Guidelines for Tradeify Traders: Best Practices and Professional Conduct

Written by Paul

Published on

January 18, 2026

I've had two Tradeify accounts terminated—not for breaking explicit rules like hitting drawdown or violating DLL, but for what Tradeify calls "exploitative trading practices." The first time, I didn't even know what I did wrong until I read the termination email three times. The second time, I understood immediately but argued anyway (unsuccessfully).

Both terminations taught me something crucial: Tradeify's written rules are only half the story. The other half is unwritten—a set of expectations about professional conduct, good-faith trading, and what Tradeify considers "exploitative" versus "strategic."

This guide documents every guideline, best practice, and behavioral expectation I've learned across 18 months, 5 accounts, and yes—2 terminations. Some of this is in Tradeify's official documentation. Most of it isn't, but it's just as important.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with Tradeify 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 Tradeify´s website or their help center.

The Core Principle: Good Faith Trading

What Tradeify Means by "Good Faith"

From Tradeify's guidelines:

"The core of Tradeify's guidelines is a mutual understanding between Tradeify and the trader that the trader acts in good faith."

Translation: You're expected to trade like you would with real money, using legitimate strategies to profit from market movements—not to exploit platform glitches, timing delays, or rule loopholes.

Examples of Good Faith

Good faith trading:

Scalping based on technical setups
Day trading with proper stop losses
Swing trading within allowed hours
Using indicators and analysis to time entries
Taking advantage of news volatility (allowed)
Scaling in/out of positions methodically

Bad faith trading:

Exploiting platform lag or delays
Taking advantage of price feed errors
Intentionally creating situations that force Tradeify to manually intervene
Gaming consistency rules through accounting tricks
Manipulating account balances through platform quirks

The Gray Area

Here's where it gets tricky. Some strategies sit in a gray area:

Potentially problematic:

Trading exclusively during extreme volatility spikes (FOMC, NFP, GDP)
Using high-frequency strategies that generate 100+ trades per day
Exploiting micro-inefficiencies in bid-ask spreads
Statistical arbitrage between correlated instruments

Are these explicitly prohibited? No. Will Tradeify potentially flag them during account reviews? Yes.

My advice: If your strategy requires you to ask "is this allowed?", it's probably in the gray area. Proceed with caution.

Prohibited Trading Practices

1. Platform Exploitation

Definition: Taking advantage of technical errors, discrepancies, delays, or bugs in Tradeify's platform.

Examples:

Price feed discrepancies: If you notice ES showing $5,000.00 on Tradeify but $5,010.00 on external sources, and you trade the discrepancy → Prohibited
Order execution delays: If orders take 5-10 seconds to fill and you exploit this lag to enter/exit based on updated information → Prohibited
Data sync errors: If your account balance displays incorrectly and you trade based on the wrong number → Report it, don't exploit it

Why it matters:Tradeify reserves the right to audit any account at any time. If they detect platform exploitation, your account terminates immediately with no payout.

My termination story #1: I noticed Tradovate occasionally showed delayed quotes (2-3 seconds behind) during high volatility. I started entering orders during this delay window, knowing I had better information than the displayed price. Three weeks later: account terminated for "exploitative trading." Lesson learned.

2. Hedging Between Accounts

Definition: Opening opposite positions across multiple Tradeify accounts to eliminate risk.

Examples:

Opposite positions: Long 2 MES on Account A, Short 2 MES on Account B → Both executed simultaneously
Lock-in strategy: Entering opposite positions to "lock" profit on one account while losing on another
Cross-account risk elimination: Any strategy that removes market risk by using multiple accounts

Why it's prohibited: You're supposed to be demonstrating trading skill, not playing accounting games. Hedging across accounts eliminates skill from the equation.

Detection: Tradeify tracks all accounts per household. If they see identical but opposite positions across accounts, you'll get flagged.

Allowed alternative: Hedging within a single account (entering opposite positions on the same account) is allowed, though it has drawbacks related to fees and position management.

3. High-Frequency Trading (HFT)

Definition: Automated strategies that generate extremely high trade volumes in short periods.

Tradeify's stance: You can use bots and automated strategies, but not high-frequency ones.

Threshold: No official number, but traders report issues after 100+ trades per day consistently. The key factor is trade duration—most trades should be held for at least 10 seconds.

Rule from Tradeify documentation:

"At least 50% of trades must be held for 10+ seconds."

Translation:

Out of 100 trades, at least 50 must be held 10+ seconds
The other 50 can be held less than 10 seconds
If you consistently hold all trades under 10 seconds → Problematic

My approach: I scalp, holding positions 30 seconds to 3 minutes. This has never triggered any flags. I typically take 15-25 trades per day.

4. Trading Restricted Instruments

Tradeify only allows specific CME futures contracts.

Confirmed allowed:

ES, MES (E-mini & Micro S&P 500)
NQ, MNQ (E-mini & Micro Nasdaq 100)
RTY, M2K (E-mini & Micro Russell 2000)
YM, MYM (E-mini & Micro Dow Jones)
GC, MGC (Gold)
SI, SIL (Silver)
CL, MCL (Crude Oil)
NG, QG (Natural Gas)

Not allowed:

Bitcoin futures (BTC, MBT)
Agricultural commodities (corn, soybeans, wheat)
Currency futures (EUR, GBP, JPY)
Treasury bonds (ZB, ZN, ZF)

Verification:Check Tradeify's help center for the complete allowed instruments list. It updates periodically.

5. Trading Outside Permitted Hours

Market hours: 6:00 PM ET Sunday - 5:00 PM ET Friday

Critical rule: All positions must be closed by 4:59 PM ET daily. You cannot hold positions overnight.

Prohibited:

Holding positions past 4:59 PM ET
Trading during weekend (Saturday + Sunday before 6:00 PM ET)
Trading during CME exchange closures (holidays)

Enforcement: Tradeify's platform automatically liquidates open positions at 5:00 PM ET. But you're responsible for closing before then. If the platform liquidates you, and you breach drawdown during liquidation → Account fails (your fault, not Tradeify's).

Best practice:Close all positions by 4:55 PM ET. Don't cut it close.

Position Sizing and Contract Limits

Maximum Position Size Rules

Account Size	Max Mini Contracts	Max Micro Contracts	Notes
$25K	5 contracts	50 contracts	Lightning funded only
$50K	10 contracts	100 contracts	All account types
$100K	20 contracts	200 contracts	All account types
$150K	30 contracts	300 contracts	All account types

The Micro Contract Fee Trap

Critical warning: Trading 4+ micro contracts costs MORE in fees than trading 1 mini contract.

Commission structure:

1 micro contract: $0.54 per side ($1.08 round trip)
4 micro contracts: $2.16 per side ($4.32 round trip)
1 mini contract: $1.29 per side ($2.58 round trip)

Breakeven point: At 4 micros, you're paying $4.32 vs $2.58 for 1 mini. That's $1.74 extra per trade.

My approach:

1-3 micros: Use micros
4-10 contracts: Use minis (better fee structure)
10+ contracts: Use all minis

Position Size Best Practices

Risk per trade: 0.5-1% of account balance

Example ($50K account):

0.5% risk = $250 max loss per trade
1% risk = $500 max loss per trade
Never exceed 2% risk ($1,000 loss)

Position sizing formula:

Contracts = (Risk Amount) / (Stop Loss Distance in Dollars)

Example:

Risk: $250
Stop loss: 10 points on ES (10 points × $12.50 = $125 per contract)
Position size: $250 / $125 = 2 contracts

What I actually do:I risk 0.75% per trade on funded accounts. On evaluations, I risk 1% (more aggressive to pass faster).

News Trading and Economic Events

News Trading is ALLOWED

Tradeify explicitly allows trading around news events. This is a significant advantage over some competitors.

High-impact events you can trade:

FOMC announcements
Non-Farm Payroll (NFP)
CPI / Inflation reports
GDP releases
Federal Reserve speeches
Earnings reports (if affecting index futures)

Best practices:

Understand volatility spikes during news
Use wider stops (market can gap 50-100 points on NFP)
Reduce position size (more volatility = smaller size)
Be aware of slippage during fast markets

My approach:I trade NFP every month. I reduce size by 50% and use wider stops (20 points instead of my normal 10). The volatility creates opportunity but requires respect.

Risk Management Best Practices

1. Drawdown Distance Monitoring

Check your drawdown distance before EVERY trade.

In Tradovate:

Accounts widget → "Dis Drawdown Net Liq" column
This shows your current trailing drawdown limit

Rule of thumb:Never enter a trade if a loss would bring you within $500 of your drawdown limit.

Example:

Current balance: $51,000
Drawdown: $49,000
Distance: $2,000
Max loss on next trade: $1,500 (leaves $500 buffer)

2. Daily Loss Limit Awareness

If you have a DLL, never use it as your stop loss.

Why: DLL stops are not hard stops. During fast markets, you can exceed the DLL before the system pauses trading. If that excess breaches your drawdown → Account fails.

Best practice: Stop trading manually when you've lost 75% of your DLL.

Example ($50K account with $2,500 DLL):

DLL: $2,500
Stop trading at: $1,875 loss (75% of DLL)
Buffer: $625 between your stop point and DLL

I violate this rule at my peril. I've been saved by it twice and burned by ignoring it once.

3. Consistency Rule Planning

Track your single-day profits to avoid consistency violations.

Tracking method:

Create a spreadsheet with daily P&L
After each trading day, calculate: (Highest single day) / (Total profit)
If percentage exceeds your limit (20%/35%) → Stop trading big, trade smaller

Example:

Account type: Lightning (20% limit first payout)
Day 1-9 profits: $1,800 total
Day 10: Up $600 (this would be 25% of $2,400 total)
Don't take the $600 day → Instead, take smaller profits

Alternative strategy:If you have a big day early in your trading cycle, immediately plan to trade 15-20 more small green days to dilute the percentage.

4. Position Hold Time (For Bot Users)

If using automated strategies, verify 50%+ of trades are held 10+ seconds.

Tracking:Most platforms show trade duration in reports. Filter by hold time, count trades under 10 seconds vs over 10 seconds.

Compliance:Over 10 seconds ≥ 50% of total trades

5. Weekend and Holiday Closures

Markets close:

Friday 5:00 PM ET
Reopen Sunday 6:00 PM ET

Holidays: CME publishes annual holiday calendar. Markets typically close early (1:00 PM ET) before major holidays.

Best practice: Check CME's holiday schedule monthly. Trading on closed days = instant rejection of all orders (not a rule violation, just won't work).

Account Management Guidelines

Multiple Account Limits

Maximum 5 funded accounts per household simultaneously.

Household definition:All traders living at the same physical address count as one household. Tradeify tracks by IP address and KYC information.

Strategic approach:Many successful traders run 3 accounts:

2 funded accounts actively trading
1 evaluation account preparing for next funded

Elite Live restriction:If you transition to Elite Live, you must close all other Tradeify accounts. Elite Live traders cannot hold sim funded accounts concurrently.

Account Inactivity Policy

Funded accounts require 1 trade per week minimum.

Timeline:

Week 1: No trades → Warning email
Week 2: No trades → Account marked inactive
Week 3: No trades → Account may be deleted

Best practice:If going on vacation or taking a break, place 1 small trade (1 MES, quick scalp) once per week to keep account active.

Evaluation accounts:No inactivity requirement. You can take months to pass an evaluation.

Password and Account Security

Never share your credentials with anyone.

Prohibited:

Selling access to your account
Letting someone else trade your account
Using someone else's account
Account "prop trading" (yes, people try this—using Tradeify accounts to fund other traders)

Enforcement: Tradeify can detect login patterns. If your account logs in from two different countries in the same day → Account flagged for review.

Best practice: Use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden) to store credentials securely. Enable 2FA on your email account (the one associated with Tradeify).

Discord and Community Conduct

Official Tradeify Discord

Tradeify has an active Discord community with 10,000+ traders.

Useful channels:

#announcements (official updates)
#general-trading (strategy discussion)
#tech-support (troubleshooting)
#wins (celebrate payouts)

Community guidelines:

No spamming or self-promotion
No sharing of exploits or rule-breaking strategies
No harassment or personal attacks
No discussion of other prop firms (frowned upon but not banned)

Support responsiveness:Tradeify staff monitors Discord actively. You can often get answers faster in #tech-support than via email.

Sharing Your Results

Encouraged:

Posting payout screenshots in #wins
Sharing strategy insights (general concepts)
Offering encouragement to other traders

Discouraged:

Detailed blow-by-blow of every trade
Posting losses in a way that could discourage others
Bragging excessively (community self-polices this)

Prohibited:

Sharing screenshots that expose other traders' account numbers
Posting Tradeify internal communications without permission
Discussing exploit strategies publicly

Dealing with Tradeify Support

When to Contact Support

Good reasons:

Platform technical issues
Data feed problems
Can't log in despite correct credentials
Questions about specific rule interpretations
Payout delays beyond stated timeline

Bad reasons:

"My drawdown calculation seems wrong" (it's not—you miscalculated)
"I hit DLL by accident" (doesn't matter—soft breach)
"Can you reset my account for free?" (no)
"I disagree with your consistency rule" (not negotiable)

Best Practices for Support Tickets

Include:

Account number (TRAD######)
Specific timestamp of issue
What you've already tried
Screenshots demonstrating the problem
Clear statement of your question/request

Response time:

Email: 12-24 hours typical
Discord: 1-6 hours (unofficial, staff discretion)
Emergency issues: Use email with "URGENT" in subject

Tone:Be professional, even if frustrated. Support staff are helpful but can't override rules or give special treatment.

Payout Request Best Practices

Before Requesting Payout

Checklist:

[ ] Met profit target for your account/payout tier
[ ] Completed minimum trading days (varies by account)
[ ] Passed consistency rule (check spreadsheet)
[ ] Balance is above locked drawdown + $500 buffer (funded accounts)
[ ] No open positions
[ ] It's within payout window (if applicable)

Payout Request Process

Log into app-f.tradeify.co/dashboard
Click "Request Payout" on your account card
Enter payout amount
Confirm request
Wait for approval (typically 12-24 hours)
Sign up with Rise/Plane (if first payout)
Complete KYC verification
Receive payment

Post-Payout Behavior

Critical 48-hour window: After your payout is approved, your account balance adjusts. Don't trade aggressively during this period.

Why: Some traders get excited post-payout and overtrade, blowing accounts immediately after receiving money.

Best practice: Take the rest of the day off after payout approval. Resume trading normally the next day.

Professional Conduct Principles

1. Trade Your Plan

Have a written trading plan before funding:

Entry criteria
Exit criteria
Position sizing rules
Maximum daily loss limit (self-imposed)
Trading hours preference
Instruments traded

Review monthly and adjust as needed.

2. Journal Every Trade

Minimum information:

Date/Time
Instrument
Entry price
Exit price
P&L
Rationale (why you entered)
Mistakes (what went wrong)

Tradeify provides a built-in journal in the dashboard. Use it.

3. Respect the Capital

Remember: You're trading Tradeify's simulated capital in evaluations/funded accounts. Treat it with the same respect you'd treat your own money.

This means:

No revenge trading after losses
No gambling or "YOLO" trades
No trading while emotional or impaired
No trading without a plan

4. Continuous Improvement

Successful Tradeify traders treat it like a business:

Track all statistics (win rate, avg win, avg loss, expectancy)
Review losing trades weekly
Adjust strategies based on data
Read, learn, study continuously
Engage with trading communities

5. Honesty and Transparency

If you make a mistake, own it.

Examples:

Accidentally traded a prohibited instrument? → Contact support immediately
Noticed a platform error that benefited you? → Report it, don't exploit it
Broke a rule unintentionally? → Acknowledge it, learn from it

Tradeify respects traders who act in good faith, even when mistakes happen.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Overtrading Post-Profit

Scenario: You have a $800 winning day. You feel invincible. You keep trading. You give back $600.

Prevention: Set a daily profit target. When you hit it, stop trading.

My rule: If I'm up 1.5% of account balance, I stop for the day. On a $50K account, that's $750.

2. Scaling Up Too Fast

Scenario: You pass evaluation with 2 MES contracts. You get funded and immediately start trading 20 MES contracts.

Why it fails: Your risk management was calibrated for 2 contracts, not 20.

Best practice: Increase size gradually. 2 contracts → 4 contracts → 6 contracts over weeks, not days.

3. Ignoring Consistency Rule Until It's Too Late

Scenario: Day 3 of your funded account, you make $2,500 (50% of eventual $5,000 total). Now you need to make $2,500 more while keeping every day under $2,500 to pass 20% consistency.

Prevention: Track consistency from Day 1. Plan ahead. Don't let one huge day trap you.

4. Trading Without Stops

Scenario: "I'll just watch the position and exit manually if it goes against me."

Reality: Market gaps 30 points, you panic, exit at worst possible moment, blow your drawdown.

Solution: ALWAYS use hard stops. Set them when you enter the trade. No exceptions.

5. Inadequate Drawdown Monitoring

Scenario: You're tracking balance but not drawdown distance. You take a trade, lose $800, and hit drawdown—only then realizing you were closer than you thought.

Solution: Check drawdown distance before EVERY trade. Make it part of your pre-trade checklist.

FAQ

Can I share my trading strategy with other Tradeify traders?

Yes, general strategy concepts are fine to share. However, don't share specific exploit strategies or rule loopholes. Tradeify monitors Discord and forums—posting rule exploits publicly will get you flagged.

What happens if I accidentally violate a rule?

Minor unintentional violations (like trading outside hours once) may result in a warning. Major violations (like platform exploitation) typically result in immediate termination. If you realize you violated a rule unintentionally, contact support immediately—honesty helps.

Can I trade with other people watching or teaching me?

Yes. Many traders use Discord screenshare or in-person mentoring. However, you must be the one executing trades. Someone else trading your account (even with your permission) violates the agreement.

Am I allowed to trade for a living using only Tradeify accounts?

Yes, but with caveats. Many successful traders scale to 3-5 funded accounts and generate full-time income. However, you're trading simulated capital until Elite Live, and Elite Live requires closing other accounts. Plan your income strategy accordingly.

What if I disagree with a termination decision?

You can appeal by contacting [email protected]. Include your reasoning, evidence, and trade records. However, Tradeify's decisions are generally final. The audit clause in the trader agreement gives them broad authority to terminate accounts.

Can I use the same trading strategy across all my accounts?

Yes, using the same strategy across multiple accounts is allowed and common. Just don't hedge between accounts (opening opposite positions). Trading the same setups on multiple accounts independently is fine.

How do I know if my strategy might be considered exploitative?

Ask yourself: "Am I profiting from market movements and legitimate trading edge, or am I profiting from platform quirks, delays, or errors?" If it's the latter, it's likely exploitative. When in doubt, contact support before implementing.

Is scalping allowed?

Yes, scalping is explicitly allowed. Just ensure your hold times meet the 50%+ over 10 seconds requirement if you're using bots or trading at extremely high frequency.

Can I trade multiple instruments simultaneously?

Yes. You can have positions in ES and NQ at the same time, or any combination of allowed instruments, as long as you stay within position size limits for your account size.

What happens to my account if Tradeify updates rules?

Tradeify notifies traders of rule changes via email and Discord announcements. Typically, rule changes apply to new accounts purchased after the change date, while existing accounts continue under original rules. Always read the announcements carefully.

Ready to trade professionally? Review the complete Tradeify ruleset, master risk management through drawdown, or learn consistency rule strategies.