ATM (Advanced Trade Management) Strategies in NinjaTrader Desktop allow you to automatically place Stop Loss and Take Profit orders and add optional automation such as breakeven and trailing stops. They help make trade management faster and more consistent. Below is everything you need to know when using ATM Strategies with a Tradovate-backed Top One Futures trading account.
Most important: ATM Strategies are 100% client-side. They run only on your local NinjaTrader Desktop, not on the server and not on Tradovate. If NinjaTrader Desktop is not open, running and connected, no ATM instructions can be sent.
What Are ATM Strategies? (Quick Overview)
ATM Strategies allow you to predefine:
Take Profit
Stop Loss
Trade quantity
Auto Breakeven
Auto Trail (trailing stop)
OCO behavior
Multi-target layouts
Saved ATM templates
They are completely optional. You can trade manually or use ATMs for convenience and consistency.
ATM Strategies Are 100% Client-Side
This is the most important thing to understand. ATM Strategies do not run on the server and do not run on Tradovate. They run only on your local NinjaTrader Desktop. Because of this, ATM features work only when NinjaTrader Desktop is open, running, and connected. If your NinjaTrader Desktop isn't running, the ATM cannot calculate or send any instructions to the server.
Example 1: Trade Is Active, ATM placed TP/SL, You disconnect
You enter a trade and your ATM strategy immediately places a Stop Loss and Take Profit. Those orders are now on the server, so they stay active. But if you use any of the features below, they will be impacted when you are disconnected in any way:
The trailing stop will stop trailing
The breakeven trigger will not activate
No further ATM updates will happen
Many other features will not update
Your original TP and SL that were placed will stay, as they have been received by the server, but all automation stops.
Example 2: You Place a Limit Order, You Disconnect, The Order Fills
This scenario is very important, because many traders assume ATM Strategies will still trigger even if they disconnect. They will not. Here is exactly what happens:
You place a limit order with an ATM Strategy selected (placed limit orders are server-side, so they are received on Tradovate's server)
NinjaTrader Desktop disconnects (computer off, platform closed, sleep mode, internet drop, etc.)
Price reaches your limit order and the order fills on the server
But your ATM Strategy never activates, because NinjaTrader Desktop wasn't connected at the moment of the fill
This means:
No Stop Loss is submitted
No Take Profit is submitted
No OCO is created
No trailing or breakeven can run
Your trade is unprotected
The platform must be online at the moment the order fills in order for ATM instructions to be sent.
Keeping ATM Strategies Working Correctly
To keep ATM Strategies working correctly, your computer must remain:
Requirement | Status needed |
Computer | Turned on, not in sleep / hibernation mode |
Internet | Connected, not disconnected |
NinjaTrader Desktop | Running and connected |
Top One Futures Disclaimer
Top One Futures is not responsible for ATM Strategies failing due to:
Internet disconnection
Closing NinjaTrader Desktop
Device shutdown
Platform crashes
Sleep/hibernation mode
Power outages
Any local device issues
ATM logic is fully client-side and depends entirely on the trader's system and connection.
Recommended Safety Tip
Always verify that your Stop Loss and Take Profit are active on the Tradovate Web Platform: https://trader.tradovate.com
If TP/SL orders do not appear there, they are not active, and your ATM Strategy did not send them to the server. Any other features that update these orders (trailing stop, auto-breakeven, etc.) will not work when disconnected from NinjaTrader Desktop, even when the TP/SL orders are correctly placed on the server side.
Learn More About ATM Strategies
For a full breakdown of every ATM feature, please see NinjaTrader's official documentation. This explains all ATM tools in detail, including Auto Breakeven, Auto Trail, Shadow Strategy, and more.