The trailing stop - trail after and trail width

Trailing TP/SL

Tick Trailing TP/SL, and once the trade is Trail after in profit, the stop follows the best price, and only ever moves in your favour. Before that, the fixed take profit and stop loss rule alone.

Trail width: the classic trail

Trail width is the classic trail. Once armed, the stop sits this far behind the best price, and moves up with it, smoothly, not in steps. It is clamped, so the risk never exceeds your stop loss from the entry. Tight banks fast. Wide gives a runner room.

Width or step

Zero width means: use the stop-loss distance. And the width runs only while step percent is zero: set a step, and the step lock takes over, and the width is ignored. Use one or the other, not both.

On the ladder: waiting

Before it arms, the ladder draws the dashed TRAIL AFTER rail, and the TRAIL row says how far away it is. The rail sits between the highest price so far and the take profit.

On the ladder: running

Once it arms, a cyan trailed stop follows the peak, and the TRAIL row names the rule in charge. When the trail is more protective than your original stop, that stop is marked unreachable. If the trailed stop fills above your entry, the trade closes for a gain, not a loss.

Short side too

The short side has its own trail, mirrored, with its own Trail after, width and step. A short's trail follows the lowest price since entry, and only moves down.

In practice

A common pairing: a small Trail after, so the trail arms early, with a width wide enough for the stock's normal wiggle. Too tight, and ordinary noise closes the trade. Too wide, and you give back more of the move.