Guide
What happens when only some legs of an option spread fill?
Some legs of a multi-leg order can fill while others do not, which leaves the spread unbalanced. Nyria tracks the legs that filled and exits them on the next exit alert. Partial fills are most likely on thinly traded options with wide bid-ask spreads. Check which legs filled on your broker's positions page, and close what you do not want to hold there.
Official documentation
Handle a partial fill on a spread
- 1
Open your broker
Open the positions page at your broker. It shows which legs filled, and the broker is the record of what is open.
- 2
Read the bot log
Open the bot's Logs tab and find the entry for the spread. It shows what Nyria sent and what the broker reported.
- 3
Leave the exit to the alert
Nyria tracks the legs that filled. The next exit alert for that strategy exits them, so the position does not need a new entry.
- 4
Close by hand if needed
If you do not want to hold the unbalanced position until then, close the filled legs at your broker.
- 5
Change the order type
Switch the strategy to market orders, which fill more often than limits. On a limit spread, set the target to Ask for a debit spread or Bid for a credit spread.
Why legs fill unevenly
- Thinly traded options have wide bid-ask spreads, so one leg can find a buyer while another does not.
- A limit price that sits away from the market can fill one leg and leave the other open.
- Market orders fill more often, at the cost of more slippage.
What Nyria does next
- It tracks the legs that filled.
- It exits them on the next exit alert.
- It does not retry the legs that did not fill.
How to lower the odds
- Trade the more liquid strikes and expirations.
- Use market orders if slippage is acceptable to you.
- Set a limit target of Ask for a debit spread and Bid for a credit spread.
- Run the strategy on paper first, then go live with a small budget.
Questions
- Does Nyria retry the legs that did not fill?
- No. Nyria does not retry an order. The filled legs are tracked and exit on the next exit alert.
- Where do I see which legs filled?
- On your broker's positions page. The bot's Logs tab also shows what Nyria sent.
- Which spreads are most likely to fill partly?
- Spreads on thinly traded options with wide bid-ask spreads.
- Do market orders help?
- They fill more often than limits, at the cost of more slippage.
- Which limit target should I use?
- Ask for a debit spread and Bid for a credit spread.
- What does it cost?
- Paper is free. Live trading from $15 a month.
Next
- Paste an alert into the alert tester to see how Nyria reads it.
- Step by step for one account: how to automate TradingView to Alpaca.
- Step by step for one account: how to automate TradingView to tastytrade.
Guides
How to automate options alerts
Single legs and spreads up to 4 legs, from any alert source to your broker.
Read guideHow do I auto-trade iron condor alerts?
Set the four legs once. A short entry from Telegram, Discord or TradingView opens the whole condor.
Read guideWhy was my trading bot's exit skipped?
Skipped exits send nothing. Five causes, one leaves a position open.
Read guideCan I trade by hand in an account my trading bot uses?
Nyria tracks only its own orders. Keep hand trades out of its account.
Read guideWhy did my broker reject an automated order?
The broker's reason, and the fix for each common rejection.
Read guideTry a paper bot first
No card required. Paper is free. Live trading from $15 a month.