# Bots and algos: allowed, HFT is not

> Automated trading is allowed on every StarTrading account. A bot can run through Rithmic or Tradovate as long as it is not high-frequency trading, respects flat time, the position limit and, on funded Stream accounts, the news window. Tradovate enforces a rate of 5,000 actions per 60 minutes; Rithmic offers a direct API.

Source: https://startrading.io/rules/bots-and-algos · Updated 2026-09-08

## Are bots allowed?

Yes, on every account type, from the first day of an evaluation to a Live account. StarTrading does not distinguish manual from automated orders. The rules that apply to a discretionary trader apply to a bot: [Max Loss Limit](https://startrading.io/rules/max-loss-limit), [Daily Loss Limit](https://startrading.io/rules/daily-loss-limit), position limit, [consistency rule](https://startrading.io/rules/consistency-rule), [flat time](https://startrading.io/rules/flat-time) and, on funded [Stream](https://startrading.io/accounts/stream) accounts, the [news window](https://startrading.io/rules/news-trading).

## What is not allowed?

High-frequency trading: strategies that send orders at a rate designed to capture spread or feed latency rather than a market move. The line is behaviour, not speed alone. A few orders a minute on a breakout is trading; hundreds of orders a minute around the touch is not. Micro-scalping, more than half of the profit from trades held five seconds or less, is flagged the same way. See [prohibited practices](https://startrading.io/rules/prohibited-practices).

## What must a bot handle?

-   **Flat time**: no open position at 4:15 pm ET (Rithmic) or 4:45 pm ET (Tradovate); no entries after it.
-   **Position limit**: 2 to 10 minis by size, micros at one tenth, across all products.
-   **Daily Loss Limit**: when it triggers, orders are rejected until 6:00 pm ET. A bot that keeps sending orders into a rejection is a sign of a missing kill switch.
-   **News window on funded Stream accounts**: flat one minute before and after red-folder releases, including resting orders.
-   **Consistency**: a bot that sizes up on a trend day can create a day above the threshold on Cycle and Direct.

A bot that fails a 50K Stream, funded

-   Trend-following algo, long 4 MNQ into the 8:30 am ET CPI release with a resting stop.
-   The position is inside the window: hard breach. The account is failed regardless of the outcome of the trade.
-   The fix is a calendar filter: flat by 8:29 am ET, no entries before 8:31 am ET.

## Which platforms support automation?

|  | Rithmic | Tradovate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Access | Direct API, plus NinjaTrader, Quantower, ATAS, Sierra Chart, Bookmap | Tradovate platform, TradingView strategies, NinjaTrader |
| Rate limit | Platform-dependent | 5,000 actions per 60 minutes |
| Typical use | Order-flow, multi-account, latency-sensitive | Rule-based strategies from charts |

Both give your bot the same account rules. Only the flat time and the tooling differ.

## Common mistakes

-   No time filter: the bot enters at 4:40 pm ET on Tradovate and gets flattened five minutes later.
-   No position cap in the code: a pyramid strategy hits the limit and half the orders are rejected.
-   Running the same bot inverted on a second account to “hedge the model”. That is a ban.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to declare that I use a bot?

No. Automated and manual trading follow the same rules. What matters is the behaviour of the orders, not who or what sends them.

### Which platform is better for automation?

Rithmic for order-flow and API-driven strategies, with a direct API and low-latency routing. Tradovate for strategies built in its platform or TradingView, within a limit of 5,000 actions per 60 minutes.

### Does a bot get a pass on flat time?

No. A bot that holds into flat time is auto-flattened like any position. A bot that enters after flat time cannot: the session is closed until 6:00 pm ET.