BrokerBridge user guide

What BrokerBridge helps you do

BrokerBridge combines research, trade planning, connected trading accounts, and a trading journal. Ask questions in Chat, turn an idea into a plan, review where an order would go, and examine the result. This guide assumes no trading knowledge.

A trade is a purchase or sale. An order requests that purchase or sale. A position is what you hold after an order fills. A plan describes a possible trade; it does not prove anything was bought or sold.

Your first goal is to explain one plan and locate its result. You can complete the research and review steps without placing an order. Profit is not the test of whether you learned the workflow.

Your first hour: five small steps

Before you start: Use the desktop app with Local selected. Reading the fictional example requires no model, broker, or order. A saved current-market draft requires a connected AI model and available data.

Work at your own pace; the times below are a suggested practice schedule, not a deadline. The linked lessons supply the detail for each step. Stay with Local and leave order submission optional.

1. 0–10 minutes: open Local

   At first launch, choose Start without a broker. In the app, find the selected destination and confirm it says Local. Local uses simulated money; it is separate from an IBKR paper account or a NinjaTrader simulation account.

   You should see: You can point to Local and explain that it uses no real money.

   If you get stuck: If the destination is live, unknown, or a different account, stop and follow Setup and account destinations before continuing.

2. 10–20 minutes: learn the four stages

   Read the plan → order → position → closed-trade diagram below. Open Chat, Dashboard, and Journal to find where each stage is recorded. Empty lists are normal on a new account.

   You should see: You can explain why a plan or a submitted order does not prove you own anything.

   If you get stuck: Use Trading words in plain English whenever a term is unfamiliar.

3. 20–35 minutes: read one practice plan

   Open Your first practice walkthrough. Begin with its fictional example, then use its exact draft-only prompt if an AI model is connected. With Local Demo, use the fictional example: that mode produces an outline but does not save a plan card.

   You should see: You can identify the investment, buy or sell direction, quantity, entry, stop, target, and destination.

   If you get stuck: Do not type a buy or sell instruction merely to see what it does. On Local or paper accounts, an explicit trade-now request can send an order without another approval click.

4. 35–45 minutes: explain the risk in dollars

   Read Understand risk, sizing, and protective exits. Explain the example quantity and planned loss in your own words. Distinguish money allocated to a position from money that could be lost.

   You should see: You understand that a stop or planned loss cannot guarantee a maximum loss.

   If you get stuck: If you cannot explain the numbers, ask for an explanation only and do not submit an order.

5. 45–60 minutes: find the outcome and write a note

   If you created a saved plan, find it in Chat → Plans or Dashboard → Trade Plans. If you used the fictional example, write down what each stage would mean; there is no saved plan to find. If you choose the optional simulated-order exercise, follow the order status and filled quantity before checking the position and, after closing, Journal.

   You should see: You can distinguish a pending order, a holding, and a closed trade. You can complete this first hour without placing any order.

   If you get stuck: An uncertain result is not a reason to submit again. Use the order-recovery lesson and reconcile the existing order first.

• Step 1: first-launch setup
• Step 3: your first practice walkthrough
• Step 4: risk and position size
• Step 5: orders, positions, and exits
• Look up unfamiliar words

Plan → order → position → closed trade

This is a learning diagram, not an instruction to trade. Each arrow needs a real event: sending an order, receiving a fill, then filling an exit. An order may be rejected, cancelled, or only partly filled; it does not always reach the next stage.

Where to go for each job

Start with Chat, Dashboard, Journal, and Settings. The other screens become useful once you understand a single trade. Available controls can vary with your connected providers, broker, account permissions, and installation.

1. The account selection and Local status tell you which account the totals describe.
2. Open Positions shows actual holdings. Empty is the expected state before any fill.
3. Trade Plans is farther down the Dashboard. A saved plan and a holding are different records.

• Open Chat (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Dashboard (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Journal (in BrokerBridge)

Research requests and trade instructions do different things

Use clear learning language: explain, research, or draft for review. Add “Do not place, approve, or change any order” when you want an explanation only. That sentence also stops Chat from saving a plan; to save one for review, use the wording in the first practice walkthrough.

An instruction to trade now can act straight away. On an account that does not use real money (Local, IBKR Paper or NT8 Sim), a plain sentence such as “buy 10 shares of [symbol]” can be approved and sent in the same reply, with no Approve button. If you leave out the number of shares, BrokerBridge may ask how many; answering with a number, or “yes” to its suggestion, sends the order. Wording such as “maybe” or “should I” saves a plan for review instead.

On a live account (IBKR Live or NT8 Live), the first order waits for you to type LIVE on its card. After that, later trade-now messages in the same chat for the same account can be sent without typing LIVE again, for up to 8 hours. Saved strategies and playbooks with trading permission can also act later. Read the account and permission text carefully.

• Read this before using Chat: explain, draft, or act
• Understand Chat requests

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Browse the website manual and detailed references
• Installation quickstart
• Check computer requirements

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

A plan appears in Chat. What does that prove?

1. The plan exists for review.
2. The order filled.
3. You own the shares.

Which destination is the beginner path in this guide?

1. Any account that shows a balance.
2. Local, with simulated money.
3. A live broker account.

What happens on first launch

Before you start: Have BrokerBridge open at setup. You can finish this beginner route without connecting a broker. Review the terms and consent choices yourself.

BrokerBridge starts with a short setup. Choose Start without a broker to use the Local account straight away: no activation code, broker account, or API key is needed. Depending on your installation, setup may also ask you to choose an AI model.

Choose Connect a broker to use Interactive Brokers or NinjaTrader. If setup asks you to activate, sign in at brokerbridge.tech, open your dashboard, copy your Desktop Activation Code, and paste it into the Access step. Setup then asks you to choose an AI model and connect the broker.

Both paths end by asking the most you want to lose on one trade, then show a review screen. Launching saves your settings and places no order. The Settings pages named in the rest of this chapter open after setup is finished; until then you can read every lesson here. You can connect or change a broker later in Settings → Broker Accounts.

1. Start without a broker: choose this path for the built-in Local account.
2. Brokers → Local at the top identifies the current destination. Local Demo identifies the model; these are separate choices.
3. Continue takes you through model access, risk settings, and the final review. Read and decide on the agreements yourself.

Two connections with different jobs

AI access provides the model that answers questions. A broker connection provides account information and, when authorized, accepts orders. Check each separately: model readiness does not prove broker readiness, and a connected broker does not prove orders are enabled.

Choose intentionally. Learning does not require a broker, switching an existing account, or enabling live trading.

• Open Models & Credits (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Broker Accounts (in BrokerBridge)

Local, broker paper/simulated, and live are different

Simulation helps you learn the controls. It cannot establish the price, speed, liquidity, fees, or emotional experience of a live trade. Switching the screen you are viewing does not retroactively move an existing order or holding to a different account.

• Read about orders and positions

Verify model access

Before you start: Open Settings → Models & Credits after setup. Model access and the order destination are separate choices.

Local Demo, when offered, uses predetermined local workflows for account-risk review, planning, and journaling. It has no AI model and cannot replace open-ended AI research. It writes plan outlines in Chat but does not save plan cards; an explicit instruction such as “buy 10 shares of [symbol]” can still place a Local order. Model selection and order destination are separate choices.

1. Use Local Demo lets you continue when verified model access is unavailable.
2. Local Demo provides fixed workflows. It is not an AI model for open-ended research or explanations.
3. Activation and provider access are separate steps. A Local account does not by itself unlock an AI model.

1. Open Settings → Models & Credits

   Read the options your installation shows: these may include BrokerBridge models and credits, subscription sign-in, or provider credentials.

   You should see: A selected provider/model and its access state are named.

   If you get stuck: Use the displayed verification or sign-in recovery; buying another service may not resolve it.

2. Complete the selected connection method

   Follow its browser sign-in or connection fields. Provider-key connections are tested before saving. Not every account requires a personal API key.

   You should see: The connection reports readiness after saving.

   If you get stuck: Return from browser sign-in and read any remaining error before retrying.

3. Check the features you need

   Read capability labels: Chat covers text, Vision covers images, and PDF indicates supported document reading. An absent label means the capability is unverified.

   You should see: Your intended input is supported.

   If you get stuck: For unavailable image or PDF reading, provide text or choose a compatible available model.

Confirm the account that answered

Before you start: Open Settings → Broker Accounts. For an initial IBKR connection check, keep Read-Only API enabled in IBKR.

Interactive Brokers turns on Read-Only API by default. Leave it on for your first connection test: balances and positions load, and no order can be sent. Before you send practice orders to IBKR Paper, turn Read-Only API off in the IBKR application's API settings and restart it, or your first order will be refused. A successful read is not an order test.

1. Open Settings → Broker Accounts

   Read the Selected destination line, the connection status, and the account's Local, Paper, Sim, or Live label.

   You should see: An exact account name or identifier matches the intended destination.

   If you get stuck: Resolve missing, changed, or unverified accounts before ordering.

2. For Interactive Brokers, prepare the IBKR application

   Open IB Gateway or Trader Workstation and sign in with the Trading Mode you intend: Paper Trading or Live Trading. In its API settings, enable ActiveX and Socket Clients if that control is shown. During first-launch setup, pick the matching application and Trading Mode, then choose Test broker connection. In Settings, use Connection presets, then Test Connection.

   You should see: The test names the authenticated account and mode that answered.

   If you get stuck: For Connection refused, keep the IBKR application open and check its Socket port: 4002 for IB Gateway with Paper Trading, 7497 for Trader Workstation with Paper Trading. A paper preset alone does not prove a paper login; read the mode the test reports.

3. For NinjaTrader, install the link, pair, and bind an account

   NinjaTrader 8 must be installed and running on this same Windows PC. The first time, expand Install the NinjaTrader link in Broker Accounts and follow its steps: quit NinjaTrader, copy the link file into NinjaTrader's Custom folder, register the Machine ID the link prints, and restart NinjaTrader. Then choose Pair securely on this Windows host, choose the account, set its class, and choose Bind account.

   You should see: The badge reads NT8 connected, and the bound account name and class are shown.

   If you get stuck: UNVERIFIED usually means NinjaTrader or its link is not running; start both and retry. If the panel says entries are unavailable on this NinjaTrader build, update the link before relying on it. A generic Connected message does not identify the account.

Finish with a saved-settings check

• Open Risk & Trading and read each rule's value, unit, and explanation. Some rules use percentages; others use counts, ratios, or on/off settings. A position allocation and a planned loss are different limits. Leave each rule's Enabled box ticked while you learn.
• After changing a value, choose Save & Apply at the bottom of Settings. Wait for the success message, then reopen the section to confirm the saved value.
• Visit Dashboard and Journal so you know where account information and history appear. Empty history is expected for a new account.
• If a getting-started step refuses to save, address the reported error. Ticking checklist items does not unlock approval; the app checks your actual setup.

• Understand risk settings
• Continue to the first practice walkthrough

Continue in the website manual

The website manual keeps the detailed broker setup steps, prerequisites, videos, and transcripts. Choose the guide for your own destination and read its availability notes. A paper or simulation tutorial does not change the account you selected in the app.

The NinjaTrader beginner walkthrough is not available yet. Use Local for this learning path, or ask support about your installed NinjaTrader version before attempting that connection.

• Choose a broker setup guide
• IB Gateway paper connection walkthrough
• Trader Workstation paper connection walkthrough
• Advanced installation and configuration reference
• AI model access and credits

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

An AI model is connected. Does that prove the broker account is ready?

1. Yes, both connections are the same.
2. No, model access and account readiness are separate.

Local Demo returns a written plan outline. Where is its saved plan card?

1. Every outline automatically creates a saved card.
2. An outline is not a saved plan card.

Start with review, then decide whether to submit

Begin after checking AI access and the account destination. Complete the draft-and-review steps first. The simulated-order part is optional. For a live destination, complete only review; choosing another destination is a separate decision.

The example below is fictional and teaches field meanings. Do not copy its prices into a current-market plan. A usable current-market draft needs a connected AI model and current data. If Models & Credits shows Local Demo, Chat writes a plan outline but does not save a plan card; you can still learn every field from the fictional example in step 2, and connect a model in Settings → Models & Credits when you want the full flow.

• Check account destinations first
• Open Broker Accounts (in BrokerBridge)

1. Ask for a draft in Chat

Before you start: Confirm Local is selected and check Settings → Models & Credits. If you have Local Demo, use the fictional example below; an outline is not a saved plan card.

Open Chat and replace the placeholder with the actual symbol you want to learn about. A symbol is the short code identifying an investment. This prompt saves a plan for your review and asks Chat not to approve or send it.

1. Open Plans beside the conversation heading to see this panel. Older layouts may call the list Recent trade plans.
2. This conversation filters to the current chat; All account plans widens the list.
3. No saved plans is normal before a card has been created. An explanation or Local Demo outline is not a saved draft.

1. Replace [symbol] before sending

   Keep the sentence “Do not approve or execute it.” If you write “do not place any order” instead, Chat explains the trade but does not save a plan.

   You should see: A plan card in the reply, or a clear explanation of what is missing.

   If you get stuck: If you received only an explanation and no card, nothing was saved. Send: “Save that as a draft trade plan for my review. Do not approve or execute it.” Resolve any stated limitation.

2. Find the saved plan

   Look for the plan card in the Chat reply and expand it if it is compact. The same plan is listed in Chat through the Plans button and in Dashboard under Trade Plans.

   You should see: Identifiable terms and a status such as Pending.

   If you get stuck: AI Playbook → Pending Plans is a different list, for plans your playbooks create; it opens after you have built a playbook. An attractive trade description alone is not a saved plan or a confirmed fill.

• Open Chat (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Dashboard (in BrokerBridge)

2. Read a fictional plan in dollars

Before you start: Read only. EXAMPLE is an invented teaching name, not an investment to look up or a command to paste into Chat. All prices and outcomes in this example are invented.

Here the planned gain is twice the planned loss, often written 2:1. That ratio says nothing about how likely either outcome is. Fees and unfavorable execution prices reduce results. A price gap or a stop that executes at a worse price can make the actual loss exceed $20. The planned loss is not a guaranteed maximum loss.

1. Risk assessment: Exit if wrong costs $20; Exit if right pays $40. These are planned amounts before costs, not guaranteed outcomes.
2. Management Plan: the assumed entry is $50, exit if wrong $48, and target $54. Written levels do not prove protective orders exist.
3. R:R 1:2.0 reads risk to reward. It means the same planned relationship as gain to loss of 2:1; neither ratio shows the chance of winning.
4. Market Data Source: this fictional example has no current market data. Do not act on its prices.

• Next: follow the same example through each stage

Follow EXAMPLE from draft to a journal note

Before you start: This is a reading exercise. Do not submit these fictional prices. No corresponding order, holding, or journal record exists in your account.

Keep the same plan in mind: EXAMPLE, 10 shares, entry $50, stop $48, target $54. The following events are assumed solely to teach the difference between a plan, an order, and a holding.

1. Draft: describe a possible purchase

   The plan describes buying 10 shares. The assumed position value would be $500, and the planned loss to $48 would be $20 before costs.

   You should see: A draft describes intended terms. It proves neither submission nor ownership.

   If you get stuck: If you only read this example, there is no saved card to find. A Chat explanation also may not create a card.

2. Order: imagine a limit order is accepted

   Suppose an order to buy 10 shares at a $50 limit is accepted and has filled zero shares. It is still waiting; a limit is a price condition, not a guarantee of a fill.

   You should see: In this scenario: requested 10, filled 0, remaining 10; no holding from this order.

   If you get stuck: A submitted or working message is not proof that you own 10 shares. Check the filled quantity.

3. Holding: imagine all 10 shares fill at $50

   Now the assumed fill creates a holding of 10 shares. In an actual account, match account, investment, quantity and fill price, then check whether protective exits are working.

   You should see: In this scenario: filled 10, remaining entry quantity 0, holding 10. The $500 position value is different from the $20 planned loss.

   If you get stuck: A stop written in the draft is not evidence that a protective order is working. Missing protection needs attention.

4. Closed trade: imagine the exit fills at $54

   Suppose all 10 shares sell at $54. The illustrative gain is 10 × ($54 − $50) = $40 before costs. If they instead sell at $48, the illustrative loss is $20 before costs; actual execution can be worse.

   You should see: A confirmed full exit leaves zero shares from this holding. In a real workflow, confirm the result and check any remaining related orders before reviewing Journal.

   If you get stuck: A close request is another order. Until its fills are confirmed, the holding may still exist.

5. Journal: explain the evidence in your own words

   Write a practice note outside the trade records: “I planned 10 shares, distinguished a working order from a fill, checked the holding, and confirmed the exit.” After an actual completed simulated trade, use Journal with the matching account and dates.

   You should see: You can describe what each stage proves. This fictional exercise does not create a Journal entry.

   If you get stuck: If an actual closed trade is missing, check account, dates and coverage before resubmitting anything.

• If an order result is uncertain
• Find a missing Journal result

Alternate ending: cancel before a fill

Return to the fictional working entry: requested 10 shares, filled 0, remaining 10. Suppose cancellation is confirmed while the filled quantity is still zero. Nothing was bought by this order, so there is no holding to close and no completed trade from it to review.

If 4 shares had already filled before cancellation, the result would be different: canceling the remaining 6 leaves a holding of 4. Those 4 shares still need attention. A cancellation request alone does not prove the remainder was canceled.

• Learn how canceling differs from closing

3. Explain your own draft before taking action

• Name the exact investment and product type. Shares, option contracts, and futures contracts have different meanings and sizing.
• Name the direction and quantity. Buying an existing position's exit or selling to open something new can have very different effects; read the stated action.
• Point to the entry, exit if wrong, and target. Ask what event makes the original idea no longer valid.
• Read the selected destination on this specific plan and any confirmation. It must match the account you intend to use.
• Check the data age, the planned dollar risk, and all warnings. Stop at a missing value or unfamiliar warning and ask for an explanation.
• Decide whether to keep the draft, decline it, or continue learning. Declining a plan is a complete and useful outcome.

• Read the trade-card field guide
• Look up a term

4. Optional: follow a simulated order

Before you start: Optional account action. Complete the reading exercise first; confirm Local and use current verified terms, never the fictional EXAMPLE prices. Submission can create a simulated order.

Continue only if you chose and verified a local or broker paper/simulated destination and want to submit. Review is already a complete exercise. Do not type LIVE for this lesson.

1. Send the practice order

   Recheck the terms and destination. On the plan card choose Approve or Review / Edit. The order is sent when you choose Submit Order, or Approve & Submit, which does both in one step. If you see Confirm Approval instead, approval is recorded but no order is sent yet. Read the note beside each button before you choose it.

   You should see: Approval, submission, a working order, a fill, or a specific refusal.

   If you get stuck: Review rule failures; do not widen limits to finish the lesson. On IBKR Paper, a refusal that mentions read-only access means Read-Only API is still on in the IBKR application.

2. Follow the order evidence

   Check the plan's status in Chat → Plans, and the holding in Dashboard → Open Positions. For broker simulation, compare the broker's orders and positions. Ownership requires a confirmed fill.

   You should see: You distinguish a waiting order from an actual holding.

   If you get stuck: Inspect unknown outcomes before retrying; another request can create another order.

3. Close the practice position

   Open Dashboard → Open Positions, expand the holding's row, and choose Close Position. Read the confirmation. A close is also an order, so wait until the quantity is no longer held.

   You should see: The holding is gone and its related orders are no longer working.

   If you get stuck: Exit Pending means the close is still working. Do not send a second close; check its status first.

4. Find the result in Journal

   After the close is confirmed, select the same account and dates in Journal. Inspect Ledger and Review; record your intention, result, and lesson.

   You should see: A note tied to the correct account's evidence.

   If you get stuck: Open positions do not appear as completed trades. Check Dashboard and filters.

• Understand order status and closing
• Learn the Journal workflow

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Detailed trading workflow and order reference
• Illustrative browser walkthrough

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

The fictional order requests 10 shares; filled quantity is 0. How many shares did this order buy?

1. 10 shares.
2. 0 shares.
3. The target determines that.

Four shares filled, then cancellation of the remaining six was confirmed. What remains?

1. Nothing; cancellation undoes all fills.
2. A holding of four shares.

In the example, what do $500 and $20 represent?

1. $500 position value and $20 planned loss before costs.
2. $500 guaranteed maximum loss and $20 guaranteed gain.

Amount invested and planned loss are different

Position size describes how much you buy or sell. Planned risk estimates loss at an assumed adverse exit price. A small planned loss does not protect the rest of the invested amount.

For a fictional $10,000 account, a $500 stock position uses 5% of account value. If that fictional position is ten shares bought at $50 with an assumed exit at $48, the planned loss is $20, or 0.2% of the account, before costs. Those are different percentages describing different things; neither percentage is a setting recommendation.

Read each field's unit. Some Risk & Trading limits are percentages of account value, so the dollar amount they allow changes with that value. Other controls use counts, ratios, or an on/off choice. Check the unit before copying a number from one field to another.

• See the full fictional example
• Follow the $500 position / $20 planned-loss example

Read Settings → Risk & Trading

Before you start: Open Settings → Risk & Trading and identify the selected account. Read each value and its unit before changing it.

The table lists the rule names you will see. The first eight are set in Risk & Trading; the last three appear only when a plan is refused.

1. Review the saved limits

   Open Risk & Trading, read values and units, and compare dollar amounts with the account shown.

   You should see: You distinguish position, planned-loss, and account-wide limits.

   If you get stuck: Unavailable account value can make dollar previews unavailable.

2. Verify any intentional change

   Choose Save & Apply at the bottom of Settings, read any confirmation, and reopen the section to verify the saved value.

   You should see: The saved value and units match your intention.

   If you get stuck: A rejected save is not an applied limit. Correct the reported input error.

• Open Risk & Trading (in BrokerBridge)

Why the final result can exceed the plan

Protective orders and checks reduce particular risks without removing market risk. A calculated entry-to-exit loss is not a guaranteed cap. Dashboard gap-exposure and missing-protection information provide additional context.

• Slippage: the actual execution price differs from the price you expected.
• Spread, commissions, and fees: the available buying and selling prices differ, and charges reduce the result. The Local account charges no commission, so its results leave this cost out.
• Gaps: prices can jump across an exit level, especially between trading sessions or around sudden news.
• Stop execution: a triggered stop may execute at a worse price; a stop-limit order may not execute at all if its limit cannot be met.
• Partial fills and unavailable liquidity: only part of a requested transaction may complete.
• Missing or interrupted protection: an intended exit may be rejected, cancelled, unavailable, or not yet confirmed.

• Check orders and exit evidence
• Investor.gov: market, limit, and stop orders
• SEC bulletin: stop and stop-limit orders

A pause is not a position close

Pausing new execution, a strategy, or a schedule has a different scope from closing a position. To stop all new orders, open Execution in the top bar and choose Pause new execution. A pause does not cancel orders already working or close open positions: close a position with Close Position on its Dashboard row, and use your broker's own platform for anything else. Pausing also ends any live permission you gave in Chat.

Understand a failed limit before changing anything. The plan may need revised terms, fresh information, or no trade. Raising the limit changes your risk decision without fixing the idea.

• Continue the first practice walkthrough

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Trading rules and protective order reference

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

Does a planned $20 loss guarantee you cannot lose more?

1. Yes, if a stop appears in the draft.
2. No; execution, gaps and costs can change the outcome.

Read the card in a consistent order

Open and expand a plan in Chat (the reply card or Plans button) or in Dashboard → Trade Plans. Plans created by an AI Playbook wait in AI Playbook → Pending Plans. Check identity and destination first. A convincing explanation cannot correct a wrong account, contract, quantity, or action.

• Open Dashboard (in BrokerBridge)
• See the fictional worked example

Check the arithmetic and the meaning

For a stock purchase, quantity × entry price estimates purchase value. Quantity × the distance to the loss-control exit estimates loss to that level. Both depend on actual fills and omit other possible costs or losses.

Stock quantities count shares; options and futures count contracts with instrument-specific values. Check the contract and multiplier before applying arithmetic. Ask Chat to explain unfamiliar units.

How sure expresses an assessment of the setup, not a probability of profit. A high assessment can still accompany missing information or a losing trade.

• Understand risk and sizing

Make a revision and read the resulting plan again

Before you start: Start with a saved draft that has not been sent. Changing a draft is different from changing a working order.

1. Describe the change precisely

   Use available card fields or request a revised draft. Name the quantity or price to change and keep review-only wording.

   You should see: The card shows the intended terms.

   If you get stuck: A changed explanation does not prove the saved card changed.

2. Check for new consequences

   Larger quantities increase exposure; farther-away exits increase planned loss at the same quantity. Recheck all prices and dollar estimates.

   You should see: The app rechecks the intended revised plan.

   If you get stuck: If card and confirmation disagree, stop and refresh.

3. Respond to stale data

   Use the displayed refresh or price-review recovery. Review new numbers before another approval attempt.

   You should see: Fresh evidence or a clear remaining block.

   If you get stuck: An earlier price may no longer be available. Waiting or discarding the idea is valid.

An approved plan may wait for a condition

Some plans wait for a condition, such as price reaching a specified level. Approval may authorize watching and later submission. It does not prove the condition happened, an order was accepted, or a fill occurred.

Read the condition, schedule or expiry, and current state. To stop the plan, use its available controls and verify the result. Hiding a card does not prove an order was cancelled or a holding closed.

Refusals identify issues such as limits, account verification, stale data, missing details, or unsupported actions. Resolve the named cause. An override is a separate trading decision, not a beginner setup step.

• Understand what each order status proves
• Find a recovery path

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Trade-plan fields and approval reference

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

Which account should you verify before taking action on a plan?

1. The account shown on that specific plan and confirmation.
2. Whichever account you used last week.

What each stage actually proves

Local fills are simulated inside BrokerBridge. Broker paper/simulated fills come from the connected broker's simulation. Live broker fills are real executions. The same word “filled” does not make those evidence sources interchangeable.

1. This capture used one AAPL share solely to demonstrate Local behavior. It is separate from the fictional EXAMPLE prices used to teach arithmetic.
2. The response reports an entry order and a fill. Inspect the saved status and account, then verify the holding in Dashboard.
3. The displayed prices are historical and the data source is delayed. Do not copy this captured request as a current trading instruction.

Find and inspect a holding

Before you start: Use the same account as the order you are checking. A draft or an unfilled order may leave this list empty.

1. Open Positions shows a count of 1 after this simulated fill. Scroll farther down to inspect the holding row and its quantity.
2. Local account (this computer) identifies the account included in these totals. Match it to the order result.
3. Unrealized P&L changes while a holding is open. A balance summary does not replace checking the actual holding and its exit orders.

1. Open Dashboard → Open Positions

   Locate the investment and account. Read quantity, available prices, and profit/loss. Expand the row for details.

   You should see: An actual holding with account context.

   If you get stuck: For an absent submitted order, inspect its status: waiting, refused, partially filled, or reconciling.

2. Check exit evidence

   Read stop/target information and any Exit proof or missing-protection message. Compare with the broker's working orders when connected.

   You should see: You know whether protection is working, missing, or uncertain.

   If you get stuck: A written stop price does not prove a working protective order.

3. Keep the account context consistent

   Match account, symbol, and exact contract across the plan, broker, Dashboard, and Journal.

   You should see: The quantity and identity describe the same holding.

   If you get stuck: The same symbol can appear in multiple accounts.

• Open Dashboard (in BrokerBridge)

Cancel an instruction; close a holding

Cancelling stops a working instruction's remaining quantity; it does not undo earlier fills. Closing requests an opposite transaction to reduce or remove a holding. A close order can also wait, partially fill, or fail.

For cancellation, verify order identity, account, remainder, and purpose. Cancelling a protective stop can leave a position unprotected. For closing, verify the holding and quantity, then read the confirmation.

Check resulting status and held quantity after either action. Sending successfully is not proof of completion. After a full close, confirm the quantity is no longer held and inspect remaining related orders.

1. Execution destination says Local account and that no broker order is sent. Verify your own destination; do not infer it from this picture.
2. Close quantity is the amount to reduce. The test holding contained one share.
3. Confirm exit requests the close. Verify the resulting quantity and any remaining orders afterward; the button click alone is not proof of a fill.

• Review Chat instruction wording
• Investor.gov: online investing and order confirmations

Confirm the position is closed

After requesting an exit, return to Dashboard for the same account. Confirm that the holding quantity has reached zero, then inspect the order result and any remaining exit orders. Journal should show the completed trade with entry, exit and realized profit or loss. A submitted exit or a success message alone does not establish that you are flat.

1. Open Positions is now 0 in this isolated test account.
2. Realized P&L shows -$0.39 for the completed simulation; unrealized P&L is zero.
3. Today’s Trades is an activity counter. Use completed Journal records to count closed trades.

If you cannot tell whether it went through

• Stop repeating the submission. Note the time, account, symbol, quantity, and any order identifier.
• Read the card's recovery message and allow any stated reconciliation to finish. Check the plan's status in Chat → Plans or Dashboard → Trade Plans, and refresh after connectivity returns.
• For a connected broker, inspect that broker's order and position views for the exact account. A network timeout can happen after the broker accepted an order.
• If evidence still conflicts, use the support-report tools with the exact details. Say “outcome unconfirmed” instead of assuming failure or success.
• At the end of a session, review open holdings, working orders, conditional plans, and active schedules. Closing the app is not confirmation that any of them stopped.

• Troubleshoot an uncertain order
• Review risk controls

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Order and position-management reference
• Connection and order troubleshooting

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

Does canceling an entry order close an existing holding?

1. Yes.
2. No.

An order reply is missing. What should you do first?

1. Send the same instruction again.
2. Check the existing order and holding for that account.

Before you send: choose the effect you intend

Before you start: Identify the selected account and model. Read the whole message, including any earlier request you are confirming. If the account is unknown, do not send a trading instruction.

Chat can both answer questions and perform account actions. An explicit instruction to trade on Local or paper can submit an order without a separate approval click, if the required checks pass. Read the examples below before trying action language.

For this lesson, use the explanation or draft-only wording. The action example is shown only so you can recognize it; it has no copy button.

Local Demo is not a general-purpose AI model. A question about a trading term may receive a fixed workflow response or a missing-symbol message instead of an explanation. Use the glossary and fictional walkthrough, or connect a supported model in Models & Credits. Do not add a buy instruction just to get past that response.

1. Plans opens saved plans for this conversation. A count of zero means this conversation has none.
2. Plan accounts identifies which accounts are included. Confirm Local before using the optional simulation exercise.
3. The message box is where you choose the action you intend. Read the request-type examples below before sending.
4. Local Demo at the bottom means no connected AI model. Use the written lessons for explanations, or connect an available model.

• Use the full draft-only prompt
• Understand live-account permission

Say whether you want to learn, draft, or act

Context matters. Replies such as “yes” or “go ahead” can confirm an action the app just described; for example, answering “yes” when BrokerBridge asks how many shares sends the suggested order. Read the question you are answering. For learning, spell out that you want an explanation only rather than using a short confirmation whose scope is unclear.

• Open Chat (in BrokerBridge)

After a reply: check what actually happened

Before you start: Keep the original message and reply available. Identify whether you requested information, a draft, or an account action.

1. If you asked for an explanation

   Read the answer and ask about anything unclear. Do not reply “yes” or “go ahead” to an action you do not intend.

   You should see: An answer you can explain in your own words.

   If you get stuck: If the reply proposes an action, state that you only want an explanation; check any reported account changes.

2. If you asked for a draft

   Look for the saved plan card and read its status, terms and destination. Keep it for review or decline it.

   You should see: A saved draft, or a clear limitation. A paragraph of analysis is not proof a card was saved.

   If you get stuck: With Local Demo, use the fictional reading exercise. Otherwise follow the first-draft recovery steps.

3. If an action was requested

   Check the exact account, order status, filled quantity and holding. If the outcome is uncertain, inspect the existing order before doing anything else.

   You should see: Evidence of what the destination accepted and filled, or a refusal with a reason.

   If you get stuck: Do not send the instruction again just because the reply is slow, missing or unclear. A retry could duplicate an order.

• Recover an uncertain outcome

Give the model enough context to be useful

Replace placeholders before sending. If a requested fact is unavailable, an honest missing-data answer is useful. Do not turn a confident writing style into a substitute for a cited source or a current quote.

• State your experience: “I am a beginner; define terms as you use them.”
• State the subject: a symbol, an existing plan, a specific position, or an attached document.
• State the time horizon: today's session and a multiweek idea ask different questions.
• State the output you want: explanation, comparison, checklist, draft plan, or journal reflection.
• Ask for sources, timestamps, missing information, and evidence against the idea.
• State the action boundary: review only, without placing or changing orders.

Use charts and documents with the right model

Before you start: Have a chart or document you are allowed to share. Remove account numbers, credentials and other private details before upload.

1. Check model capabilities

   In Models & Credits, inspect the selected model's capability information before uploading an image or PDF. Vision and PDF support are separate from basic text chat.

   You should see: The model supports the kind of input you intend to use.

   If you get stuck: If support is unverified, choose a compatible available model or supply relevant text instead.

2. Add the material and ask a specific question

   Use the + control in the Chat input for the attachment or research options provided. With a chart, name the symbol, timeframe, and screenshot time if known; with a document, identify the section you want explained.

   You should see: The attachment is visible with the message and the response addresses its content.

   If you get stuck: A chart screenshot is a historical picture. If its date or price scale is unreadable, request clarification instead of a current-market trade.

3. Verify the important details

   Compare any extracted numbers, dates, and quoted claims with the original material. Ask which parts came from the attachment and which came from other sources.

   You should see: You can trace the explanation to evidence.

   If you get stuck: If the model could not read the attachment, its answer should not be treated as a review of that file.

• Open Models & Credits (in BrokerBridge)

Understand permission that can last beyond one message

After you type LIVE once, later trade-now messages in that same chat, on that same live account, can be sent without asking again for up to 8 hours. Account, risk, and other checks still run. The permission ends sooner if you pause execution (Execution in the top bar, then Pause new execution), restart BrokerBridge, or change the selected account, and it does not carry into a new chat. Do research in a separate chat, and do not rely on a confirmation box to catch an unintended instruction.

Saved strategy permissions and other enabled trading features have their own scope. Reviewing an explanation does not tell you which unrelated features are already running. Before experimenting with action language, check your active trading controls and use the draft-only wording in this guide.

• Read about reusable strategies
• Review a trade plan

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• AI access, providers, and credits reference

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

Which message requests a saved draft without execution?

1. Buy 10 shares now.
2. Save a draft for review. Do not approve or execute it.

Can you depend on a separate approval click after every trading message?

1. Yes, every message always needs one.
2. No; explicit instructions and existing permission matter.

Choose the tool that matches the job

You do not need a reusable strategy for the first walkthrough. Learn to review one plan before creating rules that can operate repeatedly. A saved idea, a research signal, and permission to trade are separate stages.

• Open AI Playbook (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Strategies (in BrokerBridge)

Build an idea you can explain

Before you start: Have a written idea and supporting sources ready. Review what a playbook may produce before enabling any scheduled behavior.

Until your first playbook has completed Review & dry-run, AI Playbook opens on Build New. Pending Plans, Activity, Schedules, and your playbook list open after that; Signal Inbox is available from the start.

1. Open AI Playbook → Build New

   Describe the idea in plain language and provide the sources the builder supports. State what is being watched, what would count as evidence, and what would contradict the idea.

   You should see: The builder presents a saved draft or a review step with extracted details.

   If you get stuck: If a source cannot be retrieved, use the displayed source-recovery option. A saved draft does not prove the source was read.

2. Review what was extracted

   Check the symbol, dates, quoted claims, and any rules against the source. Make vague rules specific enough to evaluate, such as which price and timeframe matter.

   You should see: You recognize and understand the rules that would be checked.

   If you get stuck: Do not confirm an interpretation that differs from your intent. Revise it before moving on.

3. Read the selected output behavior

   Look for whether the playbook is Research Only, Creates plans you approve, or another available permission choice. Research Only produces research; producing a plan still requires usable entry, exit, target, size, and account information.

   You should see: You can predict the kind of output the playbook is allowed to create.

   If you get stuck: If you only wanted to learn, stop at the saved draft or research review rather than enabling an unfamiliar trading permission.

4. Use Review & dry-run when offered

   Read the dry-run result and its source evidence. A dry run helps inspect the logic and output; it is not proof that a live order could fill at the displayed price.

   You should see: A result or explicit failure explains what happened.

   If you get stuck: When evidence is stale or missing, refresh the source and review again instead of treating an old receipt as current.

• Open Build New (in BrokerBridge)

Follow an output back to its source

Signal Inbox collects available results such as scan matches, research briefs, and filing alerts. Open an item to understand which playbook and source produced it, when it was produced, and whether it contains a complete trade plan. A mention of a company is not by itself a reason to trade.

Pending Plans holds plans your playbooks have created. Approving one checks your risk limits; after that, BrokerBridge watches for the entry condition and sends the order to the destination shown on the plan without asking again. A signal you send for approval from Signal Inbox becomes a trade plan in Chat → Plans instead. A research-only output may have no entry, exit, target, or quantity, so it cannot be treated as a ready order. Activity records playbook events and helps you determine whether a check ran, failed, or has not yet produced a match.

Schedules shows recurring checks and their timing. Read the actual task and output before enabling a schedule. A research check and a strategy already authorized to trade have different effects. Pausing a check is not a confirmation that a previously submitted order was cancelled.

• Open Signal Inbox (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Pending Plans (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Activity (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Schedules (in BrokerBridge)

Saving a strategy and allowing it to run are separate

In Strategies, New strategy opens the builder. Review its universe of investments, entry and exit rules, sizing, timing, and approval behavior. The creation flow offers Save to Library; other editing flows may show Save strategy or Update strategy. Saving stores the definition. Turning it on is a separate step.

Read approval choices literally. I approve every trade requires review of each generated trade. I confirm from the alert uses an alert confirmation. I approve the strategy up front grants permission within the specific rules and limits you review, subject to eligibility and current checks. The latter is a substantial permission choice, not a shortcut for completing setup.

Before enabling a strategy, be able to explain its destination, allowed investments, operating hours, sizing, approval scope, and how to stop future activity. Read the permission's expiry or renewal terms where shown. If the installation says Strategies is unavailable, use the supported research and manual review paths instead.

• Understand risk controls first
• Learn plan review

Two different questions

Scanners answers: which investments match these checks in the data available now? Arena answers: how do selected models or investor methods behave under a shared comparison setup? A scanner match is an observation. An Arena score is a result from the stated evaluation. Neither is a confirmed trade in your broker account.

Use these tools after you understand plan review. Start with a narrow question you can explain. A large collection of scores is less useful than one result whose data, rules, and limitations you understand.

• Open Scanners (in BrokerBridge)
• Open Arena (in BrokerBridge)

Create and preview a scanner

Before you start: Open Scanners and decide which symbols and conditions you want to inspect. A scan is a research step.

A scanner score describes how the checks evaluated. It is not a probability of profit. Prices may move after the scan, and a chart pattern does not establish an executable entry. Bring a match into research and plan review before deciding whether it is useful.

1. Choose New scanner

   Enter a meaningful Name and add the intended symbols. The editor explains its automatic universe behavior when the symbol group is empty; do not assume an empty group means no investments will be checked.

   You should see: The editor shows the group or its automatic-universe explanation.

   If you get stuck: Correct an invalid symbol using the message shown rather than assuming the scanner silently accepted it.

2. Choose Checks and Bar interval

   Read the explanation of each available check and its parameters. A bar summarizes prices over one interval; a five-bar lookback means different elapsed time on daily and hourly bars.

   You should see: You can say what must be true for an investment to match.

   If you get stuck: Use fewer understandable checks before combining many rules you cannot interpret.

3. Review Bar source and matching rules

   Read whether the source is Automatic, Broker feed, or Delayed fallback. Minimum score is used when no Match expression is set; an optional expression determines the match instead when provided. Read the Completed bars only option before changing it.

   You should see: You understand the data source, interval, and rule producing the match.

   If you get stuck: Delayed data and incomplete data need different interpretations. A skipped symbol is not a failed trading idea.

4. Preview, then save if useful

   Choose Preview to inspect results. Read matches, scores, skipped symbols, and reasons for nonmatches. Save scanner keeps the definition; Run on a saved scanner performs another on-demand check.

   You should see: A result contains actual evidence or an explicit error, not just a saved definition.

   If you get stuck: Check data availability, the symbol limit, and the error reason if results are empty. Saving alone does not run a recurring schedule.

Read an Arena comparison before running it

Before you start: Open Arena. Read the selected destination and rules before starting a comparison; do not assume every Arena uses Local.

1. Open Arena and inspect the setup

   Use Set up an Arena or an available saved Arena. The editor separates Competitors, Market, Rules, Schedule, Destination, and Review. A quick-start comparison may offer Open in the editor so you can inspect it first.

   You should see: You can name what is being compared and over which market and rules.

   If you get stuck: If a competitor is unavailable, read its reason and model-access recovery rather than assuming it will participate.

2. Read Destination and Review carefully

   Understand whether you are scoring the Arena's paper ledger and whether any broker destination or later trading permission is involved. The comparison record and your broker account are separate.

   You should see: You know what this run can produce and whether any additional account action has been authorized.

   If you get stuck: Do not infer the destination from a model's name or from another page's selected account.

3. Run once when you intend to evaluate

   Use Run now on a configured Arena and inspect the resulting activity, decisions, and leaderboard. Check any model or credit requirements shown. Turning on a schedule is a separate recurring-work decision.

   You should see: The page distinguishes an active run, completed decisions, no trades, and reported failures.

   If you get stuck: No activity may reflect unavailable data, model access, rules that found no match, or a failed run. Read the explanation before retrying.

Read results as evidence with limits

• Compare the same dates, investments, starting conditions, sizing rules, and cost assumptions. Otherwise a ranking can answer the wrong question.
• Check how many decisions and completed trades support the result. One winner or a short winning streak is weak evidence.
• Check whether results include fees, spreads, slippage, rejected orders, and partial fills. Unknown cost treatment remains unknown.
• Separate historical tests, forward simulation, broker paper/simulated trading, and live execution. One does not establish the others.
• Remember how many settings and competitors you tried. Selecting the best of many trials can make luck look like skill.
• Read the underlying decisions and failures, including doing nothing. A leading score is not a guarantee of future returns.

• Review actual account history in Journal
• Turn a research idea into a reviewable plan

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Read an illustrative Arena report
• Arena methodology and evidence limits

Choose the history you mean to review

Before you start: Use this after a real completed simulated or live trade. The fictional walkthrough has no account record to find.

1. Range and dates select the period to inspect; Source and Timezone affect what is shown.
2. No journal accounts yet is expected before the first recorded trade. Reading the fictional example creates no history.
3. History coverage and import explains missing data. Check coverage and account context before treating an empty view as proof that nothing happened.

1. Open Journal and check Journal accounts

   Select the relevant account or accounts. Match the destination used by the trade you are reviewing. Journal account selection is a history filter, not an instruction to move holdings or change execution destinations.

   You should see: The selected account names or identifiers are visible.

   If you get stuck: If no accounts are loaded, use the page's recovery message. Do not interpret a loading error as zero trades.

2. Set Range, Source, and Timezone

   Choose the date window, whether to include activity outside BrokerBridge, and the timezone used for dates. Start and End let you define a custom range.

   You should see: All views refer to the intended period and source.

   If you get stuck: A trade near midnight can fall on a different displayed date in another timezone. Widen the range when locating a specific record.

3. Open Ledger for the underlying record

   Find the symbol and expand the trade for the recorded quantities, prices, outcome, and available notes. Compare account and timestamps before drawing a conclusion.

   You should see: You can trace the review to a particular recorded trade.

   If you get stuck: An entry still held open may not yet be a completed trade. Check Dashboard and the broker's order history when needed.

• Open Journal Ledger (in BrokerBridge)

Choose the view that answers your question

An empty view may simply lack the type or amount of history it needs. Start with Ledger to establish what records exist, then use the more interpretive views. A generated observation is a hypothesis to check against the underlying records.

1. The completed row has both ENTRY and EXIT values and a recorded P&L of -$0.39.
2. The earlier submitted-order row has no exit or P&L. Two activity rows do not mean two completed trades.
3. Match the symbol, account, quantity and dates before drawing a conclusion. Use the row details and horizontal scroll for fields that are not visible.

Write a useful review in a few sentences

Before you start: Select a completed trade in Journal with the matching account and date range. For the fictional exercise, write your practice note outside trade records.

Record your reasoning separately from the result. A well-followed plan can lose; an impulsive decision can win. Reviewing only the money made or lost hides the behavior you want to understand.

1. Add a trade note and useful tags

   Open the relevant history row and use Trade notes and Add tag where available. Use consistent labels so similar decisions can be found later.

   You should see: Your note and tags remain visible when you revisit the record.

   If you get stuck: Keep your text if a save fails, resolve the error, and verify persistence after retrying.

2. Finish with End Session Review

   In Review, use Session summary, the trading day, optional tags, and Next session reminder. Write one concrete lesson even if you placed no trades.

   You should see: The saved review appears in Recent session reviews.

   If you get stuck: A written intention to avoid a trade is worth recording even when there is no completed trade to annotate.

• Intention: what did I expect, and which evidence supported it at the time?
• Plan: what were the entry, planned exit, target, quantity, and intended holding period?
• Execution: what actually filled, at which price, and how did it differ from the plan?
• Process: did I follow my own rules, and what new information appeared?
• Next time: what one specific question or behavior should I review before another trade?

• Open Journal Review (in BrokerBridge)
• See the fictional example and practice note

Check coverage before interpreting a result

Read available history-source and coverage messages. Incomplete collection or an import warning can explain missing trades. If an import tool is available, inspect its account names, row count, and warnings in the preview before using Import history. Imported history is evidence for review, not authority to change an account's orders.

Keep local, broker paper/simulated, and live results identifiable. Compare equal date ranges and like-for-like accounts. A profit number may depend on whether fees and open positions are included; read the view's definitions. A short run of good results does not establish a durable trading advantage.

When using reporting or export controls, verify the selected accounts and filters before creating the report. Check that the resulting file contains the intended period and records. Journal feedback can improve the quality of your review process; it does not guarantee improved returns.

• Fix missing Journal history
• Understand comparison limitations

Continue in the website manual

Use the Journal lessons above for everyday review. The website also preserves the technical data-file and CSV reference for people who need it; follow the format actually offered by your installed version.

• Data files, CSV fields, and technical export reference

Check your understanding

Practice questions only. These do not enable trading or certify readiness.

You read the fictional EXAMPLE trade. Should it appear as a completed trade in your Journal?

1. Yes, reading the example creates a record.
2. No, the reading exercise creates no account record.

Start with the visible message

Note which screen you are on, the selected account, and the exact message. Separate four questions: can the app reach the AI provider; can it reach the broker; is the requested action permitted; and is current data available? A failure in one does not prove all four failed.

• Read the message beside the disabled control as well as any temporary notification.
• Keep a note of the time, action, account mode, and result. This makes an intermittent problem easier to explain.
• If you might already have sent an order, use the uncertain-order steps below before retrying.
• After changing a setting, wait for its saved confirmation and recheck its state. Editing a field alone does not establish a saved connection.

Chat cannot answer or a model is unavailable

Before you start: Open Settings → Models & Credits and keep the exact error message available. Never include an API key in a support report.

1. Check the model: this reply came from Local Demo, not a connected AI provider.
2. A workflow message does not mean you must place a trade. Read the glossary or change to an available connected model for open-ended questions.
3. The reply states that no order was created. When an action outcome is uncertain, check orders and holdings before retrying.

1. Check Models & Credits

   Read the selected provider/model, connection state, access verification, and any credit or provider-limit message.

   You should see: The problem is identified as access, sign-in, credits, limits, unsupported input, or another specific failure.

   If you get stuck: Do not paste credentials into Chat or a problem report. Use the dedicated connection controls.

2. Use the recovery for that cause

   Complete sign-in, retry access verification, or choose an available compatible model as appropriate. For an attachment, check Vision or PDF support separately.

   You should see: The provider reports readiness and a small ordinary text request receives a response.

   If you get stuck: If Local Demo is selected, open-ended research is not available through an AI model. Use its supported local workflow or connect a verified model when available.

• Open Models & Credits (in BrokerBridge)

The broker is disconnected, or account identity is unclear

Open Broker Accounts and inspect the selected trading account. For Interactive Brokers, ensure the selected IB Gateway or Trader Workstation application is open and signed in. Compare its API Socket port with the preset or manual settings, then use the connection test. Read the account and mode returned by the test.

For NinjaTrader, the badge must read NT8 connected and the bound account name must match your intention. UNVERIFIED means NinjaTrader or its link is not running or not installed; see the setup guide. A connected application can contain multiple accounts. If the account name, local/paper/simulated/live label, or plan destination conflicts with your intention, resolve that mismatch before any order.

If balances load but orders are refused, inspect the reported permission or read-only status. On Interactive Brokers, Read-Only API must be off in the IBKR application before any order can be sent. A successful account read is not a successful order-permission test. Do not remove a protection or change an account mode simply because a connection indicator is green.

• Open Broker Accounts (in BrokerBridge)
• Read the setup guide

Approve is unavailable, or the plan is refused

• Read the trade-plan guide
• Understand risk settings

An order was sent, but I cannot tell what happened

Before you start: Stop sending new instructions for this order while you determine its outcome. Keep the original account and order details available.

A limit order can remain working because the market has not offered an acceptable execution. A partial fill leaves a holding and may leave a remaining order. Cancelling that remainder does not close the filled portion. Use the order guide before changing either one.

1. Do not submit it again yet

   Keep the account, time, symbol, quantity, and order identifier. Read whether the app is waiting, working, partially filled, or reconciling.

   You should see: You avoid treating a timeout as an automatic failure.

   If you get stuck: A second request can become a second order if the first was accepted.

2. Check both orders and holdings

   Inspect the plan's status in Chat → Plans or Dashboard → Trade Plans, and the holding in Dashboard → Open Positions. For broker trading, inspect the broker application's orders and positions for the exact account and contract. Refresh after connectivity recovers.

   You should see: A confirmed status or actual holding explains the outcome.

   If you get stuck: If sources disagree, retain the details and report the outcome as unconfirmed. An empty filtered view is not cancellation proof.

• Understand cancellation and closing

My scanner, playbook, or Arena shows nothing

First distinguish no match from no successful run. In Scanners, inspect the run result, skipped symbols, data source, and error message. In AI Playbook, inspect Activity, source freshness, the selected output behavior, and the schedule. In Arena, inspect the run state, decisions, competitor availability, and any model-access message.

A research-only playbook may produce a brief without a trade plan. A saved scanner waits for Run unless another explicit workflow schedules work. An Arena competitor may choose to hold cash. Those outcomes differ from unavailable data or a failed check. Use the explanation accompanying the result before changing rules.

• Open Playbook Activity (in BrokerBridge)
• Learn Scanners and Arena

A trade is missing from Journal

• Select the correct Journal account and include the intended Source.
• Widen Range and check Timezone. Confirm Start is on or before End.
• Use Ledger to inspect underlying history; use Dashboard for a holding that remains open.
• Read collection coverage and import warnings. A source error or incomplete coverage is different from no activity.
• Compare the exact account, order identifier, and fill time with the broker record. Report the missing record with those details when recovery does not resolve it.

• Open Journal Ledger (in BrokerBridge)

Make a problem easy to investigate

Use Help → Report a problem in the top bar, and Settings → Advanced → Diagnostics. Include what you were trying to do, the smallest repeatable steps, what you expected, what appeared instead, the time and timezone, and the app version when shown. For account-specific problems, include enough account context to distinguish local, paper/simulated, and live activity; conceal unnecessary private account details in shared screenshots.

• Quote the exact error instead of only saying “it does not work.”
• For uncertain orders, include the order identifier and whether the broker reports a working order or holding.
• For missing data, include the symbol, source, timeframe, and timestamp shown.
• Do not include passwords, API keys, sign-in codes, or private authentication links.

• Open Diagnostics (in BrokerBridge)

Continue in the website manual

These online references extend this lesson with existing setup instructions and technical detail. They need an internet connection. The downloadable guide keeps all beginner lessons available offline.

• Detailed troubleshooting and recovery cards
• Security and privacy reference
• BrokerBridge support

Investments and accounts

Plans, orders, and holdings

• Read the order lifecycle

Prices, risk, and results

• Read the risk guide

Research and BrokerBridge features

• Return to the beginner learning path
• Take the first practice walkthrough