How to Set Up a NinjaTrader Bracket Order: OCO Stop and Target With an ATM Strategy
A NinjaTrader bracket order is a stop loss and a profit target attached to your entry and linked as OCO (one cancels other), so when one fills the other is cancelled. In NinjaTrader 8 you build it once as an ATM strategy: select <Custom> in the ATM Strategy list of an order entry window, set the Stop Loss and Profit Target (for example 4 and 8 ticks), click Save as Template, and pick that template before each entry. When the entry fills, NinjaTrader submits the stop and target for you, linked as OCO.
Menu names below are for NinjaTrader 8.1.x.x (checked against NinjaTrader’s help guide, October 2026). Before 8.1.5, Tools › Settings was called Tools › Options, and some help guide pages still show it.
This guide is for NinjaTrader traders on the NinjaTrader 8 desktop platform. It covers fixed stops and targets, multiple targets and manual OCO orders. Moving the stop once you are in a trade is a separate job: for that, see how to set a trailing stop or auto breakeven in NinjaTrader 8.
What a bracket order is in NinjaTrader
NinjaTrader’s own guide to futures order types (checked October 2026) describes a bracket as a stop loss and a profit target placed around an open position. OCO is what links the two orders. Some traders also call an OCO pair of entry orders on both sides of the market an “entry bracket”.
| Detail | Bracket order |
|---|---|
| Orders | A stop below and a target above a long position (the reverse for a short) |
| When it is placed | When your entry fills |
| What OCO does | When the target or the stop fills, the other is cancelled |
| Native NinjaTrader tool | An ATM strategy template |
This is the bracket NinjaTrader’s ATM strategies build, so that is where this guide starts.
How to set up a NinjaTrader bracket order with an ATM strategy
An ATM (Advanced Trade Management) strategy is NinjaTrader’s built-in template for the orders that follow an entry, and it already places OCO brackets: NinjaTrader’s ATM Strategy FAQ says the stop loss and profit target are OCO by default. You build the template once, in what NinjaTrader’s guide calls the Custom Strategy Parameters window.
- Open an order entry window, such as the SuperDOM, and set your usual quantity and TIF (time in force). Both carry into the strategy, and the TIF applies to the entry, the stop and the target.
- In the ATM Strategy list, select <Custom>.
- Set Parameter type: Ticks, Pips, Currency or Percent measured from your average entry, or an absolute Price.
- Enter the Stop Loss and Profit Target distances. For a stop with no target, set Profit Target to 0.
- Click Save as Template, type a name you will recognize, such as “4 stop 8 target”, and click Save.
NinjaTrader’s tutorial uses a 4-tick stop and an 8-tick target saved as “8 Tick 1 Target”. A buy entry filled at 1978.75 on an instrument with a 0.25 tick got a Profit Target at 1980.75 and a Stop Loss at 1977.75, and the ATM Strategy list showed a running instance named 8 Tick 1 Target – 1. A name followed by a number is the live strategy for that position; the plain name is the template for your next trade.
Before you use a new template on a live account, test the template in the NinjaTrader simulator on Sim101 and check that the stop and target land where you expect.
Which order entry windows can attach a bracket
NinjaTrader 8 has six order entry windows: Basic Entry, Chart Trader, FX Pro, FX Board, Order Ticket and SuperDOM. Every NinjaTrader order entry window except the Order Ticket lists your saved ATM templates. To enter with the bracket attached:
- Pick your template in the ATM Strategy list. None sends the order with no stop or target.
- Check the account, quantity and TIF.
- Place the entry the way you usually do: a market button, a limit or stop order on the SuperDOM price ladder, or an order on the chart.
- When the entry fills, the stop and target appear as open orders, linked as OCO.
Chart Trader has the same ATM Strategy list in its panel beside the chart; for its buttons and how to move orders there, see how to use Chart Trader in NinjaTrader 8.
Adding to a position: one bracket or one per order. What your next order does depends on the ATM Strategy Selection Mode. Right-click the order entry window and choose Properties to set it.
| Selection mode | After you submit an entry | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Select Active ATM Strategy on Order Submission (default) | The list switches to the new active strategy, so your next order amends its stop and target | You want one bracket for the whole position as you scale in or out |
| Keep Selected ATM Strategy Template on Order Submission | The template stays selected, so each order gets its own stop and target from its own fill price | You want a separate bracket for every entry |
| Display Selected ATM Strategy Only | The window shows only the selected strategy’s orders, so other open orders can still fill out of view. NinjaTrader’s guide says to understand it fully before you use it. | You run two ATM strategies in the same market at once, such as a long in one SuperDOM and a short in another |
Add more targets and leave a runner
One template can scale out at several prices. In the strategy window, click add for another target and remove to drop one. Each target has its own Quantity for its Stop Loss and Profit Target orders. Each Profit Target must be larger than the one before it, and each Stop Loss must be equal to or larger than the one before it:
| Target | Quantity | Stop Loss | Profit Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 8 ticks | 8 ticks |
| 2 | 1 | 8 ticks | 16 ticks |
| 3 | 1 | 10 ticks | 24 ticks |
Set the target quantities so they add up to the size you enter with. To keep part of a position open with a stop but no target, set that target’s Profit Target to 0, and NinjaTrader submits only its Stop Loss.
Choose the order types for the stop and target
By default, an ATM strategy sends the stop as a Stop Market order and the target as a Limit order. Click the More text in the strategy window to open the advanced options, where two checkboxes change that:
| Order | Default | Option | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop Loss | Stop Market | Stop Limit for Stop Loss (not applied to stocks or forex) | A Stop Market becomes a market order when triggered, so in a fast market it can fill beyond your stop. A Stop Limit won’t fill beyond its limit price, so it may not fill at all. |
| Profit Target | Limit | MIT for Profit | A Limit fills only at your price or better, and price can reach your target without filling it. An MIT (market if touched) becomes a market order when price touches it, so the fill price can differ from your target. |
If stop and stop limit orders are new to you, start with our guide to market, limit, stop and stop limit orders. The same panel also holds chase and reverse settings, which this guide doesn’t cover.
Place a manual OCO order in NinjaTrader
You don’t need an ATM strategy to link orders. While OCO is on, the orders you place are linked in pairs: when one fills or is cancelled, the other is cancelled.
- Right-click inside the Chart Trader panel, or in the SuperDOM, and select OCO Order. In Chart Trader, a green OC at the top right of the chart shows that OCO is on.
- Place the two orders you want linked.
- Right-click again and turn OCO Order off. NinjaTrader’s guide advises turning it off once your orders are placed.
On 8.1.3.0 and newer, NinjaTrader starts a new OCO ID by itself once two orders have used one, when an order in the group is cancelled or rejected, and when one fills, according to NinjaTrader’s SuperDOM order entry page (checked October 2026). On 8.1.2.1 and older, you had to turn OCO off and back on after each pair. Either way, turning it off when you are done keeps your next unrelated orders from being paired.
To bracket a position you already hold, NinjaTrader’s ATM FAQ gives two ways:
- Set the ATM Strategy list to None, turn on OCO Order, place a limit order at your target and a stop order at your stop, then turn OCO off.
- Right-click the position’s row on the Positions tab, choose Apply ATM Strategy and pick one of your saved templates.
For an OCO breakout entry, use the same toggle before you have a position. NinjaTrader’s SuperDOM guide has you place a buy stop above the market and a sell stop below it with OCO Order on, select the ATM template again before the second order so the side that fills gets its own stop and target, and then turn OCO off, a step it marks critical. Our Bracket Entry Orders module, described below, places a buy order above the market and a sell order below it as an OCO pair from one button.
Where OCO is handled, and why NinjaTrader must stay connected
NinjaTrader’s “Where do your orders reside?” page (checked October 2026) says orders in an Accepted, Working or Suspended state sit at your broker or the exchange. The OCO link between them is not always held there. The page lists OCO this way (selected rows):
| Connection | Where NinjaTrader’s page says OCO is handled |
|---|---|
| NinjaTrader | Simulated on your PC |
| Rithmic | Simulated on your PC |
| CQG (listed as Continuum/CQG) | On the provider’s servers |
| Interactive Brokers | On the provider’s servers |
| FXCM | On the provider’s servers |
Parts of that page look dated, so ask your broker how OCO and ATM orders are handled on your connection today. NinjaTrader’s ATM FAQ (checked October 2026) also says NinjaTrader must be connected for an ATM strategy to activate and for its functions to operate. Keep NinjaTrader open and connected while an ATM strategy manages a position, and don’t count on the bracket behaving the same way if NinjaTrader closes or disconnects.
The NinjaTrader connection also has a server-side option. NinjaTrader’s Server Side vs Local ATMs help page (checked October 2026) lists server-side ATMs as a beta that runs only on the NinjaTrader connection. On a server-side ATM, a filled stop or target cancels the other, but cancelling one by hand leaves the other active, and the page lists placing OCO orders with ATMs attached and adding an ATM to an open position that has none as local-ATM features only. The page doesn’t say whether a server-side ATM keeps managing a position while NinjaTrader is closed or disconnected, so ask NinjaTrader support before you rely on that. The help guide’s Strategies settings page names the setting Use server side ATMs (beta) and says it is only available when Multi-provider is disabled, and its Settings page lists Strategies as a category under Tools › Settings.
Common snags and how to fix them
- Your template isn’t in the Order Ticket. ATM templates are listed in every order entry window except the Order Ticket. Use the SuperDOM, Chart Trader or Basic Entry instead.
- The entry filled with no stop or target. The ATM Strategy list was set to None, or the connection dropped as the entry filled; NinjaTrader’s ATM FAQ says it must be connected for an ATM strategy to activate. Check the list before each entry, and bracket the open position with the steps above.
- Two unrelated orders got linked as OCO. OCO Order was still on, so NinjaTrader paired your next orders. Turn it off after each pair; in Chart Trader, the green OC disappears.
- Cancelling one order cancelled the other. That is OCO by design. Place the order you wanted to keep again, with OCO off.
- Your second order went into the first order’s strategy. In the default selection mode, the ATM list switches to the active strategy as soon as you submit an entry. Select the template again before the next order, or switch to Keep Selected ATM Strategy Template on Order Submission.
- All your stops and targets disappeared. If any Stop Loss or Profit Target order in an ATM strategy is rejected, NinjaTrader cancels all the stops and targets for that strategy. Check your position and place a new bracket.
What our Bracket Entry Orders module adds
If you want a stop and target on every entry, NinjaTrader’s ATM strategies already do that, and NinjaTrader can already place an OCO buy stop and sell stop pair by hand. Bracket Entry Orders, a module for our Enhanced Chart Trader for NinjaTrader traders, turns the entry bracket into one button with settings you choose ahead of time:
- Bracket button: places a buy order above the market and a sell order below it at the same time, as an OCO pair. Cancel removes both before either fills.
- Price Basis and Order Offset (Ticks): measure from the last traded price or from the high and low of the current bar, and set how many ticks away the orders go.
- Order Type: LMT, MIT, SLM (stop limit) or STP (stop), with a Stop Limit Offset for stop limit orders.
- Trigger Mode: place the orders immediately or when the bar closes. On Minute or Second bars, Close Early Entry (Seconds) places them a set number of seconds before the close.
It is also included in the Professional Chart Trader Tools bundle. For help with ATM brackets instead, Essential Chart Trader Tools adds ATM Strategy Planning (set entry, stop and target levels before you place the order), an optional ATM Strategy Requirement that blocks order entry when no ATM strategy is selected, and up to 12 ATM quick-select buttons.
Frequently asked questions
Does NinjaTrader support OCO orders?
Yes. ATM strategies send their stop loss and profit target as OCO automatically. To link orders by hand, right-click the SuperDOM or the Chart Trader panel, choose OCO Order, place the two orders, then turn OCO Order off.
How do I add a stop loss to every trade in NinjaTrader?
Select <Custom> in the ATM Strategy list, set the Stop Loss (and a Profit Target, or 0 for none), save it as a template and select it before each entry. For a position you already hold, place a stop order, or right-click the position on the Positions tab and choose Apply ATM Strategy.
What are ATM strategies in NinjaTrader?
ATM (Advanced Trade Management) strategies are NinjaTrader’s built-in exit templates. A template holds the stop loss and profit target distances, the quantity for each target and optional stop strategies, and NinjaTrader submits the stop and target when your entry fills.
What is the difference between a bracket order and an OCO order?
A bracket order is a stop loss and a profit target placed around an open position. OCO is the link between two orders: when one fills, the other is cancelled. A NinjaTrader bracket uses OCO, but you can also use OCO on its own, for example to pair a buy stop above the market with a sell stop below it.
Next, decide how the stop should move after entry with our trailing stop and auto breakeven guide, or rehearse the whole routine in the NinjaTrader simulator.