NT Risk Manager Documentation

NT Risk Manager Documentation covers setup, profiles, prop-firm presets, drawdown modes, limits, lockouts, licensing, and common troubleshooting. Version 2.0 sharpens the prop-firm workflow, clarifies setup guidance, and adds a broader theme lineup so the dashboard can match the way you trade.

NT Risk Manager runs inside the NinjaTrader platform, so if you need official platform details beyond this guide, use the NinjaTrader site as the source of truth for platform behavior.

Need a guided setup? Open the setup wizard. It preserves the full query string so support can see the exact setup state.

Prefer a walkthrough first? Use the embedded video below. It shows how to simulate an evaluation account with NT Risk Manager.

What is new in 2.0?

• updated prop-firm friendly setup flow
• clearer licensing panel and help guidance
• refreshed dashboard screenshots for risk profiles and account states
• theme gallery for the current dashboard looks, including Control Room, Slate Dark, Sepia, Clean Gray, and Light

Watch the walkthrough6:33

1. Install and Open NT Risk Manager

Install

1. In NinjaTrader, go to Tools -> Import -> NinjaScript Add-On.
2. Select the NT Risk Manager ZIP package.
3. Complete the import and allow NinjaTrader to compile if prompted.

Open the Window

After import, open NT Risk Manager from Control Center -> Tools -> NT Risk Manager.

Recommended First Launch Check

• Confirm the window opens normally.
• Confirm the License tab shows your current status.
• Confirm the Dashboard is visible and ready to add accounts.

2. Before You Start

Recommended First-Run Checklist

1. Add the accounts you want to monitor to the current Account Group.
2. Open the Profiles tab and create the profile you want to use.
3. If you use a preset, click Load Preset, review the values, then click Save Profile Settings.
4. Go back to the Dashboard and assign that profile in the Profile column.
5. Check the Mode column so you know whether the account is Using Profile, has Overrides Active, or is a direct account with no assigned profile.
6. Select the account and confirm the effective settings in the Selected Account Settings panel, summary card, and gauges.

Important: Loading a preset does not update the live profile by itself. It only fills the profile editor. You must click Save Profile Settings.

3. Dashboard Overview

The Dashboard is the main working area for monitored accounts.

What You Can See

• Account
• Profile
• Mode
• PnL
• Daily Goal
• Daily Loss
• Account Value
• Risk Base
• Auto Liquidate
• Buffer
• Max Contracts
• Status

Selected Account Settings Panel

The Selected Account Settings section is collapsible to keep the dashboard cleaner.

Use it when you need to update account-level targets, change drawdown mode, adjust drawdown amount, set a daily stop, Set Liquidation Threshold, Set External Floor, save account-specific changes with Save Account Override, or clear account-specific overrides with Clear Overrides and Inherit Profile.

Mode Column

The Mode column helps you understand where the active settings are coming from.

• Using Profile means the account is inheriting the assigned profile.
• Overrides Active means that account has account-specific values that may differ from the profile.
• Direct Account means the account is using standalone settings without an assigned profile.

Gauges

The gauge section gives a quick visual read of drawdown usage, daily stop usage, and profit target progress.

Themes

Version 2.0 adds multiple dashboard themes so the add-on can fit different workspace styles without changing the workflow.

The current NT Risk Manager dashboard theme lineup includes Control Room, Slate Dark, Sepia, Clean Gray, and Light. Click any image to open the lightbox viewer.

4. Lockout Modes

This section covers the lockouts that matter most while the account is live.

Use these first to understand how NT Risk Manager pauses trading or editing:

• Cooldown Lockout: locks the profile after a risk breach and while a position is open
• Account Lockout: blocks account changes and trading when a configured risk rule is breached
• Profile Lockout Modes: can block trading during scheduled windows or freeze profile/account edits while active, depending on the selected mode
• UI Lock: freezes dashboard editing

Profile Lockout Modes support two modes: Trade Lockout blocks new entries and trading adjustments during the scheduled window, and also blocks opening that account’s settings panel so risk limits cannot be loosened or overrides cleared as a way around the lockout, while Profile Edit Lockout keeps the profile locked for the full scheduled window so monitoring, profile switching, and other edits stay blocked. Each mode only applies during its own configured window, not as a blanket, always-on block on edits.

Cooldown Lockout

Cooldown Lockout is the main risk-breach lock.

It is configured inside each profile and locks the profile for a set number of minutes after a risk breach or while the account still has an open position.

Set the cooldown to 0 to disable it.

With cooldown disabled, a breached risk rule can still lock the account until the next trading session or until the lock condition clears.

• Keeps the profile locked for a configured number of minutes after a risk breach
• Blocks profile edits while the account still has an open position
• Prevents disabling monitoring during the cooldown window
• Helps enforce a real risk-breach pause instead of relying on memory

Account Lockout

Account Lockout is the main account-level lock for risk breaches.

It is configured inside each profile and can lock the account when a configured risk rule is breached, including profit target, daily stop, drawdown floor, or Max Losses.

• Can stay locked until the next trading session once the lock condition clears
• Prevents profile edits while the account is locked
• Prevents disabling monitoring during the lock window
• Helps enforce a real post-breach pause instead of relying on memory

What Triggers It

The same account lock path is used for profit target breaches, daily stop breaches, drawdown floor breaches, and Max Losses breaches.

Profile Lockout Modes

This is configured inside each profile.

• Blocks trading and opening that account’s settings panel during scheduled windows in Trade Lockout mode, so risk limits cannot be loosened or overrides cleared as a way around the lockout
• Keeps the profile locked for the full scheduled window in Profile Edit Lockout mode
• Still allows exits and protective orders in Trade Lockout mode
• Prevents editing the profile while the lockout is active in Profile Edit Lockout mode

Profile lockout mode times are based on your local time zone and use 24-hour time format.

UI Lock

This is the global button in the app header. Use it when you want to lock dashboard editing and prevent accidental clicks.

Lockout Video

Watch this walkthrough to see how the four lockout modes work and when each one is used.

This video covers Cooldown Lockout, Account Lockout, Profile Lockout Modes, and UI Lock. It also covers risk-breach cooldown protection, risk rule breach lockouts, daily loss and profit target lock behavior, scheduled trading lockouts, and preventing accidental configuration changes.

Watch the walkthrough4:03

5. Profiles

Profiles are reusable risk templates.

A Profile Can Include

• Profit target
• PnL loss limit
• Daily stop
• PnL trailing start
• Drawdown type
• Drawdown amount
• Trail stop rule
• Allow entries to exceed max contracts while in position
• Max contracts
• Max Open Entries
• Max Losses
• Max Loss Per Trade
• Lockout schedule
• Cooldown lockout

Recommended Workflow

1. Build the profile once.
2. Save it.
3. Assign it to one or more accounts from the Dashboard.
4. Only use account-level overrides when you intentionally want an account to differ.

Account-Specific Overrides

If you click Save Account Override on an account that already has a profile assigned, those values become account-specific overrides. Later profile changes may not flow through for those fields.

Use Clear Overrides and Inherit Profile on the Dashboard if you want the account to inherit the assigned profile again.

Loss Lock / Max Losses

Max Losses counts closed losing trades. It does not count each partial exit on its own.

Use Count consecutive losses only when you want the counter to reset after a winning trade and only track back-to-back losses.

Best for:

• limiting the number of losing trades in a session
• protecting accounts after repeated losses
• locking the account automatically without requiring UI Lock

Max Loss Per Trade

Max Loss Per Trade flattens a single open position the moment its floating (unrealized) loss reaches a configured dollar amount. Leave it blank to disable it.

This is different from Max Losses. Max Losses counts closed losing trades over time and can lock the whole account. Max Loss Per Trade watches one open position while it is still live and only flattens that instrument — it does not lock the account or block new entries afterward.

It is checked continuously while the trade is open, and it only fires once per trade cycle, so it will not repeatedly re-trigger on the same position.

Best for:

• capping the worst-case loss on any single trade
• protecting against one runaway loser blowing through a daily limit
• a simple per-instrument backstop that works alongside Max Losses and the daily PnL limit

Set it in the profile editor, in the same area as Loss Lock. It applies at the profile level.

6. Built-In Presets

NT Risk Manager includes built-in presets in the Profiles tab for common account setups.

Important Preset Behavior

• Click Load Preset to fill the profile editor.
• Review the values before saving.
• Click Save Profile Settings to apply the preset to the profile.
• If a linked account still shows old values, use Clear Overrides and Inherit Profile on that account.

7. Drawdown Modes

NT Risk Manager supports standard PnL protection and account-value-based drawdown tracking.

PnL Loss Limit

Use this when you want a simple same-day PnL floor.

PnL Trailing Start

This is an optional profit threshold where the live PnL floor starts ratcheting upward.

Formula: Live PnL Floor = PnL Loss Limit + (same-day peak PnL - PnL Trailing Start)

Example:

• PnL Loss Limit = -500
• PnL Trailing Start = 0
• Peak PnL = +200
• Live PnL Floor = -300

Account Value Intraday

Tracks the highest live account value during the session and enforces Floor = High Water Mark - Drawdown Amount.

Account Value EOD

Tracks the highest end-of-day account value and only ratchets after the trading day rolls at 6 PM ET.

Trail Stop Rule

Available options:

• None
• Stop At Profit Target Balance
• Stop At Starting Balance + $100

Daily Stop

This is a separate same-day protection layer. It still works while using account-value drawdown.

8. Set Liquidation Threshold vs Set External Floor

These two actions solve different problems. The short version is:

• Use Set Liquidation Threshold when you want NT Risk Manager to seed a fresh local base from the account’s current value.
• Use Set External Floor when the account already has a live liquidation threshold from a prop firm, Rithmic, or another workflow and you want NT Risk Manager to match it.

These controls live in the dashboard’s Override Settings area. They only appear when the selected account uses Account Value Intraday or Account Value EOD; they are hidden when the drawdown type is PnL.

Set Liquidation Threshold

Use this when you want NT Risk Manager to forget the old local trail and start from the account’s current value.

Best for new sim setups, clean resets, and fresh local tracking.

Set External Floor

Use this when the account already has a live trailing floor from a prop firm or Rithmic and you want NT Risk Manager to align to that real threshold.

If you are matching an existing prop account, use the live liquidation threshold shown by your provider or market access platform feed, such as Rithmic.

This is the correct choice for existing prop accounts, legacy PA accounts, and accounts that already have trailing history.

When you use Set External Floor, NT Risk Manager derives the local High Water Mark using:

High Water Mark = External Floor + Drawdown Amount

Worked example:

• External Floor / Liquidation Threshold: 49,500
• Drawdown Amount: 2,000
• Starting Balance: 50,000
• Derived High Water Mark: 51,500

Practical Rule

• For accuracy on existing prop accounts, use the live threshold from your prop firm or Rithmic.
• For a fresh local start, use Set Liquidation Threshold.
• Do not use Set Liquidation Threshold on an already-trailed prop account unless you intentionally want to reset the tracked base.
• If you do not see either button, check that the account’s drawdown type is set to Account Value Intraday or Account Value EOD, not PnL.

9. Max Contracts

Max Contracts limits total exposure per instrument.

Root Symbol vs Contract Month

Use the root symbol when you want the rule to survive rollover.

• Use ES, MES, MNQ, or NQ to apply the rule across expiries.
• Use ES 06-26 only when you intentionally want one contract month.

Saved rules show that scope directly:

• ES: 5 (all expiries)
• ES 06-26: 5 (this contract only)

Important: if you use brackets or ATM strategies, size the contract limit to cover entry plus attached orders, not just the entry itself.

Example: if your strategy enters 1 contract and immediately submits bracket orders, set the limit high enough to avoid false rejects caused by working order exposure.

Max Contracts Behavior Across Prop Firms

Max Contracts enforcement can behave differently depending on your prop firm, because prop firms vary in how they process and report order and position updates. In some setups, a copied order can fill before the add-on has a chance to block it, which may result in the position being flattened after the fact rather than the extra contracts simply being blocked.

For the most reliable results, we recommend using the Leader/Follower method: assign your SIM account as the Leader, since it is not subject to a prop firm’s own order handling and can enforce the contract limit consistently. Assign your prop (funded) account as the Follower, configured in warning-only mode, so it mirrors the Leader’s enforcement instead of being enforced independently by the prop firm’s infrastructure. This way, if a limit is ever exceeded, it is caught and handled on the Leader account rather than on your funded account.

Because behavior can still vary by broker/prop firm integration, we recommend testing your specific setup in Market Replay or on a demo account before relying on it in a live funded account.

10. Max Open Entries

Max Open Entries limit how many working entry orders can be open per instrument. This is not the same as contract size, and it does not count attached ATM stop/target orders.

Use the same root-symbol approach here when you want the cap to follow rollover instead of being tied to a single contract month.

Example: one 5-lot entry still counts as 1 open entry.

Use Max Open Entries when you want to limit how many separate entry attempts can be working at once, independent of size. If you use ATM/brackets, Max Contracts is usually the more important safety limit.

11. Monitoring

Monitoring can be toggled per account on the Dashboard.

If Monitoring Is Off

• contract checks are bypassed
• PnL and drawdown enforcement are bypassed

If enforcement seems inactive, confirm the account is actually being monitored.

12. Allow Entries to Exceed Max Contracts

Allow entries to exceed max contracts while in position if you want new entries to remain eligible after a position is already open.

This setting can help avoid false cancels in workflows where follow-up orders should still be allowed while a position exists.

13. Licensing

The License tab supports built-in activation and status refresh.

Activation Flow

1. Copy the Machine ID.
2. Contact support@priceactiontools.com.
3. Paste the license key you receive.
4. Click Activate.
5. Use Check anytime to refresh the machine’s current status.

Machine ID Reference

You can also find your Machine ID in NinjaTrader via Help -> About -> Machine ID.

14. Commission Setup for Sim and Playback

If you want more realistic PnL behavior in sim or playback, apply a commission template in NinjaTrader.

1. In NinjaTrader, open Tools -> Commissions.
2. Select or create the commission template you want.
3. Assign it to the account or sim environment you are testing.

Without commissions, your simulated PnL may look cleaner than real trading results.

15. Common Fixes

Preset Loaded but Account Still Shows Old Values

• Click Save Profile Settings after loading the preset.
• If the account still differs, use Clear Overrides and Inherit Profile.

Prop Firm Threshold Does Not Match the Preset

• Use the live prop-firm or Rithmic threshold as the source of truth.
• If needed, use Set External Floor to match the real account.

Drawdown or Limits Are Not Enforcing

• Confirm the account is being monitored.
• Confirm the account has the profile you expect.
• Check whether account-specific overrides changed the live values.

Import or Upgrade Problems

• Use the current stable export package name and version for upgrades.
• If NinjaTrader reports duplicate legacy assemblies, remove old legacy variants once, then re-import the stable package.

Need More Help?

Visit the support center, read the main product page, or contact support@priceactiontools.com. You can also browse the rest of our NinjaTrader indicators and add-ons.