Set up smart alerts

Smart Alerts tell you when something on an account needs your attention: a drawdown level, a profit or loss amount, or a pattern in how you trade.

Smart Alerts Overview#

Smart Alerts let you set up rules that monitor your trading accounts around the clock. You define a condition, pick how you want to be notified, and the system handles the rest. When a threshold is breached, you get notified immediately so you can act before things get worse.

What Are Smart Alerts?#

Smart Alerts are configurable rules that watch your accounts in real time. Each alert monitors a specific metric (like drawdown, daily loss, or margin level), compares it against a threshold you set, and triggers when the condition is met.

Think of them as a safety net for your trading. You set the limits once, and the system watches 24/7 so you do not have to stare at your screen constantly. Whether you are away from your desk, asleep, or just focused on analysis, your alerts are running in the background.

How They Work#

The process is simple: create a rule, and the system does the rest.

• Create a rule: Give it a name, pick an account, choose the alert type, set your threshold, and select how you want to be notified.
• System monitors: Every time the EA syncs (and whenever a trade closes), the system checks all your active alerts against the latest data.
• Alert triggers: When your condition is met, the system sends a notification through your chosen delivery method and logs the event.

Alerts only fire once per breach. If drawdown crosses 3% and stays above 3%, you get one notification, not a flood of repeats. The alert resets when the condition is no longer true, so it can fire again if the threshold is breached a second time.

Alert Types#

There are five alert types available, each designed to monitor a different aspect of your trading account. You can create multiple alerts of the same type with different thresholds if needed.

Drawdown Alert#

Fires when your account drawdown crosses the threshold you set. Drawdown is measured as the percentage drop from your account's peak balance (high water mark).

This is the most important alert type for prop firm traders. If your prop firm has a 5% maximum drawdown rule, setting an alert at 3% or 4% gives you an early warning before you reach the limit. For personal accounts, it helps you catch losing streaks before they spiral out of control.

Profit Target Alert#

Fires when your account profit reaches the target you set. This is especially useful during prop firm challenges where you need to hit a specific percentage gain.

Set this to your challenge target (e.g. 8% or 10%) or to an intermediate milestone. Some traders set alerts at 50% and 75% of their target to track progress. When it fires, you can decide whether to lock in your gains by reducing position sizes or stopping trading until the challenge period ends.

Daily Loss Alert#

Fires when your total losses for the current day exceed the limit you set. This is your daily stop-loss for the entire account.

Every experienced trader knows there are days when nothing works. The daily loss alert acts as a circuit breaker. When it fires, it is your signal to walk away and come back tomorrow. This single rule prevents more blown accounts than any other.

Prop firms often have explicit daily loss limits (typically 4-5% of the initial balance). Set your alert below the firm's limit to give yourself a buffer.

Connection Alert#

Fires when the EA on your trading account stops sending data for longer than expected. This typically means MetaTrader has been closed, the EA was removed from the chart, or there is a network issue.

Sync gaps are dangerous because during a disconnection, no alerts can fire and no data is recorded. If you are running a prop firm challenge and your EA goes offline while you have open trades, you could breach a rule without knowing it. The connection alert makes sure you are aware of any downtime.

Margin Alert#

Fires when your margin level drops below the threshold you set. Margin level is the ratio of your equity to your used margin, expressed as a percentage.

A declining margin level means you are running out of available margin for new trades, or that your existing trades are consuming too much. Most brokers issue a margin call at around 50-100% margin level and start force-closing positions at 20-50%. Setting an alert well above your broker's margin call level gives you time to react.

If your margin level reaches your broker's stop-out level, the broker will automatically close your positions starting with the largest loss. A margin alert at 200% or higher gives you time to close trades on your own terms before the broker does it for you.

Configuring Alerts#

Setting up an alert takes about 30 seconds. Here is how each part of the configuration works.

Creating an Alert#

To create a new alert, click the "Add Alert" button on the Smart Alerts page. You will fill in the following fields:

• Name: A short descriptive name like "FTMO DD Warning" or "Daily Loss Limit". This appears in notifications so make it recognizable.
• Account: Which connected trading account this alert monitors. Each alert watches one account.
• Type: Choose from Drawdown, Profit Target, Daily Loss, Connection, or Margin.
• Condition: Whether the alert fires when the value goes above or below your threshold.
• Value: The threshold number. For percentage-based alerts (drawdown, profit target) enter a percentage like 3 or 5. For currency-based alerts (daily loss) enter a dollar amount.
• Delivery Method: How you want to be notified when the alert triggers.

Conditions: Above vs Below#

The condition determines which direction the threshold works in.

Above means the alert fires when the metric rises past your threshold. For example, "Drawdown above 3%" triggers when drawdown crosses from 2.9% to 3.0% or higher. This is the most common condition for drawdown and daily loss alerts.

Below means the alert fires when the metric drops under your threshold. For example, "Margin level below 200%" triggers when margin falls from 210% to below 200%. This is typically used for margin alerts.

Delivery Methods#

You choose how each alert notifies you when it triggers. There are four options:

• In-app: A notification appears in the Oathra app (both web and mobile). You will see it in your notification center and as a badge on the alerts icon.
• Email: An email is sent to your registered email address with the alert details. Good for when you are away from the app.
• Both: Sends both an in-app notification and an email. This is the recommended setting for critical alerts like drawdown limits.
• None (log only): The alert triggers and is logged in your event history, but no notification is sent. Useful for tracking purposes when you do not need an immediate notification.