How to Place Orders in NinjaTrader

Quick walkthrough of placing market, limit, and stop orders in NinjaTrader from the chart and the DOM, without clicking random crap by accident.

Pre-Req: Have a Simple Chart Layout

Before you worry about order entry, make sure your chart is not a cluttered mess. A basic layout like the one in Simple, Readable Chart Layout is enough. One or two charts, DOM if you use it, and a clean workspace.

Market Orders From the Chart

Market orders in NinjaTrader are the fastest way to get in. You are paying for speed, not precision. From the chart:

  • Right-click the chart and choose Buy Market or Sell Market.
  • Or use the Chart Trader panel buttons if you have it enabled.
  • The order fills at the current bid/ask, depending on direction.

This matches the same basic idea as the market orders you saw in How to Place Orders in Tradovate .

Limit Orders From the Chart

Limit orders give you control over price. On a chart with Chart Trader turned on:

  • To place a Buy Limit, click below current price on the price axis.
  • To place a Sell Limit, click above current price on the price axis.
  • You will see a working order line on the chart that you can drag up or down.

Limit orders tie in directly with what you learned in Limit vs Market Orders .

Stop Orders From the Chart

Stop orders trigger when price trades through your stop level:

  • Buy Stop → above current price, used to enter on breakouts.
  • Sell Stop → below current price, used to enter on breakdowns.

In NinjaTrader:

  • Right-click at the price level and choose the appropriate stop order.
  • Or use Chart Trader and click at the exact price on the ladder panel.
  • Drag to adjust price before it triggers.

Using the DOM for Order Entry

If you trade from the DOM instead of the chart, NinjaTrader lets you click directly in the price ladder:

  • Left-click in the bid column to place a Buy Limit.
  • Left-click in the ask column to place a Sell Limit.
  • Use the middle or right mouse button (depending on your setup) for stop orders.

If DOM still feels like a blur of numbers, go back and read DOM Trading Basics so you actually know what that ladder is showing you.

Canceling and Modifying Orders

NinjaTrader gives you a few simple controls:

  • Click and drag an order line on the chart to move it to a new price.
  • Click the small X on the order line to cancel it.
  • Use the Close or Flatten button in the Chart Trader or DOM to nuke the position and all working orders.

Order Entry and Risk

None of this matters if you size like an idiot. The mechanics of getting in and out should be boring and repeatable. Take what you are doing here and connect it with the risk concepts in Risk Per Trade for Small Accounts and the execution focus from Execution vs Idea .

For prop firm challenges, over-clicking or fat-fingering orders is a fast way to break rules. That ties into the evaluation rules you already saw in How Prop Firm Evaluations Work .

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