Reduce Only and TP/SL (take profit and stop loss) on futures orders
What they are
Two checkboxes sit under the size field of the order form:
- Reduce Only: "Reduce Only. This order can only reduce your existing position, not open a new one."
- TP/SL: "Take Profit / Stop Loss. Set automatic exit orders to lock in profits or limit losses."
You cannot use both at the same time. When one is ticked, the other is switched off (greyed out). The message "TP/SL is unavailable when Reduce-Only is enabled" appears if both somehow end up selected.
Reduce Only
Use Reduce Only when you want to close or shrink a position and make sure the order can never flip you into the opposite direction or open a new position.
How it behaves
- Tick Reduce Only (available on Limit, Market, Stop Limit and Stop Market).
- If you have exactly one open position on this symbol, the form shows only the closing button, labelled Close Long (for a long position) or Close Short (for a short position). The other button is hidden.
- Enter the size and price (for Limit orders) and press the close button.
- On success you see Close position order submitted.
Reduce Only orders need no new margin, so the balance check is skipped. The form shows no margin cost and no liquidation price for the closing order; the fee estimate is still shown.
Reduce Only error messages
These appear under the notification title Order validation failed:
| Message | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "No open position to reduce for this symbol" | You have no open position on this contract. | Untick Reduce Only, or open a position first. |
| "Cannot submit reduce-only while both long and short positions are open" | Both a long and a short position are open on this symbol. | Close or manage the positions from the positions panel instead. |
| "Invalid reduce-only quantity" | The size is empty, zero or not a valid number. | Enter a valid size. |
| "Reduce-only quantity exceeds current position size (max {maxQty})" | Your size is larger than your position. The app shows the largest size you can close. | Enter a size up to the maximum shown. |
TP/SL (take profit and stop loss)
Take Profit closes your position automatically when the price reaches your profit target. Stop Loss closes it when the price moves against you.
How to attach TP/SL to a Limit or Market order
- Select Limit or Market.
- Tick TP/SL. Two fields appear: Take Profit and Stop Loss, each with a Price box and a Mark / Last selector (default Mark) that chooses which price triggers it.
- Enter a Take Profit price, a Stop Loss price, or both. You need at least one.
- Press Buy/Long or Sell/Short.
The entry order and the exit orders are submitted together. The exit orders start only after the entry order fills. The two exits are linked, so when one executes the other is cancelled.
Price rules
The app compares your prices with the Mark price.
| Your side | Take Profit must be | Stop Loss must be |
|---|---|---|
| Buy/Long | Above the mark price | Below the mark price |
| Sell/Short | Below the mark price | Above the mark price |
TP/SL error messages
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Enter take profit or stop loss" | TP/SL is ticked but both boxes are empty. Fill at least one or untick TP/SL. |
| "Take profit must be greater than 0" | The take-profit price is zero or invalid. |
| "Take profit must be above reference price" | For a Buy/Long, the take-profit price is not above the mark price. |
| "Take profit must be below reference price" | For a Sell/Short, the take-profit price is not below the mark price. |
| "Stop loss must be greater than 0" | The stop-loss price is zero or invalid. |
| "Stop loss must be below reference price" | For a Buy/Long, the stop-loss price is not below the mark price. |
| "Stop loss must be above reference price" | For a Sell/Short, the stop-loss price is not above the mark price. |
| "TP/SL is unavailable when Reduce-Only is enabled" | Untick Reduce Only or untick TP/SL. |
Important notes
- You can also set or change TP/SL on a position that is already open, from the positions panel.
- On Stop Limit and Stop Market orders the TP/SL checkbox is shown, but the app does not attach exit orders to those two order types. After placing a stop order, check Open Orders to confirm what was created. If you need take-profit and stop-loss exits, use a Limit or Market entry with TP/SL.
- Using a voucher requires that Reduce Only and TP/SL are both off: "Turn off Reduce-only to use a voucher." and "Remove TP/SL to use a voucher." See the Vouchers articles.
FAQ
Why can't I tick TP/SL? Reduce Only is probably ticked. Untick it first.
Why is there only one trade button after I tick Reduce Only? With one open position, the only reduce-only order possible is the one closing it, so the app shows just Close Long or Close Short.
Can Reduce Only open a new position? No. It can only reduce your existing position.
Where do I see the TP/SL orders I attached? Open orders and the positions panel. The exit orders appear after the entry order fills.
When to contact Support
Contact Support if a take-profit or stop-loss did not trigger or did not appear. Include: symbol, side, entry order details, the Take Profit and Stop Loss prices and trigger type (Mark or Last), the exact message shown, a screenshot of the orders panel, and the time with time zone.
Safety reminder
TP/SL and stop orders do not guarantee the price you get when they trigger. Never share your password, 2FA code, seed phrase or private key.
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