> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.metacopier.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.metacopier.io/pending-orders.md).

# Pending orders

### **Why our trading platform doesn’t copy limit (pending) orders by default**

Our trade copying platform is designed to provide seamless and efficient execution of trades across multiple accounts. By default, **we do not copy limit (pending) orders**, as this approach is optimal for most traders.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**We do not recommend using pending orders for copy trading.**

A very common misconception is that placing a pending order (Buy Limit, Sell Limit, Buy Stop, Sell Stop) on the follower account guarantees a fill at the exact requested price, and therefore a "better" open price than a market order. **This is not true** on the vast majority of retail brokers.

Almost all Forex/CFD brokers execute orders in **market execution mode**. In this mode, a pending order is only a **trigger**: as soon as the market touches the requested price, the order is converted into a market order and filled at the **next available price**, which may be worse (slippage) or, in case of a gap, completely different from the requested price. The broker decides the final execution price, and by sending the order the trader implicitly accepts it.

So the price you set in a pending order is the **trigger price**, not the **fill price**. A guaranteed price only exists on real exchanges (stocks, futures) or on the rare brokers that still offer instant execution with requotes, neither of which applies to typical retail Forex/CFD trading. Copying the master's market order as a follower market order produces essentially the **same fill quality** as placing a pending order at the master's open price, without the extra risks described below.
{% endhint %}

#### **Understanding market execution vs. limit orders in a copying service**

In a traditional trading environment, traders place **limit orders** when they want to buy or sell an asset at a specific price rather than at the current market price. However, in a **trade copying** system, this approach introduces unnecessary complexity and risk for several reasons:

1. **The core principle of a copy trading service is market execution**
   * In a trade copier, the master account executes a trade, and the copier replicates that trade **at the market price at the moment of execution**.
   * This ensures that all follower accounts enter the trade as soon as possible, minimizing slippage and execution differences.
   * Limit orders, on the other hand, require waiting for a price level to be reached, which **adds delay and uncertainty to execution consistency**.
2. **No significant difference in triggering mechanism**
   * Whether a trade is executed because a limit order was triggered on the master account or because the copier sends a market order **immediately when the master order executes**, the outcome is almost identical.
   * The time difference between a pending order activation and a market execution trigger is usually in milliseconds, making the execution nearly the same in practical terms.
   * Copying limit orders would **not improve execution speed** or precision in a meaningful way.
3. **Unmanaged trades and risk exposure for followers**
   * If a limit order is copied and placed on a follower’s account, there is a risk that **the limit order gets triggered on the follower's account but not on the master account** (due to differences in market conditions, spreads, or liquidity).
   * This would result in an **unmanaged trade** on the follower’s side, which may not be closed properly or may not have a stop loss/take profit set in sync with the master account.
   * This can lead to unintended losses or inconsistencies in the trading strategy.
4. **Execution variability due to broker differences**
   * Different brokers have different pricing, liquidity, and order execution speeds.
   * A pending order may be filled on the follower’s broker while it remains unfilled on the master’s broker, causing **desynchronization** between master and follower trades.
   * Market execution eliminates this problem because all orders are copied in real-time based on actual executions.
5. **High-frequency trading (HFT) exception**
   * The only scenario where copying limit orders might be necessary is in **high-frequency trading (HFT) strategies** that rely on ultra-fast execution with very small stop loss and take profit targets.
   * These strategies may benefit from pre-placed limit orders to minimize slippage.
   * If you use an HFT strategy and fully understand the risks, you can [contact us](/metacopier/support.md) to manually enable this feature.

For the vast majority of traders, **copying market execution orders is the most efficient and reliable approach**. It ensures that followers always execute trades at the closest possible price to the master account, minimizing discrepancies. Copying limit orders **adds unnecessary risks without meaningful benefits**.

If you still want to copy pending orders despite the points above, contact us and we will unlock the feature for your project.