Who is it for?
Traders who want a defined process before entry Users seeking to reduce rushed or emotional decisions
Trade Planning
Pre-Trade Gate
Check stop definition, planned risk, daily limits, news proximity, setup completeness and mandatory blockers before a trade.
FreeNo installationEducational & analytical
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Tool guide
What should a pre-trade checklist verify?
A pre-trade checklist verifies conditions that would make an entry invalid or out of plan: defined stop, allowed risk, complete setup, daily-loss limit and trade-count rules.
Logic / formula
Hard blockers can force STOP; context checks can raise the state to CAUTION.
Read the output
The reasons behind READY/CAUTION/STOP matter more than a generic score.
TT-FT-012 · versioned engine pre-trade-checklist@2.0.0 · educational/analytical use; not investment advice.
Full guide, examples, and sources
When should you not rely on it?
Using it as a signal or guaranteed permission to trade Completing steps superficially without following the process
Logic, formula and methodology
A pre-trade checklist verifies conditions that would make an entry invalid or out of plan: defined stop, allowed risk, complete setup, daily-loss limit and trade-count rules. Hard blockers can force STOP; context checks can raise the state to CAUTION.
Weighted process score, mandatory blockers, planned-versus-maximum risk, daily trade-count limit, daily loss stop, open checks, and corrective actions.
Worked example
Example
The setup is complete but major news is near; the result should indicate caution or pause
If high-impact news is a blocker in the risk policy, other completed checks should not produce READY.
If high-impact news is a blocker in the risk policy, other completed checks should not produce READY.
How to read the result
The output reflects process quality, not a certain trade result. A warning means something should be corrected before proceeding.
READY is not a trade signal; it only means the recorded process rules have no obvious violation. CAUTION identifies conditions needing attention, while STOP should name the blocker and corrective action.
What the TupTrader version adds
The value of this version is not cosmetic; the result, assumptions and workflow are connected to the practical capabilities below.
- Required vs Advisory groups
- Evidence chips
- Planned risk vs max risk
- Daily loss stop
- Trade count cap
- News proximity
- Setup validity reference
- Reason panel for every blocker
Turn the result into a workflow
Related tool →Resolve the warning. Check risk and setup with related tools. Record the decision and outcome in the journal.
Common mistakes and limitations
- Using the tool after entry
- Changing answers to obtain a preferred result
- Ignoring plan limits
- A checklist does not measure market-analysis quality or trade probability and depends on honest user inputs.
Frequently asked questions
What if the score is high but no stop is defined?
A hard blocker should override the score and return STOP.
Does READY mean I should enter?
No. READY is not permission or a signal; it only indicates process alignment.
Should nearby news always block a trade?
That depends on the strategy and risk policy; some plans treat it as a blocker and others as advisory.
Sources and research method
This guide combines the tool’s versioned specification, the earlier TupTrader educational page and the authoritative sources below. External sources are used for definitions and scientific boundaries, not for signals.
- CME Group — Risk Management and Your Trade PlanDefining per-trade risk, simultaneous positions, maximum loss and exposure in a trade plan.
This tool is for education, scenario analysis and process control. It is not investment advice, a buy/sell signal or a guarantee of future performance.