Using Triggers to Enter Trades

In addition to scheduled and user initiated instant trades, you can also configure TAT to enter trades based on a "Trigger" that is driven based on SPX market movement, or using a webhook from an external source like Trading View. 

Trade Triggers are configured from the "Triggers" option on the left hand menu.

Triggers will submit a trade to be executed instantly when the Entry Trigger is met. Similar to scheduled trade entries, you set the Trade Template to execute, how many contracts to trade, and the expiration minutes before the attempt to enter the trade expired. Additionally, for trade triggers, you configured the time period during the trading day that trigger should be active and can control the maximum number of executions in a day that should open trades.

Start and End Times

Only triggers that occur between the start and end time will be executed. (This is only enforced when opening new trades. Triggers received to close a trade will be processed, no matter which days are selected.) 

Expiration Minutes

Length of time TAT will try to find a trade after the trigger occurs before cancelling the entry.

Entry Trigger

The action that initiates the triggered trade to execute. (See the list of Supported Trade Triggers below)

Max Executions

Maximum number of trigger executions that will be processed for this trigger per trading day. (Optional)

Max Open Trades

Maximum number of trades currently open at once time that were initiated by this Trigger. (Optional)

Days to Execute:

Which days should this trigger execute. (This is only enforced when opening new trades. Triggers received to close a trade will be processed, no matter which days are selected.)

Quantity Selection - FixedQty

With FixedQty, you provide the exact number of contracts you want TAT to open for this trade.

Quantity Selection - PremiumAllocation

With PremiumAllocation, instead of the exact number of contracts, you tell TAT how much money you want to allocate to this trade, and TAT will calculate the appropriate number of contracts. You can set a Max Quantity that TAT will not go over, even if there is still room "available" in your allocated amount. You can also provide a Min Quantity that TAT will always enter, even if it would go over your allocation. If your allocation is not large enough to open even 1 contract, TAT will not open a trade unless you have set a Min Quantity for the entry as well.

For debit trades, TAT will spend up to the amount in the premium allocation in debits to open the trade.

For credit trades. TAT will try to collect up to the amount of the premium allocation in credit to open the trade.

In the example above, for a put debit spread that costs 1.35 ($135) to enter, TAT would open 3 contracts for a total of $405, because opening 4 contracts would cost over $500.

For a put credit spread, sold for a premium of 2.20 ($220), TAT would open 2 contracts to collect a total of $440 in premium, because opening 3 contracts would collect more then $500.

NOTE: If your allocation is not large enough to open even 1 contract, TAT will not open a trade unless you have set a Min Quantity for the entry as well. 

NOTE: This feature can be used when entering separate put and call spread to more equally balance the total $ premium collected on each side by targeting a credit amount. You could open 2 puts for 1.50 each and 3 calls for 1.00, collecting $300 total on the put trade and $300 on the call trade.

Quantity Selection - PctOfNetLiq

With PctOfNetLiq, instead of the exact number of contracts, you tell TAT what % of your total account net liquidity you want to allocate to this trade, and TAT will calculate the appropriate number of contracts. You can set a Max Quantity that TAT will not go over, even if there is still room "available" in your allocated amount. You can also provide a Min Quantity that TAT will always enter, even if it would go over your allocation. If your allocation is not large enough to open even 1 contract, TAT will not open a trade unless you have set a Min Quantity for the entry as well. 

Please note that TAT is currently unable to do currency conversions, so if your base currency is non USD, TAT will still treat it as such. You may want to test how this works and adjust your allocation % accordingly. 

NOTE: If your allocation is not large enough to open even 1 contract, TAT will not open a trade unless you have set a Min Quantity for the entry as well.

In the example above, when the "HighSideEMBreach" trigger is hit, if the current time is between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM and there have been fewer than 3 executions of this trigger already today, then a 1 lot trade using the Rogue 1 Puts template will be run immediately.

Supported Trade Triggers

For more information about the trade triggers supported in TAT, please check the articles below:

Expected Move Breach (High and Low)

Webhook (Trading View, etc.)

EMA Crossover