Time-based MONITOR & AUTO-CLOSE

Max Trade Duration

Enforce maximum holding time per position. No more "holding and hoping."

How it works

PipsGuard tracks how long each position has been open. When a trade exceeds your configured maximum duration, it's automatically closed or you're notified. This prevents "holding and hoping," where traders refuse to close losing positions because "it might come back."

The timer starts from the moment the position opens. A warning is sent when the trade reaches the configured warning threshold, giving you time to manage the exit manually before the auto-close kicks in.

Configuration

Parameter	Default	Description
max_duration_hours	24	Maximum time a position can stay open (hours)
action	close_position	Action on breach: `close_position` or `notify`
warning_percent	80%	Warn at this percentage of max duration
grace_period_minutes	5	Extra minutes before force-close after max duration
exempt_symbols	[]	Symbols excluded from duration limits
apply_to_profitable_only	false	Only close profitable trades (take profit enforcement)

When this rule fires

Monitor: PipsGuard continuously checks the age of each open position. When a trade reaches warning_percent of max_duration_hours, a warning notification is sent.

Auto-close: When the trade exceeds max_duration_hours plus the grace_period_minutes, the configured action is taken: either auto-close or notification.

Best for

Scalpers who should be in and out quickly Traders who hold losing positions for days Anyone who needs hard limits on trade duration

Tips

For scalping strategies, set max_duration_hours to 1-4 hours; for day trading, 8-12 hours; for swing trading, 48-72 hours or use exempt symbols.
Enable apply_to_profitable_only to use this as a "take profit" enforcer. It makes you book profits on winners instead of letting them reverse.
Combined with stop losses, this creates automatic trade management.

Configure This Rule →

Enable Max Trade Duration in your dashboard.