Signal Trade Copier guide
Signal Trade Copier copies your trades from one account (the leader) to your other accounts (the followers). It works with Vest, Tradovate and Rithmic, in any direction. You trade once; every follower follows.
⬇ Download for Windows1. Quick start (5 steps)
- Install Signal Trade Copier on Windows and log in with your Signal Trade App email.
- Connect your accounts on Connections: log in to Vest, and to Tradovate or Rithmic if you trade futures.
- Create a copy group on Copy groups: pick the leader, add followers, choose a size for each. It saves by itself.
- Test it: on the Cockpit, leave Test mode on and press Start copying. Trade on the leader. The Copy Log shows what each follower would get - nothing is sent.
- Go live: turn Test mode off. Followers now copy for real.
Tip: Keep Signal Trade Copier running while you trade. Copying happens in the app on your computer, so use an always-on PC or a VPS.
2. Install and sign in
- Download the installer from copier.signaltradeapp.com and run it (Windows; Mac is coming soon).
- Log in with your Signal Trade App email and the 6-digit code we email you (no password). No Signal Trade App account yet? Create it right in the app, then start the 5-day free trial: copying is on while your trial or plan is active.
- Updates download by themselves and install the next time the app starts.
One Signal Trade Copier account works on one computer at a time. Signing in on another computer signs the first one out.
Closing the window does not stop copying: the app keeps running in the system tray. To quit, right-click the tray icon and choose Quit.
3. Connect your accounts
Everything is on the Connections page.
Vest
Press Log in to Vest. Vest's login page opens inside the app: enter your email, then the 6-digit code Vest emails you. There is no password. The page closes by itself once you are in.
Your Vest accounts appear with their balance. Give them nicknames (for example "Main" and "Prop 50K") - Vest does not name accounts, and nicknames are used everywhere in the app.
Tradovate
Press Connect Tradovate, choose Prop firm or real-money account (Lucid, Apex, Tradeify... - their accounts are sim accounts on Tradovate’s demo server, and Signal Trade Copier finds them there by itself) or Tradovate’s own demo / sim account, then Log in with Tradovate.
Your browser opens Tradovate's own login page. Log in and approve. Signal Trade Copier never sees your Tradovate password.
Back in the app the connection shows Connected with your accounts. If it ever says Log in again, press it and repeat the login.
Adding another Tradovate user? Sign out of Tradovate in your browser first. Otherwise Tradovate logs in the user your browser is already signed in with, and Signal Trade Copier refuses it: the same account can’t be connected twice.
Rithmic
Press Connect Rithmic, pick the system (the firm that gave you the login, for example Apex Trader Funding, or Rithmic Paper Trading), and enter your Rithmic user name and password.
Use your Rithmic user name (the login, often your email or the name the firm sent you), not the account number such as APEX-12345-01. Every account under that login is listed after you connect.
The wrong system is refused as "permission denied", even with the right password.
Your Rithmic login is stored encrypted on this computer only. The same Rithmic user can’t be added twice.
4. Create a copy group
A copy group is one leader and the accounts that copy it. Followers can be any mix of Vest, Tradovate and Rithmic accounts. Set them up on Copy groups.
- Press + New group and give it a name (for example "NQ strategy").
- Pick the Leader: the account you trade yourself.
- Press + Add follower and pick an account. Repeat for each follower.
- For each follower choose Size, Markets, Max size and Too small to copy (explained below). The green box under each follower shows an example for its own settings.
- Changes save by themselves about a second after you make them (the top of the page says All changes saved). A group that is not finished yet, such as a follower with no account picked, is saved once it is complete. Undo goes back to the last saved setup.
Each follower says how it is copied:
| Leader → follower | How it is copied |
|---|---|
| Vest → Vest | Every order is copied, with its stop loss / take profit. Leverage matches the leader. |
| Anything with Tradovate or Rithmic | The follower's position is kept the same as the leader's, using market orders. Entries, adds, trims, reversals and exits (including the leader's stop or target filling) are all copied. |
Tip: Tradovate / Rithmic followers are always kept in sync with their leader. If you trade a follower by hand (outside Signal Trade Copier), copying puts it straight back to the leader's position. To trade a follower yourself, switch its Follow off on the Cockpit first. A new follower starts as Not following: switch Follow on once it and its leader have no open positions.
Tip: Copying can only be started when the leader and its followers have no open positions in the copied markets - close them first. If the app is closed or restarted during a trade, it carries on when it comes back: a leader exit made meanwhile is copied.
- An account can follow only one leader.
- Only one group can copy Vest → Vest. Groups with Tradovate or Rithmic followers have no such limit.
- Pause one follower with the switch at the start of its row. Remove it with Remove.
5. Choose the size for each follower
Size decides how big each follower's position is compared with the leader's. Sizes are always rounded down, so a follower never holds more than you asked for.
| Size setting | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| × ratio (Vest → Vest) | A share of the leader's size. 1 = same, 0.5 = half. | Leader opens 0.01 BTC, × 0.5 → follower opens 0.005 BTC |
| Same size × (with futures) | Same dollar size as the leader, times the number. | 10 NDX on Vest = 5 MNQ (1 MNQ is $2 a point). 1 NQ = 10 MNQ |
| $ per contract (Vest ↔ futures) | Each futures contract equals this many dollars of Vest position. | At $3: leader holds $10.20 of NDX on Vest → follower holds 3 MNQ. Leader holds 2 MNQ → follower holds $6 of NDX on Vest |
Own size per market: choose Markets → Custom and type a number next to a market: how many this account holds for each 1 the leader holds. Example: ES → MES 3 and NQ → MNQ 2 = 1 ES copies as 3 MES and 1 NQ as 2 MNQ (2 ES = 6 MES). Markets left empty use the Size. Max size and rounding down still apply.
$ per contract is set when the leader trades and does not change as the price moves, so a price move alone never sends orders.
Max size caps a follower: for example 4 = never more than 4 contracts (or 4 Vest units) per market, however big the leader's position. Leave it empty for no limit.
Too small to copy: when the leader's position is smaller than one contract (or Vest's smallest order) for this follower, it is skipped and the Copy Log says so. Turn on Copy as the minimum to hold the smallest size instead.
Tip: Vest's smallest NDX order is 0.0001 NDX (about $2.80). Vest also refuses orders under $1.
6. Choose the markets
Markets decides which of the leader's markets a follower copies, and which market each one becomes.
- Standard - all markets (default): every market with a standard pair is copied. Vest → futures uses the micro contracts (NDX → MNQ, SPX → MES, gold → MGC, …). Futures → Vest goes the other way (NQ or MNQ → NDX). Futures → futures keeps the same contract (NQ → NQ).
- Custom - choose markets: a checklist opens. Untick a market to stop copying it, or use the menu next to it to copy it as a different market (for example Nasdaq as NQ instead of MNQ).
7. Worked examples
Example 1 - Copy one Vest account to another
Group "Vest main": Leader Vest · Main, follower Vest · Prop 50K, size × 1.
You open a BTC long with a stop loss on Main → Prop 50K opens the same size with the same stop loss.
You move the stop or close → Prop 50K does the same.
Example 2 - Copy Vest to a Tradovate prop account
Group "NQ to prop": Leader Vest · Main, follower Tradovate · APEX-1234, size $ per contract, $50, Max size 3.
You buy $120 of NDX on Vest → the Tradovate account buys 2 MNQ ($120 ÷ $50, rounded down).
You close on Vest → the Tradovate account sells its 2 MNQ.
Example 3 - Copy one futures account to several prop accounts
Group "Apex copies": Leader Tradovate · main account, followers Rithmic · Apex-1, Rithmic · Apex-2, Tradovate · TPT-1, each Same size × 1.
You buy 2 NQ on the leader → each follower buys 2 NQ, at the same moment.
Your stop fills on the leader → each follower is flattened with a market order.
8. Test first, then go live
- On the Cockpit, make sure Test mode is on.
- Press Start copying.
- Trade on the leader. Open the Copy Log: lines like "would sync … BUY 2" show what each follower would get. Nothing is sent.
- When it looks right, turn Test mode off. The app asks you to confirm. From now on followers trade for real.
- One Start / Stop button runs every group. Copying stays on until you press Stop, even after a restart (change this in Settings).
- A position the leader already holds when you press Start is not copied (it would enter at an old price). That market starts copying with the leader's next trade.
Tip: Try your setup on a Tradovate demo or Rithmic Paper Trading account first.
9. Watch it work: the Cockpit
The Cockpit shows one card per copy group: the leader on top and its followers under it, each with its positions and a status. The card's heading says "all in sync" or how many followers need attention.
- The dot before each account is its connection: green connected, amber reconnecting, red down.
- Positions shows what each account holds now (for Vest also its stops and waiting orders).
- Status says, in words, how each follower is doing (see the table below). The line under it gives the detail.
- The Follow switch starts or stops one follower (it only switches on while the follower and its leader have no open positions). Flatten closes one Vest account's positions at market.
- At the top: Start / Stop copying, Test mode, Flatten all and Cancel all orders (Vest → Vest group), and Stop & close all. Ctrl+Shift+K (from anywhere) stops copying at once and leaves positions open.
| Status | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ✓ In sync | The follower holds what it should. | Nothing. |
| ⏳ Copying | An order was just sent; waiting for the fill. | Nothing - it clears in a second or two. |
| 🧪 Test mode | What would have been sent (nothing is sent). | Turn Test mode off to copy for real. |
| ⚠ Too small | The leader's position is smaller than one contract (or Vest's smallest order) for this follower. | Raise the size, or turn on Copy as the minimum. |
| ⏸ Market closed | The futures market is closed (daily break or weekend). | Nothing - it copies when the market opens. |
| ⚠ Disconnected | The leader's or follower's connection is down; nothing is sent meanwhile. | Check Connections. |
| ✕ Error | An order failed, was refused, or did not fill. Copying carries on: this market tries again by itself (the account is checked first, so nothing is doubled). | Usually nothing. If it keeps saying "Account refused orders", fix the account with your broker or prop firm - read the reason in the Copy Log. |
| ⏸ Paused / Copying off | This follower is paused, or copying is stopped. | Switch Follow on, or press Start copying. |
| ⚠ Size differs (Vest → Vest) | A Vest follower's size does not match the leader × ratio. | Press Check sync; flatten or adjust by hand if needed. |
Tip: Flatten closes every position on that account at market. A flattened Tradovate or Rithmic follower keeps following its leader: if the leader is in a trade, the follower is put back into it. To keep a follower out, switch its Follow off first.
10. What gets copied, and what does not
| Vest → Vest | With Tradovate / Rithmic | |
|---|---|---|
| Market entries, adds, trims, closes | Yes | Yes |
| Reversals (long → short) | Yes | Yes, in one order |
| Leader's waiting limit order | When it fills (or rest the same limit: Advanced) | When it fills |
| Stop loss / take profit | Copied to the follower | Not placed; the follower exits when the leader does |
| Leverage | Matches the leader | - |
| Positions open before Start | No | No |
Good to know: Tradovate and Rithmic followers have no stop of their own. If the app is off when the leader's stop fills, the follower stays open until the app is back and catches up. Keep the app running.
Futures markets close every day (about 5-6 pm New York time) and at the weekend. While they are closed, a futures follower waits and catches up when the market opens.
11. Trade futures from the Chart
Futures (NQ, ES, CL, GC...) appear on the Chart once a Rithmic login has Use for chart data ticked on Connections. Pick a futures market and the ticket on the right sends orders to the Tradovate or Rithmic account you pick there, whichever login the candles come from.
- Size is in contracts. Choose Market, Limit or Stop, and optionally a stop loss and take profit: the broker holds them and places them when the entry fills.
- Your position and working orders are drawn on the chart. Drag an order, stop or target to move it; X cancels it. X on the position (or Close) closes it at market.
- Close also cancels that market's working orders first, its stop and target included, so nothing is left behind that could open a new position.
- Right-click the chart for a limit, stop or market order at that price.
Tip: Trading a leader here is copied to its followers. A follower is held to its leader while copying runs, so a trade on it would be undone. The ticket says which one you picked.
12. Safety and limits
- Test mode sends nothing - use it whenever you change a group.
- Max size caps each futures follower per market.
- Vest → Vest Advanced settings (under the group): copy stop loss (recommended on), copy take profit, copy limit orders, max $ per trade, max open positions, daily loss limit.
- Futures and Vest ↔ futures groups always stay in sync: if an order fails or does not fill, only that follower market waits and tries again (after 5s, 15s, 30s, then every minute; every 5 minutes if the broker says the account is locked - but closing is always tried at once). Every other follower keeps copying.
- Before every retry the app reads the account's real position from the broker, so a retry never doubles a position.
- If one market keeps getting undone (6 orders in 2 minutes for the same leader position - for example a prop firm keeps flattening it), the app stops following on that account and shows why on the Cockpit. Its position is left alone; switch Follow on again when you are ready.
- Vest → Vest groups stop by themselves after 3 failed orders in a row, or when a follower hits its daily loss limit. Copying pauses (and comes back by itself) if Vest's live feed or login drops.
- Nothing is sent while the leader's or a follower's connection is down. Positions are also re-read from each broker regularly (Vest every 30 seconds, Tradovate and Rithmic every minute) in case a live feed goes quiet.
- The Vest connection renews your login by itself and reconnects on its own. If Vest goes quiet for over a minute, the app reconnects.
13. The Copy Log and alerts
The Copy Log lists everything the app did: each copy, each skipped copy and why, connections, and errors. Errors also show a desktop notification.
| You see | It means |
|---|---|
sync_order | A futures follower was brought to the leader's position (with the order sent). |
dry_would_sync | Test mode: what would have been sent. |
sync_not_copied | Too small for this follower's size - skipped (see Too small to copy). |
copy_opened / copy_closed … | Vest → Vest copies. |
14. TradingView alerts
On the TradingView page you get a private webhook URL. A TradingView alert sent to it trades your Vest leader account, and your followers copy it like any other trade. Each plan has a maximum size per market for signals.
15. Troubleshooting
A follower did not copy a trade
Open the Copy Log and find the trade. "not copied" means it was too small for the follower's size - raise the size or turn on Copy as the minimum.
"leader already holds" means the position was open before you pressed Start.
A "waiting for … connection" line means a login dropped - check Connections.
"accepted but did not fill"
The broker accepted an order but the account never showed it. The app reads the account from the broker and sends only what is still missing, a few seconds later. Copying never stops for this.
If it keeps happening, check the account in Vest, Tradovate or Rithmic.
"refused the order" / "Account refused orders"
The broker or prop firm refused the order and gave a reason, shown in quotes. For example "Order can be placed by administrators only" means the firm has locked that account (a rule was hit, or the account is maxed out or expired).
The app keeps trying every 5 minutes and closes at once when the leader closes. Fix it with the firm, or remove that account from the group.
Tradovate says "Log in again"
Press Log in again on Connections and log in on Tradovate's page. Your groups are kept.
Rithmic says "permission denied"
The system is wrong. Remove the connection and add it again with the firm that gave you the login.
No Vest accounts are listed
Log in to Vest on Connections with your email and the 6-digit code Vest emails you.
Follower prices differ from the leader's
Followers enter at market a moment after the leader's fill, so prices can differ slightly. Vest and futures prices also differ from each other.
16. Questions
Can I copy trades from Vest to Tradovate or Rithmic?
Yes. Create a copy group with your Vest account as the leader and a Tradovate or Rithmic account as a follower. Each follower's position is kept the same as the leader's, sized by same dollar size or by a dollar amount per contract.
Can I copy one Tradovate or Rithmic account to several prop accounts?
Yes. Make the account you trade the leader and add each prop account as a follower. Tradovate and Rithmic accounts can be mixed in one group, and every follower is sent its order at the same time.
How is the size worked out between Vest and futures?
Either the same dollar size as the leader (10 NDX on Vest = 5 MNQ) or a fixed dollar amount per contract (at $3, every $3 of NDX on Vest = 1 MNQ). Sizes are always rounded down, and Max size can cap each follower.
Does closing the Signal Trade Copier window stop copying?
No. The app keeps running in the system tray. Press Stop on the Cockpit or Ctrl+Shift+K to stop copying; right-click the tray icon and choose Quit to close the app.
Are positions that were already open copied when I press Start?
No. Copying them would enter at an old price. That market starts copying with the leader's next trade.
Do Tradovate and Rithmic followers get a stop loss?
No. They exit when the leader exits, including when the leader's stop fills. Keep the app running so followers can follow.
Can I test without placing real orders?
Yes. With Test mode on, the app only writes what it would send to the Copy Log. Turn Test mode off to go live.
Does Signal Trade Copier see my Tradovate password?
No. You log in on Tradovate's own page in your browser; the app only receives a login token. Rithmic logins are stored encrypted on your computer.
Is Signal Trade Copier made by Vest, Tradovate or Rithmic?
No. Signal Trade Copier is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Vest Markets, Tradovate or Rithmic.