Add OCO Brackets to an Open Position in the DOM
You clicked in fast and now you're sitting in a live position with no stop and no target. Here's exactly how to bolt a full OCO bracket onto that open position straight from the DOM, in two clicks.
You clicked in fast, a market order off a setup, maybe a quick scalp, and now you're sitting in a live position with no stop and no target. Tradovate lets you bolt a full bracket onto that open position straight from the DOM, and it takes two clicks once you know where to look.
The tool for the job is a one-time OCO. OCO stands for One-Cancels-the-Other: you stage a take-profit and a stop-loss as a linked pair, and the moment one fills, Tradovate pulls the other off the book. No leftover order dangling after you've exited.
ATM Bracket vs. One-Time OCO
Don't confuse the two. An ATM Strategy drops a stop and target in automatically the instant your entry fills, great when you plan the bracket before you enter. A one-time OCO is the manual version you place after the fact, on a position that's already open and unprotected. Same OCO linking under the hood; different moment in the trade. This guide covers that second case.
Attach an OCO Bracket to an Open Position: Step-by-Step
Open the DOM for Your Position's Contract
Pull up the DOM (SuperDOM) for the exact contract you're holding, same symbol, same expiry. Your open position and its average price show right on the ladder, so you can see how far price has moved from your entry and where your stop and target should sit.
Switch the ATM Dropdown to "OCO-one time"
Look at the bottom of the DOM module for the ATM dropdown. Open it and select OCO-one time. That arms the ladder: the next two orders you click in will be joined into a single OCO pair instead of firing off as two independent orders. Nothing is submitted yet, you've just told Tradovate to link what comes next.
Drop Your Take-Profit on the Ladder
On the DOM, a left-click sets a limit order and a right-click sets a stop. Start with your target. Left-click a price on the profit side of the ladder to stage a limit take-profit. You'll see a plus (+) in front of the quantity, that just means the order is suspended until you finish the pair.
Add Your Stop-Loss to Complete the Pair
Now the stop. Right-click a price on the risk side, below the market for a long, above it for a short. This second click completes the OCO pair, so the plus signs clear and both orders go live and working. One thing to respect: these clicks have to run in order, OCO-one time, then order 1, then order 2. If you click somewhere else on the platform mid-sequence, the pairing breaks and you'll have to start the OCO over.
Confirm Both Legs Are Working
Glance at the ladder and the Orders panel and confirm two things: the stop is on your risk side, the target is on your profit side, and both show as working. That's your position wrapped, if price runs to your target, the limit fills and the stop cancels; if it runs against you, the stop fills and the target cancels. Either way you're flat with nothing left dangling.
| Your position | Take-profit (left-click, limit) | Stop-loss (right-click, stop) |
|---|---|---|
| Long (you'll sell to exit) | Above the market, in the Ask column | Below the market |
| Short (you'll buy to exit) | Below the market, in the Bid column | Above the market |
A Couple of Things Worth Knowing
- A fill cancels the other leg, a manual cancel may not. The OCO link fires on a fill. In the web trader, if you manually cancel one side, the other order can stay working. If you're bailing on the whole bracket, double-check both legs are gone.
- Match the quantity to your position. Your stop and target should cover the number of contracts you hold, or you'll be left partly unprotected after a partial exit.
- Prop-firm accounts have their own rules. Some firms require a stop on every position and cap your size or contract count. Those limits vary by firm and account size, check your firm's current rules before you lean on any workflow.
Automate This with PickMyTrade
Clicking in an OCO by hand works fine, until the signal fires while you're away from the desk. PickMyTrade routes your TradingView alerts straight into Tradovate and sends the stop-loss and take-profit with every entry, so no position sits naked.
Let PickMyTrade Attach the Bracket for You
PickMyTrade routes your TradingView alerts straight into Tradovate and sends the stop-loss and take-profit with every entry, so no position sits naked.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Yes, that's the whole point of an OCO. When either the stop-loss or the take-profit fills, Tradovate cancels the matching order automatically, so you're left flat with nothing working.
The two orders have to be placed in sequence: select OCO-one time, place order one, then order two. Clicking elsewhere on the platform in between breaks the pairing, and you'll need to re-select OCO-one time and start again.
Yes. However the position was opened, load the DOM for that contract and attach the one-time OCO the same way.
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.