NinjaTrader 8 Trailing Stop Guide - Step By Step for 2025

2 Ways to Setup Trailing Stops in NinjaTrader 8:

Trailing stops in ninjatrader can be very easy and logical. But first, ask yourself this very important question if you're thinking of setting up trailing stops in NinjaTrader 8:

Are you already in the trade, or are you thinking about going in to the market?

The reason why this is so important is because it's a totally different method depending on if your order is already placed.

ATM (Automatic Trade Management)

This will need to be done before the trade is placed. If your existing position has not been placed, you will use an ATM strategy (might want to try our Free ATM Pack) to trail your stops. This is just one of a few ways of attaching ATM orders when placing positions.

1) Open a chart and in the top you will see the chart trader can at the top which looks like a pause button (5th icon over by default from the right).

2) Under the ATM Strategy section of your order is where you will configure your trailing stop.

You can see this in the video at the 1 minute mark below.

If you have any questions on trailing stops in NinjaTrader 8. Please ask us in the comments section below and we'd be happy to reply right back to you.

OCO Orders (One Cancels the Other Order)

If you're already in the market, you will use OCO orders to trail your stop. You can use OCO orders as well to place trades based on conditions.

This is not the ideal way of doing it and depending how many trades you have on. It could get a bit confusing if you did it that way. Consider trying to get into the habit of placing a trialing stop or an auto stop to break-even if you leave trades on over night.

Why Use Trailing Stops?

Protecting Profits: This is probably the most important reason which is why I will list it first. Trailing stops allow our xabcd pattern traders to lock in profits as the price of an asset rises. Instead of setting a fixed stop-loss level, which may lead to premature exits, a trailing stop adjusts upward as the price increases. This helps to capture more gains during strong market trends.

Minimizing Losses: Trailing stops help limit potential losses by automatically adjusting the stop-loss level if the price moves against the trade. This is very helpful to use with our free news indicator to make sure stops are moved up before news events.

Reducing Emotional Decision-Making: Emotions, such as fear and greed, can influence trading decisions. Trailing stops provide a systematic and disciplined approach to risk management, reducing the impact of emotional decision-making. Maybe you are not even around the screen because you trade better that way, the trailing stops can even be moved up in steps.

Freeing Up Mental Bandwidth: Constantly monitoring price movements and deciding when to exit a trade can be mentally taxing. Trailing stops automate the process, freeing up mental bandwidth for other aspects of trading or investing.

Facilitating Active Trading: For active traders who may not have the time to closely monitor the markets throughout the day, trailing stops provide a way to automate risk management, allowing for more efficient and timely exits.