Every replication action sends a request to your broker's API, and brokers limit how many requests they accept per minute — when that limit is reached, follower orders slow down or pause until the window resets.
You might need this article if:
Follower orders are taking longer than usual to appear during active trading
Replication seems to pause or slow down during busy sessions
You have many Tradovate or NinjaTrader followers and replication is inconsistent at high trading frequency
What counts as an API request
Each of the following actions generates one request to the broker. With multiple follower accounts, every action is multiplied by the number of accounts receiving it.
Action | Requests generated |
Submitting a market, limit, or stop order | 1 per follower |
Placing a TP or SL bracket | 1 per follower |
Modifying a TP or SL | 1 per follower |
Moving a limit order | 1 per follower |
Cancelling an order | 1 per follower |
Flattening a position | 1 per follower |
Requesting account, position, or order updates | 1 per request |
Reconnecting after a dropped connection | 1 per follower |
A single bracket order with 10 follower accounts generates 20 requests immediately — one for the TP and one for the SL, across each account.
Rate limits by broker
These limits are set by each broker and apply to all platforms using their API, including Tradecopia.
Broker | Rate limit |
Tradovate | ~80 requests/minute · ~5,000 requests/hour |
NinjaTrader | Comparable to Tradovate |
TopStepX | ~200 requests/minute · additional session-based restrictions apply |
Rithmic | No fixed public limit — may issue warnings or contact users directly if usage is excessive |
Tradovate and NinjaTrader have the most restrictive limits of the four supported brokers. This becomes a meaningful constraint when managing 20 or more follower accounts.
What rate limiting looks like
When a broker's limit is reached, you may notice:
Follower orders taking longer to appear than usual
Position updates lagging behind the leader
A brief pause in replication activity
Replication resuming on its own after a short wait
This is the broker throttling requests — not a Tradecopia bug. If trade counts eventually match and orders complete, replication is working correctly. The delay is a throughput constraint, not a failure.
How Tradecopia handles rate limits
When a rate limit is reached, Tradecopia automatically retries queued requests, maintains the correct order sequence, and resumes replication once the broker's window resets.
No software can bypass broker-imposed rate limits. If a limit is hit, the options are to reduce request volume or wait for the window to reset.
What causes rate limits to be hit
Rate limits are consumed fastest during high-frequency activity:
Rapid entries and exits
Repeated cancel and replace loops
Frequent TP or SL adjustments during an active trade
Managing many follower accounts with simultaneous changes
The number of follower accounts multiplies request volume directly:
Scenario | Requests generated |
1 bracket order × 10 accounts | 20 requests |
5 rapid TP modifications × 10 accounts | 50 requests |
10 cancel/replace cycles × 10 accounts | 100 requests |
Managing rate limits with many follower accounts
At 20 or more follower accounts, Tradovate's and NinjaTrader's rate limits become a consistent constraint even with measured trading. The most effective approach is to distribute accounts across broker types rather than routing all accounts through a single connection.
Each broker connection operates under its own independent rate limit. Splitting accounts across Tradovate and Rithmic, for example, gives each group its own quota — the available throughput is effectively doubled.
Rithmic as a complement: Rithmic has no fixed public rate limit and absorbs higher request volumes without throttling. It is well-suited for handling the follower account load that Tradovate or NinjaTrader cannot sustain at scale.
TopStepX as an alternative: At ~200 requests/minute, TopStepX offers a higher single-broker limit than Tradovate or NinjaTrader, making it a viable option for traders who prefer to consolidate on one broker at higher account counts.
For Tradovate and NinjaTrader setups specifically, switching to On Fill replication mode also reduces request volume significantly. In On Fill mode, follower bracket orders are only sent when the leader's bracket is actually triggered — not when it is placed. See How to control when follower orders are placed for how On Fill mode works and how it affects request volume.
Keeping replication smooth
Avoid unnecessary order modifications — each change generates requests across every follower account
Minimise rapid cancel and replace loops
Reduce frequent TP and SL adjustments while a position is active
Use On Fill replication mode for high-follower Tradovate or NinjaTrader setups
For 20 or more followers: distribute accounts across broker types to spread rate limit load
If replication pauses during a busy session
Stop placing new orders or modifications briefly — let the queued requests drain
Wait for the broker's rate window to reset (typically within a minute)
Replication resumes automatically
Some traders switch to a mobile hotspot or VPN when a rate limit pause occurs — establishing a fresh connection can restore responsiveness immediately in some cases. This is a short-term option, not a fix for consistently high request volumes. If rate limits are a recurring problem, distributing accounts across broker types is the lasting solution.
If pauses continue after the window resets, contact the Tradecopia support team and we can look into what is happening.
Related articles
How to control when follower orders are placed — how On Fill mode reduces request volume for Tradovate and NinjaTrader setups
What does Tradecopia need to copy trades? — the four conditions for replication to function