How Copytrading Works (Technical)
Curious about what happens behind the scenes? Here's the full flow.
The Copytrade Flow
| Step | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trader makes a trade on Polymarket | 0ms | |
| Our system detects the trade | ~50ms | |
| We check your copy settings & balance | ~20ms | |
| Order submitted to Polymarket | ~100ms | |
| Order filled on CLOB | 100-600ms |
Total time: 250-800ms (always sub-second)
What We Check Before Copying
| Check | If Fails |
|---|---|
| Sufficient USDC balance | Skip trade |
| Copy not paused | Skip trade |
| Market within Max Days Out | Skip trade |
| Under Max Per Market limit | Skip trade |
| Above Min Trigger amount | Skip trade |
| Below Max Odds | Skip trade |
| Market still open | Skip trade |
Position Sizing Calculation
Percentage Mode:
Your Trade = Trader's Trade × Your Percentage
Range Mode:
Base = Trader's Trade × Your Percentage
Your Trade = clamp(Base, Min Amount, Max Amount)
Fixed Mode:
Your Trade = Fixed Amount (always)
On-Chain Execution
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Network | Polygon (low fees, fast) |
| Token | USDC / USDC.e |
| Gas | We sponsor all gas fees |
| Contract | Direct Polymarket interaction |
What's Stored
| Data | Where | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Trade details | Database | Dashboard display |
| Transaction hash | Blockchain | Verification |
| P&L calculations | Database | Performance tracking |
Why Trades Sometimes Don't Copy
| Reason | Solution |
|---|---|
| Ultra-fast trade (<30s) | Trader opened & closed too fast |
| No USDC | Deposit more funds |
| Filters blocked it | Adjust your settings |
| Market closed | Nothing to do |