Troubleshooting

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common issues with trailing stop bots. Find solutions to problems quickly and get your bot back on track.

Common Issues

"Insufficient Balance" Error

Symptoms:

Bot fails to start
Error message: "Insufficient balance to open position"
Cannot enter position

Possible Causes:

1. Not enough funds in exchange account

Required: $10,000 for full position
Available: $8,500 in account

Solution: Fund your exchange account

2. Funds locked in other positions/bots

Total balance: $10,000
Already in use: $7,000 (other bots/positions)
Available: $3,000
Trying to allocate: $5,000

Solution: 
- Stop other bots to free capital
- Reduce investment amount
- Close manual positions

3. Balance calculation mismatch

Issue: System shows different balance than exchange

Solution:
- Refresh exchange connection
- Sync balance (Settings → Exchange → Sync)
- Wait a few minutes and retry

4. Minimum order size not met

Position size: $45
Exchange minimum: $50

Solution: 
- Increase investment amount
- Choose different trading pair with lower minimums

Solutions:

Immediate Fixes:

Check exchange balance directly on exchange website
Ensure no pending withdrawals or locked funds
Reduce investment amount in bot settings
Cancel other manual orders/positions

Example Adjustment:

Original Config (Failed):
Investment: $10,000
Available balance: $8,000

Adjusted Config (Works):
Investment: $8,000
Available balance: $8,000 ✓

Quick Fix

Try reducing your investment amount by 10-15% to account for fees and exchange reserves.

Bot Not Entering Positions

Symptoms:

Bot status shows "Running"
But no position opened
Hours or days pass with no entry
No error messages

Diagnosis Steps:

1. Check Entry Strategy

If using specific entry signals:
- Bot may be waiting for ideal conditions
- Check if entry criteria are too strict
- Review current market vs entry requirements

Solution: Be patient, good entries take time
Or: Review and adjust entry criteria

2. Verify Market Conditions

Trailing bots work best in trending markets

Current Market:
- Ranging/choppy: Bot may wait for trend
- Low volume: Entry opportunities limited
- High volatility: Bot cautious on entry

Solution: 
- Wait for better market conditions
- Or adjust to current market
- Consider grid bot for ranging markets

3. Check Balance at Entry Moment

Balance sufficient when starting bot: ✓
But at entry moment, balance changed:

Possible issues:
- Other bot consumed funds
- Withdrawal processed
- Manual trade executed
- Fee reserve insufficient

Solution:
- Ensure consistent available balance
- Don't withdraw while bot active
- Reserve extra for fees

4. Verify Bot is Actually Running

Check:
1. Bot status = "Running" (not paused/stopped)
2. No error messages
3. API connection active
4. Exchange responsive

Solution: Review bot status and logs

Solutions:

For Delayed Entry:

Normal Behavior:
- Trailing bots wait for right conditions
- Not every moment is good for entry
- Quality > Quantity of entries

Action: Be patient, monitor, let bot work

For Technical Issues:

Verify API connection
Check exchange status
Review error logs
Test with manual order
Restart bot if needed

Normal Behavior

It's normal for trailing bots to wait hours or even days for favorable entry conditions. This is especially true in choppy or ranging markets.

Trailing Stop Not Activating

Symptoms:

Position opened successfully
Price increased but not enough
Still using initial stop loss
Activation profit not reached

Diagnosis:

1. Check Current Profit vs Activation

Entry: $50,000
Current: $54,500 (+9%)
Activation Needed: +10%
Status: Not activated yet (need +0.5% more)

This is normal - waiting for confirmation

2. Price Reversed Before Activation

Entry: $50,000
Peak: $54,800 (+9.6%)
Current: $51,000 (+2%)
Activation: +10%

Issue: Price came close but never hit activation
Now going down

Result: Initial stop loss will trigger if continues down

3. Activation Set Too High

Entry: $50,000
Activation: +20%
Current: $56,000 (+12%)

Issue: Activation requires $60,000
Price often reverses before reaching

Solution: Consider lowering activation to 10-12%

Solutions:

If Close to Activation:

Be patient - let price reach target
Don't manually close
Trust the strategy

If Consistently Not Reaching Activation:

Review backtest:
- Does price usually reach activation?
- Is activation % too high?
- Does market have enough momentum?

Action:
- Lower activation profit (20% → 12%)
- Or accept that initial stop protects
- Or wait for better trending markets

If Price Reversed:

This is why initial stop loss exists!
- Protected from larger loss
- Strategy working as designed
- Not every trade will hit activation

Action: Let initial stop trigger if needed
Learn from the trade
Wait for next opportunity

Activation Best Practice

If positions consistently fail to reach activation (>40% of trades), consider lowering your activation percentage. Backtest different values first.

Position Closed Too Early (Whipsaw)

Symptoms:

Trailing stop triggered
Then price continues higher
Missed additional profit
Frustrating "almost" scenario

Diagnosis:

1. Trailing Stop Too Tight

Entry: $50,000
Peak: $58,000 (+16%)
Trailing: 3%
Stop: $56,260 (3% below peak)

Price dips to: $56,200 → Stopped out
Price then rallies to: $65,000

Issue: 3% trail didn't give enough room for volatility

2. Normal Market Volatility

Example:
Stop at: $57,000
Price touched: $56,950 → Triggered
Price 5 min later: $59,000

Reality: This happens in volatile markets
Not always avoidable

3. Poor Market Conditions

Choppy/Ranging Market:
- Price whipsaws frequently
- Trailing stops get hit often
- Then reverses

Issue: Wrong market for trailing strategy

Solutions:

Widen Trailing Stop:

Current: 3% trailing
Issue: Too tight, getting whipsawed

Test wider stops:
- Try 5% trailing
- Or 7% for very volatile assets
- Backtest to find optimal

Trade-off:
Wider stop = Less whipsaw but give back more profit

Add Volatility Filter:

Don't trade when:
- ATR (Average True Range) too high
- Price making erratic moves
- Low volume periods

Wait for:
- Clear trend
- Normal volatility
- Good volume

Accept Normal Behavior:

Reality Check:
- Can't catch every move perfectly
- Some whipsaws inevitable
- Still profitable overall if win rate good

Evaluation:
If winning 60%+ of trades → Strategy working
If winning <50% → Adjust parameters

Perspective

Getting stopped out then watching price rally is frustrating but normal. Review your overall win rate - if it's >55%, your strategy is working despite occasional whipsaws.

Take Profit vs Trailing Stop Conflict

Symptoms:

Uncertain which will trigger first
Position behavior confusing
Not sure how they interact

Understanding the Interaction:

Take Profit Takes Priority

Entry: $50,000
Trailing Stop: 5%
Take Profit: +25% = $62,500

Scenario 1: Price hits $62,500
Result: Take profit triggers immediately
Trailing stop never used
Exit: $62,500

Scenario 2: Price reaches $60,000 (not $62,500 yet)
Trailing active at $57,000 (5% below)
Price drops to $57,000
Result: Trailing stop triggers
Take profit never reached
Exit: $57,000

Which Is Better?

Use Take Profit When:

✓ Have specific target based on resistance
✓ Want to guarantee exit at key level
✓ Risk-averse approach
✓ Prefer certainty over potential

Example: Strong resistance at $65k
Set take profit at $64,500
Ensures exit before resistance

Skip Take Profit When:

✓ Want to maximize trend capture
✓ No clear resistance nearby
✓ Willing to ride full trend
✓ Trust trailing stop to work

Example: Strong momentum
No resistance in sight
Let trailing stop do its job

Solutions:

If Conflicts Causing Issues:

Option 1: Disable take profit
- Use trailing stop only
- Maximize profit potential
- Accept more volatility

Option 2: Set high take profit
- Use as safety ceiling only
- Example: +50% or +100%
- Rarely hits, but caps extreme moves

Option 3: Use both strategically
- Take profit at clear resistance
- Trailing handles everything else
- Best of both worlds

Re-entry Strategy Not Working

Symptoms:

Bot not re-entering after exit
Missed good entry opportunities
Or re-entering at bad times

Diagnosis by Strategy Type:

1. Pullback Strategy Issues

Symptom: Never re-enters

Exit: $57,000
Re-entry rule: Price < $57,000
Current: $58,000 (staying above)

Issue: Price trending higher, never pulls back
Missing the continuation

Solution:
- Switch to Aggressive re-entry
- Or accept missing this move
- Or use % Pullback instead

Symptom: Re-entry too late

Exit: $57,000
Re-entry: When < $57,000
Price drops to: $56,500 → Enters
Price continues down to: $52,000

Issue: Pullback was start of larger decline
Not just a dip

Solution:
- Add trend filter
- Or use % Pullback (e.g., 3%)
- Or wait for reversal signal

2. Aggressive Strategy Issues

Symptom: Re-entering during drop

Exit: $57,000 (trailing stopped out)
Re-entry: Immediate at $57,200
Price continues down to: $52,000

Issue: Trying to catch falling knife
Aggressive re-entry too aggressive

Solution:
- Switch to Pullback strategy
- Or use % Pullback for some buffer
- Let price stabilize first

3. % Pullback Strategy Issues

Symptom: Pullback too deep

Exit: $57,000
Re-entry: 5% pullback = $54,150
Price pulls back to: $55,000, bounces up
Missed the entry

Issue: Pullback requirement too large
Price didn't drop enough

Solution:
- Reduce pullback % (5% → 3%)
- Or use smaller % for faster re-entry

Symptom: Pullback too shallow**

Exit: $57,000
Re-entry: 1% pullback = $56,430
Immediately re-enters at: $56,400
Price continues down

Issue: Not enough confirmation
Re-entered too quickly into decline

Solution:
- Increase pullback % (1% → 3-5%)
- Wait for better confirmation

Solutions:

Match Strategy to Market:

Trending Up Strongly:
→ Use Aggressive re-entry
Don't want to miss continuation

Choppy/Uncertain:
→ Use Pullback or % Pullback
Wait for confirmation

Volatile:
→ Use % Pullback with larger %
Need more room for noise

Optimize Pullback Percentage:

Backtest different values:
- 1%: Very quick re-entry
- 3%: Balanced (recommended)
- 5%: Conservative, waits longer

Find what works for your asset

Consider Conditional Strategy:

Use base re-entry + stop condition

Example:
- Use % Pullback normally
- But stop entirely after +30% overall
- Prevents giving back too much

Bot Stops Unexpectedly

Symptoms:

Bot was running
Now shows "Stopped" status
Didn't manually stop it
May see error messages

Common Causes:

1. API Connection Lost

Error Log Shows:
"API authentication failed"
"Connection timeout"
"Invalid API key"

Causes:
- API key revoked or expired
- Exchange API maintenance
- Network issues
- IP whitelist changed

Solutions:
1. Verify API key still valid
2. Check API permissions (trade enabled)
3. Regenerate API key if needed
4. Update key in platform settings
5. Check exchange status page
6. Verify IP whitelist if used

2. Exchange Error

Error Messages:
"Order rejected by exchange"
"Market not available"
"Trading suspended"
"Insufficient liquidity"

Causes:
- Exchange maintenance
- Trading pair issues
- Market halted
- Exchange outage

Solutions:
1. Check exchange announcements
2. Verify trading pair still active
3. Wait for exchange to resume
4. Restart bot once resolved

3. Balance Issues During Operation

Scenario:
- Bot started successfully
- Was trading fine
- Then stopped

Cause:
- Balance became insufficient
- Withdrew funds while bot running
- Fees depleted balance
- Another bot consumed funds

Solution:
- Add funds to account
- Adjust allocation across bots
- Keep sufficient reserve
- Don't withdraw while bots active

4. System-Level Stop Condition Met

If using Conditional re-entry:

Stop Condition: Overall profit >+50%
Current: Just hit +50.5%
Result: Bot stops automatically

This is NORMAL behavior
Bot did what you configured

Action: Review performance, restart if desired

Diagnostic Process:

Step 1: Check Error Logs

Look for:
→ API errors
→ Exchange errors
→ Balance errors
→ System errors

Recent error will show reason

Step 2: Check Performance Tab

Look for:
→ Stop condition triggers
→ Last successful action
→ Current/last position details
→ Error timeline

Step 3: Verify External Systems

Check:
→ Exchange operational
→ API key valid
→ Balance sufficient
→ Network stable

Position Issues

Position Shows Negative P&L

Symptoms:

Position underwater
Showing loss
Concerned about initial stop

Diagnosis:

1. Before Activation - Normal Behavior

Entry: $50,000
Current: $49,200 (-1.6%)
Initial Stop: $47,500 (-5%)
Activation: Needs +10%

Status: Currently negative but protected
If drops to $47,500, will stop out at -5%

Action: Normal volatility, let strategy work
Initial stop is your protection

2. After Activation - Check Trailing Stop

Entry: $50,000
Peak: $58,000 (activation hit!)
Current: $56,000 (+12% still green)
Trailing Stop: $55,100 (5% below peak)

Status: Trailing active, still profitable
Protected at +10.2% currently

Action: Normal pullback, trailing stop protecting

3. Near Stop Level

Entry: $50,000
Current: $47,600
Initial Stop: $47,500
Distance: Only $100 away!

Status: Very close to stopping out
High probability of exit soon

Action:
- Do NOT manually close
- Let stop work
- Review why entry failed
- Learn for next trade

Solutions:

If Frequently Negative:

Possible Issues:
- Poor entry timing
- Market not trending
- Wrong market conditions

Actions:
- Review entry strategy
- Check market suitability
- Consider wider initial stop
- Or tighter entry criteria

If Within Normal Range:

Trust Your Strategy:
- Initial stop is protection
- Some losses inevitable
- Win rate should be >55%
- Individual losses acceptable

Can't Close Position Manually

Issue: Want to close position but option not available

Explanation:

Trailing bots manage positions automatically:

Why no manual close:
- Strategy controls entry/exit
- Stops are in place for protection
- Manual intervention defeats purpose
- Could close at worse price than stop

If you really need to close:
Option 1: Stop the bot (closes position)
Option 2: Let trailing stop work

When You Might Want This:

Valid Reasons:

✓ Major market event just announced
✓ Exchange having issues
✓ Need capital immediately
✓ Strategy clearly not working

Action: Stop the bot (position closes)

Invalid Reasons:

✗ Position temporarily negative
✗ Scared of normal volatility
✗ Want to "take profits" early
✗ Second-guessing strategy

Action: Let bot work as designed
Your stops are protection

Manual Intervention

Constantly stopping bots to close positions manually defeats the purpose of automated trading. If you're doing this frequently, the strategy may not match your risk tolerance.

Performance Issues

Win Rate Below 50%

Symptoms:

More losing trades than winning
Strategy not profitable
Consistent underperformance

Diagnosis:

1. Parameter Issues

Current Setup:
- Trailing: 2% (very tight)
- Activation: 5% (very low)
- Initial Stop: 5%

Problem: Whipsaws very common
Too sensitive to noise

Solution:
- Widen trailing (2% → 5%)
- Raise activation (5% → 10%)
- Test in backtest first

2. Wrong Market Conditions

Trailing bots need trending markets

Current Market: Ranging/Choppy
Result: Stops get hit often
Price reverses after exit

Solution:
- Wait for trending market
- Or use grid bot instead
- Or pause until trend emerges

3. Poor Entry Timing

Entering at wrong times:
- Tops of moves
- During high volatility
- Against the trend

Solution:
- Add entry filters
- Use technical analysis
- Wait for better setups

Solutions:

Immediate Actions:

Stop bot temporarily
Review last 10 trades
Identify common failure pattern
Adjust parameters
Backtest changes
Paper trade new settings
Resume when confident

Parameter Adjustments to Test:

If too many whipsaws:
→ Widen trailing stop

If activation never reached:
→ Lower activation profit

If stops too tight:
→ Widen initial stop

Always backtest changes first!

Fees Eating Into Profits

Symptoms:

Gross profit looks good
Net profit much lower
Fees surprisingly high

Diagnosis:

1. High Trading Frequency

Trades per Month: 25
Fee per Trade: 0.1% × 2 (entry + exit) = 0.2%
Total Fee Impact: 25 × 0.2% = 5%

If ROI is 7%, net is only 2% after fees!

Issue: Too frequent trading

2. Small Profit Per Trade

Average Profit: +3%
Fees: 0.2% per trade
Net: 2.8%

If trailing stop hits early often:
Gross: +3%
But if trade fails:
Loss: -5%
Fees: 0.2%
Net loss: -5.2%

Issue: Profit margins too thin

Solutions:

Reduce Trading Frequency:

Actions:
- Widen trailing stop (less whipsaws)
- Use longer timeframes
- Stricter entry criteria
- Higher activation profit

Result: Fewer trades but better quality

Negotiate Better Fees:

Options:
- VIP tier on exchange (volume-based)
- Use exchange native token for fees
- Choose exchanges with lower fees
- Market maker rebates if available

Example:
Standard: 0.1% per trade
VIP: 0.05% per trade
Impact: 50% fee reduction!

Optimize Position Sizing:

Larger positions:
- Fee % impact same
- But profit $ larger
- Better net returns

Caveat: Don't overleverage
Use appropriate position sizing