Results can diverge
The followed account and copying account can differ in size, currency, products and execution conditions. A rejected order, interrupted connection or different price can change the outcome. Ask how those events are reported instead of expecting an identical curve.
Review combined exposures
Read positions together: multiple strategies can share the same exposures. A per-trader display may conceal concentration. Check leverage, financing, overnight positions and the limitations of stop controls. No button should be treated as a guarantee against loss.
Rehearse the exit process
Before considering activation, write down how to stop copying, handle remaining positions and reconcile the statement. A demonstration teaches operation, not profitability. Public evidence should state its limitations and allow readers to find its source.
A documentation scenario to examine
Imagine a service following several strategies described as different approaches. Their names do not establish independent exposures. A review can ask which instruments are actually used and how simultaneous decisions are shown in the journal.
Also examine disconnection: where is service status shown, who detects the interruption and how are already open operations described? A “connected” interface does not establish that every replication succeeded. This scenario is a list of questions, not an account of a COF incident.
Bring the answers together
A risk file keeps replication rules, stated limitations, intervention permissions and observed incidents. Unknown answers remain identified. A general warning does not replace understanding the service's specific operation.
Your verification grid
| Item | Document or check to request |
|---|---|
| Concentration | Record instruments shared by copied sources rather than counting profiles. |
| Size | Read minimum sizes, rounding and differences between accounts. |
| Incident | Ask how rejected orders or unavailable prices are handled. |
| Permission | Identify granted permissions and documented ways to revoke them. |
| Existing position | Check what happens to each position when copying stops. |
Practical questions
Do several copied profiles establish diversification?
The number of profiles is insufficient. They may share instruments or exposures. Document observable dependencies and missing information; this guide does not calculate an allocation for your circumstances.
Does a stop button necessarily close positions?
That depends on service rules. Stopping copying and closing positions can be separate instructions. Clarify their effects before granting permissions rather than inferring them from a button label.
To complete this file: Copy trading: understand the service before enabling it ; Risk management: prepare questions before a trade.
Sources and limitations
ESMA — supervision des services de copy trading. Editorial consultation: 8 October 2026. Supplier statements do not replace independent checks. Re-read terms at the time of your decision.
COFIATRADING has commercial relationships with partners presented on the site. This guide is educational, without personalised investment advice. Trading involves capital loss risk; past performance does not guarantee future results.
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