Setup guide

Up and running in about 30 minutes

Autopilot runs inside NinjaTrader 8 on your own computer. Follow these steps once, run a practice day on Sim, then switch on your real account.

1. 1

   Install NinjaTrader 8

   10 min

   • Download NinjaTrader 8 from ninjatrader.com and install it. It's free.
   • Open it and sign in with your NinjaTrader account (create a free one if you don't have one).
   • Check for updates under Help → About.

   If your prop firm gave you a NinjaTrader license key, enter it under Help → License Key.

2. 2

   Connect your trading account

   5 min

   • In the Control Center, go to Connections → Configure.
   • Pick the connection your broker or prop firm uses (usually Rithmic or Tradovate) and enter the login and server they sent you.
   • Click Add, then connect from the Connections menu. The indicator at the bottom-left turns green.
   • Open the Accounts tab. You should see your account(s) plus Sim101, NinjaTrader's practice account.

   Not connecting? Most problems are a wrong server name or an expired password. Check your firm's welcome email.

3. 3

   Install the Autopilot add-on

   5 min

   • Sign in to the portal and open Install and license. Click Download add-on. You get a file called AutopilotFutures-0.1.0.zip. Don't unzip it.
   • In NinjaTrader's Control Center, go to Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On…, pick that zip file and click Open.
   • When NinjaTrader says the import was successful, close NinjaTrader completely and open it again.
   • Check it worked: in the Control Center, open the New menu. You should see Autopilot Futures and Autopilot Copier.

   Import failed, or "Unable to load custom assembly"? That's usually Windows Smart App Control. See Troubleshooting below. Don't see the New menu items? Make sure you restarted NinjaTrader.

4. 4

   Pair this computer

   2 min

   • In the portal's Install and license page, click Get a pairing code. The code works for a few minutes.
   • In NinjaTrader, open New → Autopilot Futures, type the code next to Code from your portal and click Pair this computer.
   • The portal's System health page now shows this computer as Online. Leave the Autopilot Futures window open or closed; the add-on keeps running either way while NinjaTrader is open.

   We never ask for your broker or prop firm password. The add-on uses the connection you already set up in NinjaTrader.

5. 5

   Add accounts and set your risk

   5 min

   • Under Accounts, add each NinjaTrader account by its exact name, as it appears in NinjaTrader's Accounts tab. Start with Sim101 only.
   • Open the account and choose its strategy. Compare them first on the Strategies page.
   • Under Risk controls, click Use all recommended settings for that strategy, or set your own dollar risk per trade ($100–$500). Position size is worked out from that for every trade, with at least 1 MNQ.
   • Set a daily loss limit well below your firm's limit, plus max trades per day and trading hours.

   Rule of thumb for prop accounts: keep your daily loss limit 20–40% under the firm's, because fills can overshoot. A bad day should never be able to end your account.

6. 6

   Run one practice day on Sim

   1 trading day

   • Leave NinjaTrader running and connected through the next session (9:30 AM–4:00 PM ET).
   • Watch trades appear in NinjaTrader and in the portal under Activity.
   • At the end of the day, check that sizes matched your risk, every trade had a stop and target, and the computer stayed Online.

   Anything look wrong? Email support@autopilotfutures.com before turning on a real account.

7. 7

   Switch on your real account

   1 min

   • In the portal, add your real or prop account and switch it on. Switch Sim101 off unless you want both.
   • Double-check your dollar risk and daily loss limit one more time.

Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. Your results will differ from any published results. Prop firms set their own rules, including on automated and shared strategies; check your firm's current rules.