TradeDay Copy Trading Rules: What's Actually Allowed

Written by Paul

Published on

January 11, 2026

You've passed your TradeDay evaluation and you're funded on one account. Now you're thinking: "If I can trade one account profitably, why not copy those exact trades to a second or third account and multiply my earnings?" You want to know if TradeDay allows trade copying, whether automated copy trading software is permitted, and what the rules are around duplicating your positions across multiple accounts.

The short answer: Yes, you can copy trades across your own TradeDay accounts in the same direction. If you go long 2 NQ on Account A, you can simultaneously go long 2 NQ on Account B. What you cannot do is copy opposing trades (hedging) or use third-party signal services to copy other traders' signals. The critical distinction is between copying yourself (allowed) versus copying others (prohibited) and same-direction copying (allowed) versus opposite-direction copying (forbidden).

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

I've run two funded TradeDay accounts simultaneously for 8 months, entering the same positions on both accounts at nearly the same time. Same entry price, same stop, same target. This effectively doubled my position size from 2 NQ to 4 NQ total. I used simple manual execution on both accounts within 5-10 seconds of each other. Never had any issues or violations. The key is understanding exactly what counts as permitted "trade copying" versus prohibited "signal copying" or "hedging."

This is your complete guide to TradeDay's copy trading rules: what's explicitly allowed, what's banned, how automated copy trading software is treated, manual copying techniques, common violations traders make, and strategies to safely scale across multiple accounts using trade replication.

The Basic Copy Trading Policy

Let's start with what TradeDay explicitly permits and prohibits.

What IS Allowed: Copying Your Own Trades (Same Direction)

Permitted scenario:

You have 2-3 TradeDay funded accounts
You go long 2 NQ on Account A
You go long 2 NQ on Account B simultaneously or within seconds
Both accounts have the same position direction

Why it's allowed: You're trading the same strategy across multiple accounts you own. This is legitimate position scaling, not system exploitation.

Implementation: Can be done manually (entering trades on each account separately) or with approved automated copy trading software.

What is NOT Allowed: Hedging Across Accounts

Prohibited scenario:

You have 2 TradeDay accounts
You go long 2 NQ on Account A
You go short 2 NQ on Account B at the same time
Positions are opposing (hedge)

Why it's banned: This eliminates market risk. One account wins, one loses. You're not actually trading based on market prediction — you're gaming the system.

Enforcement: TradeDay's systems detect opposing positions across accounts owned by the same trader. Violation = both accounts terminated.

Example violation:

10:30 AM: Account A long ES at 5,900
10:30 AM: Account B short ES at 5,900
Result: Detected as hedge, both accounts banned

For complete multiple accounts rules, see the multiple accounts policy.

What is NOT Allowed: Copying Third-Party Signals

Prohibited scenario:

You subscribe to a signal service or Discord group
Service sends: "Long 2 NQ at 16,000"
You copy that signal to your TradeDay account

Why it's banned: You're not demonstrating your own trading skill. You're following someone else's decisions. This violates TradeDay's purpose (proving trader competence).

Enforcement: TradeDay monitors for identical entries across multiple unrelated accounts at the exact same time. If 50 traders enter the same position within 2 seconds, it triggers investigation.

Gray area: Using general educational content or analysis is fine. Copying specific trade signals (entry price, size, direction) is not.

What IS Allowed: Automated Copy Trading Software (Between Your Accounts)

Permitted scenario:

You use software to automatically replicate your trades from Account A to Account B
Both accounts are yours
Both positions are the same direction

Why it's allowed: It's still your trading decisions being copied to your own accounts. The automation is just for efficiency.

Popular software options:

TradeSync
TradingView alerts with webhooks
NinjaTrader's Strategy Sync (if both accounts use NinjaTrader)
Custom scripts/APIs

Requirement: Software must only copy between your accounts, not from other traders' accounts to yours.

Detailed Scenarios: What's Legal vs Illegal

Let's break down specific situations.

Scenario 1: Manual Copying (Same Direction)

What you do:

10:00 AM: Enter long 2 NQ at 16,000 on Account A
10:00 AM (15 seconds later): Enter long 2 NQ at 16,000 on Account B
Both accounts same direction

Legal? ✅ Yes, completely allowed

Why: You're executing your trading strategy across multiple accounts you own. No hedging, no third-party signals.

How traders do this:

Two monitors, two platforms open
Execute trade on Account A, then immediately execute on Account B
Or use keyboard shortcuts to place orders on both accounts within seconds

Scenario 2: Automated Copying Software (Same Direction)

What you do:

Set up TradeSync or similar software
Configure: "Any trade executed on Account A automatically executes on Account B"
Both accounts mirror each other in same direction

Legal? ✅ Yes, explicitly allowed

Why: Still your trading decisions, just automated replication for efficiency.

Setup example:

Account A is your "master" account where you manually trade
Account B is "slave" account that auto-copies
When you buy 2 ES on master, slave automatically buys 2 ES

Scenario 3: Hedging with Copy Trading Software

What you do:

Set up software to execute opposite positions
When Account A goes long, Account B automatically goes short
Positions are opposing (hedged)

Legal? ❌ No, severe violation

Why: This is the definition of prohibited hedging. Doesn't matter if it's automated — still a hedge.

Consequence: Both accounts terminated, no refunds, possible permanent ban.

Scenario 4: Copying Third-Party Signal Service

What you do:

Subscribe to "ProTrader Signals" for $99/month
Service posts: "Enter long NQ at 16,020"
You manually enter that trade on your TradeDay account

Legal? ❌ No, prohibited

Why: You're not trading your own strategy. You're copying someone else's signals.

How TradeDay detects: If 40 traders all enter identical positions within 60 seconds at the exact same price, it's obvious they're following a signal service.

Consequence: Account termination for rule violation (not demonstrating your own trading skill).

Scenario 5: Copy Trading Between Your Personal Account and TradeDay

What you do:

You trade your personal funded account with AMP Futures
You use software to copy those trades to your TradeDay account
Same direction, same entries

Legal? ✅ Gray area, but generally yes

Why: You're copying your own trading decisions from your personal account. It's still your strategy.

Consideration: Make sure your personal account trades are genuine (not copying signals from elsewhere). If TradeDay investigates and finds you're copying third-party signals to your personal account and then to TradeDay, that's still a violation.

Scenario 6: Copy Trading from Your Funded Account to Evaluation

What you do:

You're funded on Account A (passed evaluation)
You're in evaluation on Account B (attempting to pass)
You copy all trades from Account A to Account B

Legal? ✅ Yes, allowed

Why: Both accounts are yours. You're using your proven strategy from funded account to pass another evaluation.

Smart strategy: This is actually a great way to pass additional evaluations. Your funded account has proven profitability — replicate it.

How to Set Up Automated Copy Trading

Step-by-step for traders who want to automate replication.

Option 1: TradeSync (Recommended for Most)

What it is: Software that copies trades between different trading accounts, including prop firm accounts.

How it works:

Install TradeSync on your computer
Connect both TradeDay accounts (Account A and Account B)
Set Account A as "Master"
Set Account B as "Follower"
Configure: Copy all trades from master to follower
When you trade Account A, Account B auto-executes the same trade

Cost: ~$30-100/month depending on plan

Platforms supported: Works with NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and most major platforms TradeDay supports

Setup time: 15-30 minutes

Pros:

Reliable execution
Built specifically for this use case
Handles position sizing across different account sizes

Cons:

Monthly cost
Requires software running on your computer

Option 2: TradingView Alerts with Webhooks

What it is: Use TradingView's alert system to trigger trades on multiple accounts via webhook automation.

How it works:

Create strategy or indicator in TradingView
Set up alerts that fire when conditions are met
Configure webhooks to send trades to both Account A and Account B platforms
Both accounts execute when alert fires

Cost: TradingView Premium (~$15-60/month) + webhook integration service (some free, some paid)

Platforms supported: Works with any platform that accepts webhooks (Tradovate, some NinjaTrader brokers)

Setup time: 1-2 hours (more technical)

Pros:

Cloud-based (doesn't require computer running)
Highly customizable
Can handle complex conditions

Cons:

More technical setup
Requires coding knowledge for advanced setups
Dependent on TradingView's infrastructure

Option 3: NinjaTrader Strategy Sync

What it is: NinjaTrader's built-in feature to sync automated strategies across multiple accounts.

How it works:

Both accounts must use NinjaTrader
Develop an automated strategy (or use manual with ATM strategies)
Enable strategy sync between accounts
Both accounts execute same strategy

Cost: NinjaTrader license ($60/month for Lifetime Advanced)

Platforms supported: Only NinjaTrader

Setup time: 30 minutes if familiar with NinjaTrader

Pros:

Native integration
Reliable
No third-party software needed

Cons:

Both accounts must use NinjaTrader
Requires understanding of NinjaTrader's strategy system

Option 4: Manual Execution (No Software)

What it is: You manually enter trades on each account separately.

How it works:

Open both accounts on different monitors or tabs
Decide on trade entry
Execute on Account A
Immediately execute on Account B (within 10-30 seconds)

Cost: $0

Platforms supported: Any platform

Setup time: 0 minutes (just trade normally)

Pros:

Free
No software dependencies
Full control

Cons:

Time delay between entries (might get different prices)
Human error risk (forgetting to enter on one account)
More cognitive load

When to use: If you only have 2 accounts and take 5-15 trades per day, manual execution is fine. If you have 3+ accounts or take 20+ trades per day, automation is worth it.

Position Sizing and Copy Trading

Handling different account sizes when copying trades.

Same Account Sizes: Simple 1:1 Copy

Scenario: You have three $100K accounts (Accounts A, B, C).

Position sizing:

Account A: Long 2 NQ
Account B: Long 2 NQ
Account C: Long 2 NQ

Copy trading setup: 1:1 ratio. Every trade on master copies exactly to followers.

Total exposure: 6 NQ long (combined)

Different Account Sizes: Proportional Scaling

Scenario: You have one $150K account and two $100K accounts.

Position sizing:

Account A ($150K): Long 3 NQ (max for this account size)
Account B ($100K): Long 2 NQ (proportionally scaled)
Account C ($100K): Long 2 NQ

Copy trading setup: Configure ratio — if master (Account A) trades 3 contracts, followers trade 2 contracts (2/3 ratio).

Software support: TradeSync and other copy trading software support ratio-based scaling. You set the ratio once, and it automatically adjusts position sizes.

Risk-Based Scaling

Scenario: You want different risk levels on each account.

Position sizing:

Account A ($100K): Long 2 NQ (full size, aggressive)
Account B ($100K): Long 1 NQ (half size, conservative)

Copy trading setup: Set Account B to copy at 50% of Account A's size.

Why traders do this:

Test new strategies on conservative account (smaller size)
Protect one account if new approach fails
Graduated risk (one account aggressive, others conservative)

Common Copy Trading Violations

Mistakes that get traders banned.

Violation 1: Accidental Hedging

What happens:

You copy trades from your funded account to your evaluation account
You forget you're already long on funded account
You see a short setup, enter short on evaluation account
Result: Now hedged across accounts (violation)

Prevention:

Always check all account positions before entering new trades
Use software that prevents opposing positions (set rules to reject hedges)
Keep a simple spreadsheet: Account, Current Position, Direction

Violation 2: Copying Trades from Trading Group

What happens:

You join a Discord or Telegram trading group
Members share entries: "Long ES at 5,905"
You copy those entries to your TradeDay accounts
TradeDay detects multiple unrelated accounts entering identical positions simultaneously

Why you get caught: When 30 traders all enter long ES at 5,905 within 15 seconds, it's obvious they're following a signal source.

Prevention: Trade your own analysis only. Use groups for education and discussion, not for copying specific trade entries.

Violation 3: Using Signal Service APIs

What happens:

You subscribe to an automated signal service API
Service has webhook integration that sends trades to your TradeDay account
You're not making trading decisions — algorithm is

Why it's prohibited: You're not demonstrating your trading skill. An external service is trading your account.

Prevention: Only copy your own manually-made trading decisions or your own personally-coded algorithms.

Violation 4: Copying Between Unrelated Traders

What happens:

Your friend has a TradeDay account
You set up software to copy their trades to your account
You're replicating someone else's trading

Why it's prohibited: You haven't passed evaluation based on your trading skill. You passed based on copying your friend.

Prevention: Only copy between accounts you personally own and trade.

Violation 5: Copy Trading with Inverted Direction

What happens:

You use software to "fade" your funded account
When funded account goes long, your evaluation account goes short
You think: "One will always win"

Why it's prohibited: This is hedging with extra steps. Still prohibited.

Consequence: Detected and banned.

TradeDay's Detection Methods

How they identify rule violations.

Method 1: Position Correlation Analysis

What TradeDay monitors:

Entry times across accounts owned by same trader
Position directions
Entry prices

Red flags:

Opposing positions at same timestamp (immediate hedge detection)
Identical entries across 10+ unrelated accounts (signal service detection)

What's safe: Same-direction positions on your accounts, even at identical times.

Method 2: Pattern Recognition

What TradeDay monitors:

Trading patterns across many accounts
Clusters of traders entering identical positions

Example detection:

At 10:37:22 AM, 43 different TradeDay accounts enter long 2 NQ at 16,005
All 43 exit at 16,020 within 5 minutes
TradeDay investigates: finds they're all members of "Pro Signals Group"
All 43 accounts terminated

What's safe: Your 2-3 accounts entering same position (small number of accounts, same owner).

Method 3: IP Address and Device Tracking

What TradeDay monitors:

Which IP addresses access which accounts
Device fingerprints

Red flags:

Account A and Account B both accessed from same IP (normal — you own both)
Account A accessed from IP 1, Account B accessed from IP 1 and IP 2 simultaneously (suggests accounts are shared or trades are being copied from someone at IP 2)

What's safe: All your accounts accessed from your home/office IP addresses.

Method 4: Manual Review of Flagged Accounts

Trigger events:

Consistent profitability across multiple accounts (positive signal, but triggers review)
Hedge detection alerts
Reports from other traders or staff observations

What reviewers look for:

Are positions same direction or hedged?
Are entry times slightly delayed (manual copying) or simultaneous (automated)?
Are the accounts owned by same person or different people?

Outcome: If you're copying your own trades same-direction, review finds no violation. If hedging or copying others, accounts terminated.

Copy Trading Strategy Recommendations

Best practices for safely scaling with trade replication.

Strategy 1: Start with 2 Accounts, Manual Copying

Phase 1: Pass your first evaluation, get funded

Phase 2: Pass a second evaluation while funded on Account 1

Phase 3: Copy your funded account trades to your second funded account manually

Why this works: Low complexity, low cost, manageable. You prove you can handle multiple accounts before scaling further.

Timeline: 3-6 months with 2 accounts before adding a third.

Strategy 2: Scale to 3-5 Accounts with Automation

Phase 1: Prove profitability with 2 manually-copied accounts (6+ months)

Phase 2: Add third account, invest in TradeSync or similar software

Phase 3: Set up automated copying: 1 master account, 2-4 follower accounts

Why this works: Automation reduces cognitive load. You focus on trading master account well, followers auto-execute.

Cost: $30-100/month for software, worth it at 3+ accounts.

Strategy 3: Tiered Risk with Selective Copying

Setup:

Account A: Trade all setups (A+, B, C quality)
Account B: Only copy A+ setups (high confidence only)
Account C: Only copy A+ setups

How to implement: Manual copying with discretion. Not all trades on master get copied to followers — only the best.

Why this works: Protects follower accounts from lower-quality trades. If Account A has a drawdown from B/C trades, Accounts B and C stay clean.

Best for: Traders who can distinguish A+ setups from marginal ones.

Strategy 4: Momentum-Based Copying

Setup:

Account A: Master account, trade normally
Accounts B and C: Only copy if Account A is currently profitable for the day

How to implement: Check Account A's daily P&L. If Account A is +$500 for the day, copy next trade to B and C. If Account A is negative for the day, don't copy.

Why this works: Protects follower accounts on bad days. Amplifies good days.

Risk: You might miss the first profitable trade of the day (the one that gets Account A positive).

Copy Trading Across Different Prop Firms

Expanding beyond just TradeDay accounts.

TradeDay + TopStep

Setup: You have a funded TradeDay account and a funded TopStep account.

Copy trading: Replicate your TradeDay trades to TopStep (same direction).

Legal?: Check both firms' rules. Generally allowed if you're copying your own trades same-direction. Hedging across firms is still prohibited by most firms.

Why traders do this: Diversify across multiple firms. If one firm changes rules or has issues, you have other funded accounts.

TradeDay + Personal Brokerage Account

Setup: You have TradeDay funded account(s) and a personal account with a regular broker (AMP, NinjaTrader, etc.).

Copy trading: Replicate your personal account trades to TradeDay or vice versa.

Legal?: Generally yes, as long as same direction. You're scaling your proven strategy.

Why traders do this: Use personal account as "master" where you have more flexibility (no prop firm rules). Copy proven trades to prop accounts.

Risk Consideration

Don't overleverage: If you're trading 2 NQ on TradeDay, 2 NQ on TopStep, and 4 NQ on personal account, your total exposure is 8 NQ. A 50-point adverse move is -$4,000 across all accounts. Make sure you can handle combined exposure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use copy trading software like TradeSync with TradeDay?

Yes. TradeSync and similar tools are allowed for copying trades between your own TradeDay accounts in the same direction. Configure one account as master, others as followers.

Is there a delay between when I trade and when the copy executes?

Depends on method. Automated software (TradeSync): 1-3 second delay typically. Manual copying: 10-30 seconds depending on your speed. TradingView webhooks: 2-5 seconds.

Can I copy trades from my friend's TradeDay account to mine?

No. This is prohibited. You can only copy trades from your own accounts. Copying another trader's decisions violates the rule about demonstrating your own trading skill.

What if I accidentally create a hedge by copying trades?

Contact TradeDay support immediately, explain it was accidental, and close one of the positions. If it's a one-time mistake and you act quickly, they may not terminate accounts. But repeated hedging is grounds for permanent ban.

Can I copy trades from a signal service if I "test" the signals first?

No. Whether you test signals or blindly copy them, you're still following third-party trading decisions instead of your own. This violates TradeDay's rules.

Does automated copying count as "algorithmic trading"?

Not exactly. You're still making manual trading decisions on your master account. The automation just replicates those decisions to other accounts. True algo trading would be a computer making the initial trading decisions. That is allowed if you personally coded it.

For algo trading rules, see the algo trading guide.

Can I copy trades if I'm still in evaluation?

Yes. You can copy trades from one evaluation account to another, or from a funded account to an evaluation account. Same rules apply: same direction only, no hedging.

Will TradeDay know I'm using copy trading software?

They don't ban the software itself. What matters is how you use it. Using TradeSync to copy your own trades same-direction = allowed. Using it to hedge = banned. The software isn't the issue; the hedging is.

What's the best way to copy trades across 5+ accounts?

Automated software (TradeSync or TradingView webhooks) is essential at 5+ accounts. Manual copying becomes unmanageable and you'll make errors. Invest $50-100/month in proper automation.

Bottom Line: Copy Your Own Trades, Same Direction Only

TradeDay explicitly allows you to copy trades across your own accounts as long as they're in the same direction. This is a legitimate way to scale your position size and earnings potential. What's prohibited is hedging (opposing positions across accounts) and copying third-party signals (not trading your own strategy).

Permitted:

Manual copying between your accounts (same direction)
Automated copying software (same direction, your accounts)
Copying from your funded account to your evaluation account
Copying from your personal brokerage account to TradeDay

Prohibited:

Hedging across your accounts (opposing directions)
Copying trades from signal services or other traders
Using automation to create hedges
Sharing accounts or copying between different people's accounts

Best practices: Start with 2 accounts and manual copying. Scale to 3-5 accounts with automation once proven profitable. Always verify you're not accidentally hedging before entering positions.

For complete TradeDay information, check the full TradeDay review.

Copy smart. Scale safely. Stay compliant.