Prop firm playbook
TopStep + HuntersAlgo
What automated trading looks like on the TopStep Combine and the Express Funded path. Configuration, drawdown sizing, the consistency rule, and what changes when you go live-funded.
TopStep runs the longest-established futures eval program in the US retail space. The Combine is simulated, the Express Funded account is sim-funded with real payouts, and the Live Funded account is real-money execution on TopStep's brokerage. A session-windowed automated strategy fits this structure cleanly because the rules are mechanical and the strategy can enforce them without a human in the loop.
Two caveats. TopStep updates the rulebook quarterly. The numbers on this page reflect the published policy at the time of writing. Confirm against topstep.com before subscribing. And the consistency rule applies at payout, not eval — building it into your sizing from day one is easier than back-fitting once you funded.
TopStep Combine rules at a glance
Standard Combine parameters published by TopStep. Verify before subscribing.
| Account size | $50K Combine | $100K Combine | $150K Combine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Trailing max DD | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Daily loss limit | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Combine cost (monthly) | $49 | $99 | $149 |
HuntersAlgo configuration for TopStep
Daily loss limit
Set the strategy daily-loss parameter to roughly 60% of the TopStep daily limit. On a $50K Combine that is $600, not $1,000. Buffer absorbs P&L update lag and partial-fill variance.
Daily trade cap
3 to 5 trades per day. Bounds the worst-case sequence inside the trailing max DD, and keeps individual-day P&L within the consistency-rule envelope at payout time.
Position sizing
Start at 1 NQ contract on the $50K Combine. Scale to 2 only after passing once and accumulating cushion above the trailing DD start point. The trailing rule freezes at the starting balance once you hit it, but until then it follows your peak equity.
News windows
Configure session blackouts for CPI, NFP, FOMC, and ISM releases (8:30 AM ET and 2:00 PM ET windows). TopStep does not publish a hard news ban, but a 50-tick news spike on the wrong side is the most common Combine-killing event.
The consistency rule
TopStep's consistency rule applies at payout. The standard form: no single day can produce more than 50% of total profits. Worked example on a $5,000 cumulative profit at payout request:
- Total profit since funded: $5,000
- 50% threshold: $2,500
- If your best single day is over $2,500 you cannot withdraw until cumulative profit grows enough to bring that day below 50%
- HuntersAlgo strategies on default sizing rarely produce a $2,500+ day on a $50K account; the rule mostly catches outsized contract counts on a hot day
Conservative sizing through the funded period prevents the consistency rule from binding at payout time.
TopStep + HuntersAlgo FAQ
Is automated trading allowed on TopStep?
TopStep permits automated trading on the Combine and on Express Funded accounts as long as the strategy runs locally on your machine and orders submit through the standard Tradovate or Rithmic connection. Master-account copy-trading, latency-arbitrage, and martingale systems are restricted. HuntersAlgo runs locally and submits orders the same way a manual trader would, so it falls inside the permitted automation envelope. Verify the current published policy on topsteptrader.com before relying on it; TopStep updates the rulebook quarterly.
Combine vs Express Funded vs Live Funded — what changes?
The Combine is the simulated evaluation. Pass the profit target without breaching the daily loss limit or the trailing max drawdown, and you graduate. Express Funded is a sim-funded account that mirrors live-funded behavior; profits are split with TopStep but you trade with sim fills. Live Funded is the real-money account on TopStep's brokerage, with sharper fills and the consistency rule applied to payouts. Most subscribers run HuntersAlgo on the Combine first, then on Express, then push to Live once they have two consecutive profitable months.
How does the consistency rule affect HuntersAlgo on TopStep?
TopStep's consistency rule (applied at payout) requires that no single day exceeds 50% of total profits. HuntersAlgo strategies running on default contracts and a 3 to 5 trade daily cap rarely produce a single-day spike that triggers this. The rule mostly catches discretionary traders who scale up dramatically on a single hot day. Configure the daily-loss limit and daily trade cap conservatively and the consistency rule rarely binds.
How do I size HuntersAlgo for the TopStep $50K Combine?
The $50K Combine has a $2,000 trailing max drawdown and a $1,000 daily loss limit. On NQ with HunterBreakOut's default 12-tick stop ($240 per contract), three consecutive max-loss trades is $720, well within both limits. Two contracts is borderline ($480 per loss; two losses brings you to the daily limit). One NQ contract is the comfortable starting size. Use the position calculator to verify before each Combine attempt.
What about news windows on TopStep?
TopStep does not publish a hard news-blackout list the way Apex does, but the consistency rule and the trailing drawdown effectively penalize trading through high-impact news. HunterAlgo's session filters let you blackout the same five-minute windows around CPI, NFP, FOMC, and ISM that most active traders avoid. The cost of skipping news windows is a few missed trades per month; the cost of getting caught on a 50-tick spike is the entire account.
Related reading
Try HuntersAlgo on your TopStep Combine
3-day free trial via Whop. Configure for the Combine size you plan to run, paper-test on Sim101, then attempt the Combine on the live connection. Cancel from your Whop dashboard before day 3 if it is not a fit.
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