How to Set Up Hotkeys in NinjaTrader

Map keyboard shortcuts to entries, exits, and order actions so you can trade without clicking around like an idiot when the market moves.

Where Hotkeys Live in NinjaTrader

All keyboard shortcuts are managed from the main control center:

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Click Tools.
  3. Click Hot Keys.

You can define hotkeys for charts, DOM, SuperDOM, and other windows. Make sure your basic layout is stable first using NinjaTrader Workspaces.

Basic Order Entry Hotkeys

The most useful hotkeys are for order entry and exits. These should match the order types you already know from NinjaTrader Order Entry.

Common mappings:

  • Buy Market (Chart or DOM)
  • Sell Market (Chart or DOM)
  • Close / Flatten position
  • Cancel All Orders

Example Hotkey Layout

Example mapping for chart trading:

  • Shift + B → Buy Market
  • Shift + S → Sell Market
  • Shift + X → Flatten (close position + cancel orders)
  • Shift + C → Cancel all working orders

If you use ATM strategies like in NinjaTrader ATM Strategies, these hotkeys will drop your brackets in automatically when you hit Buy/Sell.

Setting a Hotkey Step-by-Step

  1. Control Center → Tools → Hot Keys.
  2. Select the window type: Chart, DOM, etc.
  3. Find the command (e.g. Buy market).
  4. Click in the hotkey box.
  5. Press the key combo you want (for example, Shift + B).
  6. Click OK or Apply to save.

Test Everything in SIM First

Do not test new hotkeys on a live or prop feed. Use SIM:

Confirm each hotkey does exactly what you think before touching real money.

Hotkeys and the DOM

If you trade from the DOM, you can map DOM-specific actions:

  • Buy at Ask
  • Sell at Bid
  • Join Bid / Join Ask
  • Cancel orders at price / all orders

Clean this up to work alongside your DOM layout from NinjaTrader DOM Settings and the concepts in DOM Trading Basics.

Hotkeys in Prop Firm Evaluations

Hotkeys amplify whatever discipline you already have. In prop evaluations:

  • A good flatten key saves you from blowing trailing drawdown.
  • A bad size or wrong key can double your position instantly.

Combine hotkeys with a strict rule set like you’d use in Common Evaluation Mistakes.

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