Trade Copier Rules in Prop Firms: What’s Allowed and What Gets You Violated
Trade copiers let you duplicate trades across multiple accounts instantly. They’re powerful, but dangerous — because prop firms watch copier activity closely. If you break their copier rules, you can lose every linked account in one shot. The firms don’t care whether the trade wins or loses. If the copier breaks their policy, it’s a violation.
Why Prop Firms Restrict Trade Copiers
Prop firms restrict copier use for one reason: controlling risk. A copier can multiply your exposure across multiple accounts and create outsized risk the firm doesn’t want.
Common concerns include:
- one trader controlling too many accounts
- copier groups sharing trades between unrelated traders
- automation that bypasses risk systems
- identical trade signatures that match other traders
Prop firms want independent decision-making — not one trader pumping dozens of accounts through a copier.
Allowed Copier Use: Same Trader, Same Person
Most firms allow trade copiers when:
- the accounts are owned by the same trader
- the trader is using small, controlled size
- the copier settings match the firm’s scaling rules
This is standard for traders running account “stacks” — multiple evaluations or funded accounts at once.
Banned Copier Use: Multiple Traders Sharing Signals
The fastest way to get violated is sharing trades between different people. Firms consider this:
- signal selling
- trade distribution networks
- theft of intellectual property
- multi-trader collusion
If two or more unrelated traders place identical trades with identical timing, size, and risk parameters, firms will flag it instantly.
How Prop Firms Detect Copier Activity
Prop firms use backend surveillance tools to detect copier behavior. These systems look for patterns like:
- identical entry timestamps down to the millisecond
- pixel-perfect matching of stop and target distances
- matching sequence of order IDs
- parallel contract scaling across multiple accounts
If your trades look too perfect, the system assumes a copier is running.
Contract Limit Issues With Copiers
Copiers can accidentally break:
- scaling limits
- instrument-specific contract caps
- max position size rules
This is how traders unintentionally violate accounts, especially if the copier multiplies risk across an account group without adjusting for tiered limits.
Copiers and High-Impact Events
If you copy trades into restricted moments like news windows, every linked account can take a violation at once.
The copier doesn’t know the rules — it just fires orders. The firm doesn’t accept “my copier did it” as an excuse.
Safe Copier Settings
To avoid violations:
- Use proportionally scaled sizing
- Avoid copying into new accounts with different rules
- Disable copiers during news windows
- Check tier limits before scaling size
Copiers are safe only when they’re controlled.
Final Takeaway
Trade copiers are allowed in most prop firms, but only when used responsibly. If you share signals, oversize, or copy into restricted conditions, the firm will nuke your accounts instantly. Use the copier for efficiency — not to cheat the system.