Prop-firm EA rules checklist

Prop-firm policies change and can differ by account type, platform, and evaluation stage. Read the current rule page and account agreement before enabling an EA. Confirm whether automated trading, VPS use, news trading, overnight positions, weekend holding, and copy trading are permitted.

Record the source and date of the rules you relied on. If the firm changes a policy, you want to know which configuration and decision were based on the earlier version.

A firm's daily and overall loss limits are breach thresholds, not sensible targets. Set a lower personal halt so there is room for spread widening, commissions, open-position movement, and a short delay while the EA reacts.

Check how the firm measures balance and equity, when a trading day resets, and whether the limit trails a high-water mark. Implementing a percentage in code without matching those definitions can create false confidence.

Save the EA version, inputs, broker symbol, VPS details, and relevant log messages. If a trade is questioned, a dated configuration and execution record is more useful than a memory of what the settings were supposed to be.

Compliance is not only about the entry logic. Incorrect lot sizing, multiple terminals, manual overrides, and a disconnected protection module can all create avoidable violations.