Platform guides · 7 minute read
NinjaTrader Daily Loss Limit and Lockout: Setup Guide
NinjaTrader has an account-level daily loss limit, but it is not in the NinjaTrader 8 desktop Risk window where many traders look first. Here is where it lives, how to set it, what happens when it fires, and what it leaves out.
NinjaTrader’s daily loss limit is an account risk setting. When your loss for the day reaches it, NinjaTrader sends a market order to close your open positions and blocks new trading until the daily reset at 5:00 pm CT.
Where the daily loss limit lives
There are two different “risk” screens in NinjaTrader, and only one of them has a daily loss limit.
- The NinjaTrader 8 desktop Risk window holds risk templates. NinjaTrader’s help guide says a risk definition “holds the amount of margin needed per contract” and sets the max order size and max position size. It does not include a daily loss limit, and the templates apply to simulation accounts.
- Account Risk Settings in the NinjaTrader Dashboard and NinjaTrader Web are where the daily and weekly loss limits are. This is the one you want.
How to set a daily loss limit in NinjaTrader
- Sign in to the NinjaTrader Dashboard and select your profile initials.
- Go to Settings > Accounts > Risk Settings. In NinjaTrader Web, select the shield icon at the bottom of the right-hand navigation instead.
- Choose the account and enter a Daily Loss Limit. Add a Weekly Loss Limit if you want one.
- Turn on Prevent Changes When Trading is Locked by Risk Settings, so the limit cannot be raised after it fires.
- Save.
NinjaTrader says these settings are available “in both simulated and live trading modes.” If you need help picking the number, read how to set a daily loss limit.
Every NinjaTrader risk setting, in one table
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Daily and Weekly Loss Limits | Closes open positions and locks trading when the loss is reached |
| Daily and Weekly Profit Triggers | Can close open positions and lock the account once a profit level is reached |
| Trailing Max Drawdown | A drawdown limit checked at the end of the day or in real time. NinjaTrader says a lock from it stays until you contact support. |
| Max Number of Open Positions | Rejects orders that would open another position |
| Only Trade Selected Products | Limits trading to the instruments you list |
| Prevent Changes When Trading is Locked by Risk Settings | Stops you editing your risk settings after a lock |
| Per-trade Max Loss, Max Profit, Max Time in Trade | Alerts only. NinjaTrader says these “never automatically close positions or prevent you from trading.” |
What happens when you hit the limit
NinjaTrader says that when a loss limit is reached, “a market order goes out to close your open positions,” and trading stays locked. Daily limits release at 5:00 pm CT the same day.
NinjaTrader is also direct about the limits of this: “slippage in fast markets can leave you with a realized loss larger than the limit you set,” and “loss limits are liquidation triggers, not guaranteed caps.” Set your limit with that in mind, especially if your account also has a prop firm limit behind it.
NinjaTrader Trader Lockout (prop accounts)
Trader Lockout is a self-lock you start by hand. NinjaTrader describes it for traders who “trade a simulation account through a prop firm partnered with NinjaTrader.” It “locks trading across all your linked simulation accounts” for a period you choose, up to 24 hours, and “it can’t be lifted early.”
If you trade a NinjaTrader brokerage account, the loss limit plus the setting that prevents changes is the closest built-in equivalent.
Like any manual lockout, it only helps if you press it. When a session is going badly, that is the button people tend not to reach for.
What NinjaTrader does not cover
NinjaTrader’s account risk settings are built around dollar amounts, position counts, and products. The settings list NinjaTrader published does not include:
- A maximum number of trades per day
- A number of losses in a row
- A trading-hours window
- A blackout around major news such as CPI, FOMC, or NFP
These rules usually catch a bad session earlier than a dollar limit does. Read how to set a max trades per day and how to stop revenge trading for how traders use them. If you also trade on Tradovate, see the Tradovate lockout guide.
Common questions
Does NinjaTrader 8 have a daily loss limit?
Not in the desktop Risk window. The daily loss limit is an account Risk Setting you set in the NinjaTrader Dashboard or NinjaTrader Web, and NinjaTrader says changes apply across Desktop, Web, and Mobile.
When does the NinjaTrader daily loss limit reset?
NinjaTrader says daily limits release at 5:00 pm CT the same day.
Can I lose more than my NinjaTrader daily loss limit?
Yes. Positions are closed with a market order, and NinjaTrader says slippage in fast markets can leave a realized loss larger than the limit.
Can I lock myself out of NinjaTrader?
On prop simulation accounts from partnered firms, Trader Lockout locks trading for up to 24 hours. On other accounts, a daily loss limit with changes prevented after a lock is the closest built-in option.
Sources
Checked on October 15, 2026.
Educational content only. Platform and prop firm details were checked on October 15, 2026 against the sources above and can change; check your own platform and your firm’s current rules. Trading futures involves significant risk of loss.