Sign Tradovate's Data Agreement for a Prop Eval
Prices frozen or stuck ten minutes behind on your prop eval account? Here's how to sign Tradovate's market data agreement, pick Non-Professional, and get your symbols flowing from orange to white.
You passed the checkout, your prop firm emailed your login, and you fired up Tradovate, but the prices are frozen or stuck ten minutes behind. Nine times out of ten, one form is the holdup. Before an evaluation account will stream live futures quotes, you have to sign Tradovate's market data agreement once, inside the web app, and mark yourself Non-Professional. Do that, wait a bit, and your symbols flip from orange to white. Here's the whole thing, start to finish.
Why the Data Agreement Exists
Tradovate carries CME Group data, and the exchange won't release real-time quotes until every account holder certifies who they are. On a prop eval, the firm creates your login and usually bundles Level 1 CME data with the account, but the certification is personal. Nobody at the firm can sign it for you. Skip it and you're stuck on delayed data, which is why so many "my charts are broken" moments trace back to this one screen.
Signing the Agreement: Step-by-Step
Log In Through the Tradovate Web App
Do this part in the browser platform, not the desktop app, not mobile, and not through TradingView. The agreement screens only surface in the web app, and you only sign them once. Enter the evaluation credentials your firm sent you (the username often starts with a firm prefix) and sign in. If you land on a "fund your account" page instead, you're on the wrong login, go back and use the eval credentials.
Read the Certification and Choose Non-Professional
The first screen is the market data subscriber certification. Scroll through it to the classification step and select Non-Professional. That's the right call for a retail trader funded by a prop firm, and it keeps you off the professional data tariff, which runs several hundred dollars a month. Only choose Professional if exchange rules genuinely put you in that bucket, trading on behalf of a firm, registered with a regulator, that kind of thing.
Check the Boxes and Sign Your Name
Next you'll tick a couple of agreement checkboxes and type your name into a signature field. Type it exactly as it's printed just above the box, same capitalization, spacing, and any accents. A tiny mismatch is the number-one reason the form won't submit. Once it matches, the Sign (or Next) button goes live. Click it.
Accept the License and Confirm Evaluation
Right after the data agreement, Tradovate shows its End User License Agreement. Scroll to the bottom and accept it. Then you'll pick your trading mode, choose Evaluation (older builds labeled this Simulation). Heads up: once you're in Evaluation mode, every trade counts toward your eval, so don't throw practice orders at it just to "test" the connection.
Wait for Activation and Check Symbol Colors
Live data doesn't switch on the instant you sign. Depending on demand, it can take anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes. The fastest status check is the color of the instrument name on your chart or DOM: white means live data is flowing, and orange means it's still delayed or the agreement hasn't cleared. Still orange after 90 minutes? Log out and back in before you do anything else, a fresh session often pulls the entitlement through.
Still Stuck on Orange Data?
On a prop evaluation account, the firm owns the Tradovate account and controls the data entitlement. If you've signed everything, waited past 90 minutes, and re-logged in but symbols are still orange, the fix usually sits on the firm's side, they may need to enable or re-push the market data entitlement for your account. Which data package ships with your eval, how long provisioning takes, and the exact rules all vary by firm and account size, so check your firm's current setup guide before you open a support ticket.
Automate Your Eval with PickMyTrade
Once your data's live and your account's cleared, PickMyTrade routes your TradingView alerts straight to Tradovate, so your strategy fires the moment your chart signals, with no manual clicking during your evaluation.
Automate Your Prop Evaluation
Once your data's live, let PickMyTrade route your TradingView alerts straight to Tradovate, so your strategy fires the moment your chart signals, no manual clicking during your eval.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Even though the prop firm sets up the account, the market data certification is tied to you as the account holder and can only be signed once, in the Tradovate web app. Without it you're limited to delayed data.
Usually somewhere between 10 and 90 minutes after you sign, depending on how busy Tradovate's provisioning is. Wait the full 90 minutes and try a fresh login before assuming something's wrong.
Almost every retail prop trader is Non-Professional, which also avoids a steep monthly professional data fee. Only select Professional if exchange rules classify you that way. If you're unsure, check with your firm.
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.