 1.5 or 2.

3. Targets placed by your own Reward:Risk ratio

ATR Ordering allows you to set your Reward:Risk ratio once, right on its control panel. Once the stop distance is known, ATR Ordering calculates your target automatically based on the R:R ratio you define.

Target Distance = Stop Distance × RR

Example: Stop = 20 ticks, RR = 3, so Target = 60 ticks.

4. Position sizing by Max Loss

This is the core of ATR Ordering and what makes it different. 

It lets you enter the most you are willing to lose on a single trade, for example, $1000. At the moment of the fill, ATR Ordering will:

• Step1: Calculate the stop distance from ATR.
• Step 2: Convert that distance into dollars per contract.
• Step 3: Include commission per contract.
• Step 4: Calculate the maximum number of contracts that keeps your risk within your limit. 
  (Loss per Contract + Commission per Contract) × Contracts ≤ Max Loss

It then enters with exactly that size. Because commission is built into the sizing, a stop-out costs you close to the Max Loss you defined, with no surprises.

Why traders choose ATR Ordering?

You trade micro instruments

Minis need more capital, so many traders choose micros. The trade-off is that each micro tick is worth less, so a winning trade earns less unless you scale the position.

ATR Ordering solves this with position size. It calculates the maximum number of contracts your Max Loss allows, so you can trade micros in volume and let your size do the work. Your risk stays capped, while your profit potential is fully used.

You want stops that adapt to volatility

When the market is wild, your stop widens. When it's quiet, your stop tightens. ATR Ordering reads ATR at the time of the fill, so you never have to recalculate on the fly.

You don't want to be glued to the screen

Without automation, you have to be at your desk when the trade triggers, so you can check ATR and place your stop and target immediately.

With ATR Ordering:

1. Mark your buy zone in advance.
2. Place a Buy Limit.
3. When price reaches your level, the order fills, ATR is read, and your Stop and Target are placed instantly.

It's a natural fit for swing and intraday traders who have a plan but not a permanent seat at the screen.

You want the same risk on every trade

Say your account is $20,000 and your rule is a maximum loss of $200 per trade. Volatility changes every day:

• Quiet day: ATR is small, the stop is 8 ticks, and ATR Ordering takes more contracts.
• Volatile day: ATR is large, the stop is 18 ticks, and ATR Ordering automatically takes fewer.

Market conditions change. Your risk stays at $200. Keeping risk consistent across changing conditions is how professional traders protect their capital.

You want to trade the Reward:Risk in your plan

If your trading plan says you only take trades with at least 1:3 Reward:Risk, ATR Ordering enforces it. The stop is always ATR-based, and the target is always exactly 3R. The tool follows your plan on every trade, including the days you're tempted to improvise.

You want to stop calculating position size by hand

Every instrument has a different tick value. Sizing a trade properly means working out ATR, tick distance, dollar value per tick, commission, and quantity, and one wrong number means a wrong position.

ATR Ordering does all of it in milliseconds. Fewer errors, faster execution, and one less thing to think about when it matters most.

ATR Ordering might not be for you if: 

• You enter manually and prefer to manage your own Stop and Target.
• You don't use ATR, or you don't want to fix your risk per trade.

Conclusion

Good trading comes down to a simple discipline: know your risk, size your trade accordingly, and follow your plan. That discipline is easy to describe and hard to keep, especially in fast markets.

ATR Ordering builds it into every order. Your stop follows the market's volatility, your target follows your Reward:Risk, and your position size follows your Max Loss. Set your rules once, and let the tool apply them on every trade.

If you're interested in learning more tools for better trade management, explore our solutions here.