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How to Pass the Topstep Combine — 2026 Guide for Algorithmic Traders
Topstep is one of the most popular futures prop firms in the industry — and for good reason. Consistent payouts, a clean rule set, and a genuine focus on futures traders. But the Combine has specific rules that trip up even experienced traders, especially those running automated strategies. This guide covers exactly what you need to know to pass in 2026.
Topstep Combine rules at a glance
| Rule | 25k Account | 50k Account | 100k Account | 150k Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $1,500 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Daily loss limit | Optional account setting — not a standard Combine rule | |||
| Maximum Loss Limit | $1,500 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Drawdown type | EOD Trailing (end-of-day, from peak balance, locks once it reaches your starting balance) | |||
| Min trading days | None — Topstep says as few as 2 sessions is possible | |||
| Consistency rule | 50% Consistency Target — best single day ≤ 50% of Profit Target | |||
| Overnight holds | Permitted (on most plans) | |||
| Automation allowed | Yes | |||
| Eval subscription cost | $70/mo | $99/mo | $149/mo | $165/mo |
| Payout split (funded) | 90% | |||
The EOD trailing drawdown explained
Topstep uses an end-of-day (EOD) trailing drawdown — which is meaningfully different from Apex's intraday trailing drawdown. Here is how each type works:
Intraday trailing (Apex style): The drawdown threshold follows your highest equity tick-by-tick during the session. If you run up $500 unrealized and then give it all back, your trail tightens by $500 in real time. You have to close by session end or the drawdown can compound.
EOD trailing (Topstep style): The drawdown threshold only moves at the end of each trading day, based on your closing balance. Unrealized gains during the session do not affect the trail — only the balance you lock in at session close. This is significantly more forgiving for intraday strategies.
Practical example on the 50k: You start with a $50,000 balance and a $2,000 drawdown floor ($48,000). You run up $800 intraday on Tuesday but close the day at $50,400. Your new drawdown floor moves to $48,400. Your intraday high of $50,800 is irrelevant to the trail — it only cares about your close.
How to code for the EOD structure in Pine Script
Since the trail only moves at session close, your strategy's daily kill switch is your primary protection mechanism. Track cumulative realized P&L for the session and halt entries once you've hit a defined daily floor. You don't need real-time equity tracking — just trade P&L from the moment the market opens each day.
The $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit on the 50k account
The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is the rule that ends a Topstep Combine when the account floor is breached — it's the standard Combine's universal risk rule, not a daily one. On the 50k account, that floor begins $2,000 below the starting balance and trails upward with each new EOD equity high, locking permanently once your highest EOD equity reaches $52,000 (your $50,000 starting balance plus the $2,000 trail). A Daily Loss Limit is a separate, optional risk control you can enable on your dashboard if you want one — it isn't part of the standard Combine rule set.
- MES at $5/point: 400 points of loss on a single MES contract wipes the Maximum Loss Limit
- MNQ at $2/point: 1,000 points of loss on a single MNQ contract wipes the Maximum Loss Limit
- ES at $50/point: 40 points of loss on a single ES contract wipes the Maximum Loss Limit
An automated strategy running ES contracts or multiple micros can chew through $2,000 of cushion faster than the trader even realizes, especially during high-volatility events like FOMC announcements, NFP prints, or gap opens — and unlike a daily limit, that cushion doesn't reset each session.
If you opt into a Daily Loss Limit, set your kill switch below it
If you choose to enable Topstep's optional Daily Loss Limit as a personal risk control, build a daily P&L tracker into your Pine Script that halts all entries once session losses reach a level a comfortable buffer below whatever figure you configured. That buffer accounts for slippage on the final exit and any system latency between TradingView alert and broker execution. If you don't enable a Daily Loss Limit, only the Maximum Loss Limit above applies.
The kill switch logic in Pine Script looks like this conceptually: track realized P&L per session, and if it drops below your configured daily floor, set a flag that prevents any new entries for the remainder of the session. Our strategies include this logic built in as an optional parameter labeled "Daily Loss Floor" in the strategy settings, off by default since the standard Combine doesn't require it.
Set a secondary limit in Tradovate
Topstep uses Tradovate as its primary executing broker. If your account has an optional Daily Loss Limit enabled, Tradovate's risk controls can provide a second backstop below that account-specific threshold. If your Pine Script kill switch fails for any reason, the platform-level control can help limit exposure. Redundant protection is worthwhile on a funded account.
Best instruments for the Topstep Combine
Instrument selection is critical when you're working within a $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit (on the 50k tier). The goal is to maximize trade frequency and edge expression while keeping each individual loss small enough that you have room for multiple losers before the floor is threatened.
MES — best for 25k and 50k accounts
The Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) is $5 per point. At a 4-point stop, each loss is $20. Against the $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit on a 50k account, that's 100 individual losses before the floor is threatened — far more than any strategy will take before it's stopped out or scaled back. MES gives you the most operational room within Topstep's limits. It also mirrors ES closely enough that any ES-style strategy translates directly.
MNQ — best for high-frequency intraday setups
Micro Nasdaq (MNQ) at $2/point is similarly micro-sized. A 10-point stop on MNQ costs $20 — the same as a 4-point stop on MES. MNQ tends to have slightly more volatility and larger daily ranges, which means more trading opportunities on trend days. Our MNQ momentum strategy is designed specifically for Topstep's rule set.
ES and NQ — only for 100k and 150k accounts
Full-size ES ($50/point) and NQ ($20/point) require significantly more margin and move your risk much faster. A single losing ES trade with a 10-point stop costs $500 — a quarter of the $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit on a 50k Combine. For 100k and 150k accounts where the Maximum Loss Limit scales up proportionally, full-size contracts are workable. But for 25k and 50k, stick to micros.
Automation setup for Topstep
Topstep permits automated trading, and the standard stack is: TradingView Pine Script → TradersPost → Tradovate. Here is the complete setup process.
Open a TradersPost account. TradersPost is the webhook bridge between TradingView and your broker. Create an account at traderspost.io and connect it to your Tradovate account. This takes about 10 minutes and is well-documented in TradersPost's own setup guides.
Create a strategy subscription in TradersPost. Inside TradersPost, create a new strategy and connect it to your Tradovate paper account first for testing. Select the contract you'll trade (MES, MNQ, etc.) and configure position sizing — typically 1 contract for the 25k/50k Combine.
Copy your TradersPost webhook URL. TradersPost generates a unique webhook URL for each strategy. Copy this URL — you'll paste it into TradingView's alert system.
Add the Pine Script to your TradingView chart. Open TradingView, apply the Pine Script strategy to your MES or MNQ chart. Use the correct session times (8:30–15:15 CT for equities-linked futures) and enable Bar Magnifier under Strategy Properties → Fill orders → Using bar magnifier, for accurate fills.
Create TradingView alerts for the strategy. Right-click the strategy and create alerts for entry and exit signals. Paste your TradersPost webhook URL into the alert's webhook field. Set the alert message to the JSON format TradersPost expects (documented in their help center).
Test on paper, then go live. Run the setup on Tradovate paper trading for at least one full session. Verify that entries and exits execute correctly. Once confirmed, switch TradersPost to your live Topstep Combine account. Your automation is live.
Common mistakes that fail the Combine
Threatening the Maximum Loss Limit on a high-volatility day
The most common failure mode is running into FOMC, NFP, or an unexpected news event without a filter in place. A strategy that targets 4-point moves on MES is completely unprepared for a 20-point gap that eats deep into the $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit cushion in one trade. Build a session filter that stops entries during the 15 minutes before and after major scheduled releases. Our strategies include this as an optional toggle.
Not enabling Bar Magnifier
TradingView's Bar Magnifier setting (in Strategy Properties → Fill orders → Using bar magnifier) causes the backtester to use more granular OHLC data within each bar for more realistic fill simulation. Without it, a strategy might show a clean backtest but execute poorly live because entry and exit prices are based on bar opens only. Always enable Bar Magnifier before going live.
Trading the open without a filter
The first 5 minutes after the CME equity futures open (8:30 CT) can be extremely volatile. Liquidity is thin, spreads are wide, and the initial price discovery phase can cause stops to fill at much worse prices than expected. Many traders filter out the first 5–15 minutes of the session entirely. On days where the open is the actual setup, a 5-minute filter costs one opportunity. On chaotic days, it saves the account.
Trying to recover a losing day
A loss-limit control can create a dangerous dynamic: a trader who is down realizes they are close to suspension and increases size to "make it back." The automation eliminates this psychologically — the script doesn't increase size on a losing day. It follows the Maximum Loss Limit and any optional account controls.
Ready to automate your Topstep Combine?
Our Pine Script strategies are pre-configured for Topstep's rule set — $800 daily kill switch, MES/MNQ sizing, session filters built in. Invite-only on TradingView within 24 hours.
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FAQ
Can you use automated trading on the Topstep Combine?
Yes. Topstep explicitly permits automated trading strategies during the Combine and on funded accounts. The most common setup is TradingView Pine Script sending webhook alerts to TradersPost, which routes orders to Tradovate. You must still comply with all Topstep rules — including the Maximum Loss Limit and the 50% Consistency Target — from within your automation logic.
What is the daily loss limit on the Topstep 50k Combine?
The standard Topstep 50k Combine has a $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit. A Daily Loss Limit is optional; if enabled, set your Pine Script's internal stop below the account-specific amount and use a platform-level control as a secondary safety net.
How long does the Topstep Combine take?
The Combine requires a minimum of 5 trading days with no maximum time limit. Most traders using a consistent automated strategy complete the 50k Combine in 10 to 25 trading days. The 5-day minimum actually works in your favor if you have a consistent edge — it prevents the temptation to rush with oversized trades.