Set Default Order Quantity in the Tradovate DOM
Need to set your order quantity on the Tradovate SuperDOM? Here's where to set your contract size, plus the one thing the ladder won't let you do: resize an order that's already live.
Every order you fire off the ladder goes out at whatever number sits in the Qty box. Set that once and it holds as your working size, so you're not fat-fingering contract counts in a fast market. Here's where to set your order quantity on the Tradovate SuperDOM, plus the one thing the ladder won't let you do: resize an order that's already live.
What "Default Quantity" Actually Means on the DOM
On the Tradovate SuperDOM, the Qty field at the top of the ladder is your order size, and whatever you leave it at is the size the next buy or sell uses. A fresh DOM opens at 1 contract. Change it once and it holds for that ladder until you change it again, which is as close to a "default" as the DOM gives you. Order defaults can shift depending on where you open order entry from, so glance at the Qty box before you send anything.
Setting Your Order Quantity: Step-by-Step
Open the SuperDOM for Your Contract
In the Tradovate Web Trader, open a SuperDOM and load the contract you want to trade. If you're new to the ladder itself, our guide to placing orders on the Tradovate SuperDOM walks through the whole layout first.
Find the Qty Control at the Top of the Ladder
Look at the top of the SuperDOM module, above the price ladder. That's where the quantity control lives, and it's the number that drives every order you send from this ladder. Worth knowing exactly where it sits before you're in a trade.
Set Your Contract Count
Type the number of contracts you want directly into the Qty box, or click the plus and minus steppers to nudge it up and down. Trading 3 lots? Set it to 3 and leave it there. If you find yourself changing size a lot during a session, setting up keyboard hotkeys in Tradovate can speed up size changes once you've got your base size dialed in.
Make Your Size Hold as the Default
Whatever you leave in the Qty box stays put as the working quantity for that ladder until you change it, so you don't have to re-enter it before each order. If you want a size that survives across sessions, open the module Settings through the gear icon at the top-right of the DOM and check for a default-quantity option there. Confirm the exact wording in your current build, since the settings layout gets refreshed from time to time.
Send the Order at Your Set Size
With your quantity set, click a price on the bid or ask side of the ladder to place a working order, or use the Buy Market and Sell Market buttons for an immediate fill. Either way, the order goes out at the number in the Qty box, no per-order typing needed.
The Limitation: You Can't Resize a Working Order
Here's where people get tripped up. Once an order is resting on the book, its quantity is frozen. You can drag the price up and down the ladder all day, but the DOM won't let you change the number of contracts on an order that's already live. The Qty box only sets the size of the next order you send, not orders already sitting out there.
| On a working (resting) order | Can you change it? |
|---|---|
| Price / order level | Yes, drag it on the ladder or chart |
| Quantity (number of contracts) | No, you have to cancel and re-place |
So if you've got 2 contracts working and you decide you want 4, you have two clean options:
- Cancel and re-place, kill the existing order and send a fresh one at the new size.
- Scale in, leave the original order and add a separate order for the extra contracts.
You'll manage those live orders from the ladder or from the Tradovate Orders module, where cancelling and re-submitting is quick. It's a small quirk, but knowing it ahead of time keeps you from stabbing at a number that was never going to change.
Why You'd Need This
- Trade at the right size, a locked Qty box means fewer contract-count errors under pressure.
- Know the cancel/replace rule, plan your sizing before you send, because you can't resize a live order.
- Respect account limits, max position and contract caps vary by firm and account size, so check your firm's current rules before you scale up.
Automate This with PickMyTrade
If you'd rather your size and routing come straight from your strategy instead of a Qty box, PickMyTrade sends your TradingView alerts through to your Tradovate account with the quantity baked into each signal. Your entries and exits fire at the size you defined, no clicking the ladder mid-move.
Automate Your Order Sizing
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Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Set the number in the Qty field at the top of the SuperDOM. That value holds as your working size for that ladder until you change it. For a size that persists across sessions, check the module Settings (gear icon) and confirm the exact label in your build.
Tradovate doesn't allow editing the contract count on a working order. You can move its price, but to change size you have to cancel and re-place it at the new quantity, or add a separate order to scale in.
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.