Customize Tradovate SuperDOM Columns & Colors
Out of the box the SuperDOM shows more than you need. Here's how to show only the columns you use, turn on the bid/ask histogram, set how P/L reads, and color-code your orders and rows, step by step.
The SuperDOM is where a lot of futures traders spend the whole session, so it pays to make it read the way your eyes work. Out of the box it shows more columns than you need and uses default colors that don't always separate your working orders from your fills at a glance. A few minutes in the settings panel gets you a ladder that shows only what matters and flags every order clearly. Here's how to set it up.
The steps below are for Tradovate Web; the desktop app follows the same layout. If you're still learning the click-to-trade mechanics first, start with placing orders on the SuperDOM ladder, then come back to dial in the display.
What You Can Customize on the SuperDOM
The SuperDOM settings break down into three areas: which columns appear, how the ladder looks (histograms, colors, P/L), and how orders behave when you click. This guide covers the display side, columns, histograms, colors, and P/L. Every change applies to the DOM you're editing, so you can run one ladder for scalping and another for swing entries with different setups.
Customizing Your SuperDOM: Step-by-Step
Open the SuperDOM Settings
Load a SuperDOM for the contract you trade. Look for the gear (settings) icon in the top-right corner of the DOM module and click Settings to open the panel. On some builds this lives behind a three-dot menu or a right-click on the ladder itself, either way you're after the same Settings window. If you don't see it right away, hover over the module's title bar and the icon should appear.
Show Only the Columns You Use
The settings group your columns together with on/off toggles. A standard ladder runs Bid Size, Bid, Price, Ask, Ask Size, and an optional Position/P&L column. Turn off anything you don't actually read, a clean size / price / size layout is far faster to scan when the market's moving fast.
Turn On the Bid/Ask Histogram
Flip on Show Bid/Ask Histogram to draw green and red size bars inside the Bid and Ask columns. Instead of reading raw numbers, you see resting liquidity as bar length, which makes big walls of size jump out immediately. There's a separate toggle to print the volume number inside each bar if you want the count and the bar together.
Set How P/L Reads
Decide how your open profit and loss shows on the ladder. You can display it as a dollar amount or in ticks, ticks is handy if you think in points rather than currency. Turn on Show Estimated P/L and the DOM projects what your open position would be worth at each price level, so you can eyeball your risk and reward straight off the ladder before you even set a stop.
Color-Code Your Orders and Rows
This is where the ladder becomes readable under pressure. In the appearance settings you can set the fill color for the bid and ask sides, the best-bid and best-ask rows, and the hover highlight that follows your cursor down the price column. Separately, give each order type its own color, working limits, stops, and filled orders, so you can tell a stop from a target without reading a single label. Pick colors with enough contrast that you never confuse the two mid-trade. If you run bracket orders, this pairs well with an ATM strategy so your stop and target auto-attach and show up on the ladder in their own colors on every entry.
Save Your Layout
Your changes apply to the DOM you edited. Once it looks right, save your workspace or layout so the same columns and colors come back next session instead of snapping to defaults. If you trade more than one instrument, save a separate layout for each so every ladder opens ready to go.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Bid Size | Resting buy quantity at each price |
| Bid | The buy side of the ladder |
| Price | The price ladder itself, centered on the last trade |
| Ask | The sell side of the ladder |
| Ask Size | Resting sell quantity at each price |
| Position / P&L | Your open size and running profit or loss |
Why You'd Set This Up
- Read the ladder faster, fewer columns and clear histograms mean less to process when you're clicking fills.
- Cut order mistakes, color-coded stops and targets are hard to mix up in a fast market.
- Match your mental math, P/L in ticks or dollars, whichever way you actually think about risk.
- Stay consistent, a saved layout means the same setup every session, on every contract you trade.
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Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Open a SuperDOM and click the gear (settings) icon in the top-right of the module, then choose Settings. Depending on your build it may sit behind a three-dot menu or a right-click on the ladder, the panel it opens is the same either way.
Yes. In the DOM settings you can switch the open P/L display between a currency amount and a number of ticks, and turn on Show Estimated P/L to see your projected result at each price level.
Settings apply to the DOM you edit, so save your workspace or layout once it's set up. That way your columns, histogram, and colors reload the next time instead of resetting to the defaults.
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures and other leveraged products carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. PickMyTrade is an independent third-party automation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tradovate, Inc. "Tradovate" and all related names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Platform features and steps change over time, so always confirm the current process in the official Tradovate platform and documentation before acting.