Checklist · Copy Trading and Allocation
Copy Trade Divergence: Reconciling Master and Follower
Compare master and follower records using quantity, mapping, timing and execution evidence, with a diagnostic table for expected and unexplained differences.
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Published by FxTrusts, a supplier of brokerage and prop firm technology. Prepared with AI-assisted research and drafting; reviewed against the cited public sources. Examples are illustrative. Product links describe our services.
Quick answer
A follower can differ from its master because of sizing rules, contract constraints, timing, prices, account capacity or failed execution. Reconcile the intended target and actual result before deciding whether a difference is expected, a configuration issue or an unresolved incident.
Reconstruct the intended follower instruction
Begin with the master event and the sizing policy that applied at that time. Capture the relevant equity snapshot or fixed multiplier, mapped symbol, contract units and any authorized normalization. A current settings screen may not represent the configuration used for an earlier trade. Without the intended target, comparing raw master and follower quantities can flag a perfectly expected proportional difference as a fault.
Follow the instruction through each boundary
Link the master event to the generated follower request, acknowledgment, executions and resulting position. Preserve identifiers across those systems. A request can be rejected for minimum quantity, missing instrument, insufficient margin or another documented constraint. cTrader Copy explicitly describes platform-specific exceptions and execution differences; those should not be generalized into a claim that every copier behaves identically or guarantees matching outcomes.
Separate quantity differences from price differences
A smaller executed quantity and a different fill price are distinct questions. First compare requested and filled quantity, then compare execution against an appropriate side and timestamp. Rounding, partial fills and copied closures can create further differences. Do not calculate follower slippage against a master price from a different moment without stating that benchmark. Commissions and financing should remain separate when comparing final account results.
Assign a reason and an owner without hiding unknowns
A useful exception record distinguishes an explained policy result, a confirmed defect and a case requiring more evidence. Keep the source records and corrective action linked. If a reconnect or manual intervention changes exposure, obtain the required authorization and reconcile afterward. The aim is to make differences understandable, not to promise perfect replication or automatically blame a trader, provider or software component.
An original master/follower review table
The following cases are synthetic. Each begins with a declared target and checks the recorded outcome. The first assumes an authorized floor-to-step policy; the second is a confirmed rejection; the third still needs a valid timestamped benchmark. An explanation should retain those different confidence levels rather than marking every row as an integration failure.
| Case | Intended target | Observed result | Review interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 0.375 lots before normalization | 0.30 lots submitted on a 0.10 grid | Expected only if the stated floor policy was authorized |
| B | 0.20 lots | Request rejected; no fill | Inspect exact margin/instrument response |
| C | 100 units | 100 filled at a different price | Quantity matches; review price and timing separately |
Implementation checklist
- Reconstruct the historical sizing rule and account snapshot.
- Join master event, follower request, fills and position identifiers.
- Analyze quantity, price and costs as separate differences.
- Classify explained, confirmed and unresolved cases with supporting evidence.
Sources
These documents support the reference. Check the original publication for current requirements and the limits of its scope.
- cTrader Copy documentationhelp.ctrader.com
- MQL5 symbol propertieswww.mql5.com
- MetaTrader 5 trading principleswww.metatrader5.com
Continue with the broader guides
Connect this reference to platform selection and the wider operating workflow.