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Order reference

Every order ticket is defined by its parameters. Some parameters are required; others are optional or depend on the type of trade.

  • Broker.  Who receives instructions to fill the order. The default auto-selects.
  • Side.  Instructions to purchase or sell the asset.
  • Quantity.  The number of assets to buy or sell.
  • Symbol.  The ticker symbol of the asset.
  • Order type. The type of order to execute.
  • Price: The price at which to buy or sell (for order types such as limits).
  • Time in Force. Instructions about how long an order remains active before it executes or expires.
  • Custom fields and instructions. Additional parameters and text for the broker.

You must enter the value of open-ended parameters, such as Price and Symbol. Other parameters, such as Order Type, are limited to a selection of defined values. Price is forbidden for market-type orders.

Order side

The Side parameter provides instructions for how to buy or sell an asset. Its values must be one of the following.

SideDescription
BuyPurchase an asset
SellSell an asset
SellShortAn order to sell an asset and then repurchase it on a later date
SellShortExemptAn order for an exempt short sell
BuyMinusBuy an asset below the current price
CrossExecute a cross trade
CrossShort
SellPlusAn order to sell an asset at some amount above the current price
Undisclosed

Order types

 The Order Type parameter provides instructions for how to buy or sell an asset. Its value must be one of the following.

Order typedescription
Market priceAn order to buy or sell an asset immediately as and the current
LimitAn order to buy or sell an asset only if the price reaches a pre-defined level
MarketOnCloseA market order executed as near to closing price as possible
ForexLimitA limit order in the Forex market
ForexMarketA market order in the Forex Market
ForexPreviouslyQuoted
ForexSwapAn order to change one currency for another
FunariA limit order that changes to a market order at the close of day
LimitOnCloseA limit order executed only if the closing price is within the limit
LimitOrBetterTo buy at the indicated price, or at a more favorable price
LimitWithOrWithout
OnBasisAn order to buy or sell at the basis price
OnClosed
PeggedAn order to buy an asset linked to a market index
PreviouslyIndicatedOrder sent in response to an indication of interest
PreviouslyQuotedAn order sent in response to a quote
StopLossAn order to exit a position at market price if a price moves to a certain level
StopLimitA StopLoss to sell at a certain price
WithOrWithout

Time in Force

The Time in Force parameter instructs how long an order remains in force. It must be one of the following values.

Time in forceDescription
DayEither filled during the day, or expires when the session closes
GoodTillCancelStays open till the order fills or is cancelled
AtTheOpeningFilled when the market opens (and at opening price)
ImmediateOrCancelImmediately fill as much as possible at the specified price, and cancel the rest.
FillOrKillImmediately fill the entire order or cancel.
GoodTillCrossingExpires immediately before crossing session
GoodTillDateExpires on specified data
AtTheCloseExpires at market close

Additional instructions

Besides the dropdown parameters, these fields accept user-added details.

FieldDescription
TextA free-form text field
AccountThe account to execute the trade with
External DestinationThe destination of the trade order
Max floorThe maximum order quantity to show in the order book, also known as an "Iceberg Order"
Peg to MidpointOrder at the average of the bid and ask price. The price is set just before the order goes out.
Peg to Midpoint LockOrder at the average of the bid and ask price exactly as seen on Send

You can also target an order to a broker-specified algorithm with Broker Algos.* Finally, use the Custom Fields parameter to add any additional FIX fields and values