1. Market entry
A market signal expects execution near the current quote. It is simple but most sensitive to notification delay and fast price movement. Check whether the price is still near the provider’s reference before entering.
2. Buy limit and sell limit
A buy limit waits below the current market for a pullback; a sell limit waits above. The trade should not be counted as active until the level is actually reached and filled. Providers should communicate cancellation if the setup expires before activation.
3. Buy stop and sell stop
A buy stop triggers above current price and a sell stop below, often to confirm a breakout. Slippage can be material in fast markets because the trigger price is not always the final fill price.
4. Entry zones
A zone permits fills within a range. Risk/reward changes across that range, so calculate stop distance from the actual fill. If current price is outside the zone, do not reinterpret the signal without an explicit provider update.
5. Expiry and cancellation
Pending ideas should have a practical lifetime. Market structure, news or session changes can make an old order invalid even if its level eventually trades. Record cancellation messages and avoid leaving stale orders indefinitely.
6. Stops and targets attach to the actual order
When your fill differs from the provider reference, the distance to the same SL/TP changes. Decide whether to keep the provider’s absolute levels or skip the trade if the new reward/risk is poor; do not silently move the stop merely to preserve a desired ratio.
7. Broker behavior matters
Minimum distance rules, spread, market hours and symbol pricing can prevent an order from matching the provider exactly. Check broker specifications, particularly for Gold and index CFDs.
8. Record the order type in performance analysis
A limit that never triggers is not a losing trade; a cancelled stop order is not a win. Consistent result tracking depends on distinguishing posted, activated, cancelled and closed states.