Does Phidias Propfirm Allow Automated Trading?
The Simple Answer
No. Phidias states under the heading No automated trading and HFT that the use of bots, fully automated trading algorithms or any other form of automated trading is not allowed. Only semi-automatic software is permitted, and only if you actively supervise and manually adjust every trade.
Below is how Phidias Propfirm classifies automated trading, and what that means in practice for the tools you may want to run.
Automation Policy Overview
What This Means In Practice
The rule as written
Phidias sets it out in one clause: the use of bots, fully automated trading algorithms or any other form of automated trading is not allowed. Only semi-automatic software is permitted, provided the trader actively supervises and manually adjusts all trades. The wording is deliberately broad, so anything that places or manages a position without you present is out.
Semi-automatic means supervised, not scheduled
The permitted case requires two things together: active supervision and manual adjustment of all trades. A tool that alerts you, sizes a position or lays out a bracket while you sit at the screen is the kind of thing this covers. A system left running while you are away is not, no matter how simple it is.
How much freedom you have everywhere else
It is worth reading this rule against the rest of the Phidias rulebook, which is unusually permissive. Phidias states that it believes in your autonomy, that your trading style is the expression of your personality and strategy, and that you have free rein whether you scalp, trade intraday or swing, as long as your trading is legitimate, in line with market conditions, and Phidias can replicate your trades on its corporate accounts. That last clause is the reason the automation rule exists: a system Phidias cannot mirror on a real account is a system it cannot fund.
Related restrictions
Two others sit alongside it. Lottery trades, meaning seeking exceptional trades or trying to accumulate funds quickly through excessive risk-taking, are strongly discouraged and can be actioned. And single-tick arbitrage strategies on Treasury bonds such as ZT, ZF, ZN, ZB and UB are prohibited, though all other bond strategies are allowed. Bond traders also need to contact Phidias to request activation of CBOT market data.
Final Comments
Automation rules are one of the fastest moving parts of any prop firm rulebook, and they are also one of the most expensive to get wrong. Before you connect anything to a Phidias Propfirm account, get your specific setup confirmed in writing by support rather than relying on a general policy line.
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FAQ
Does Phidias Propfirm allow automated trading?
No. Phidias states under the heading No automated trading and HFT that the use of bots, fully automated trading algorithms or any other form of automated trading is not allowed. Only semi-automatic software is permitted, and only if you actively supervise and manually adjust every trade.
How does Phidias Propfirm classify automation?
As Not Allowed. In practice that means automated trading is prohibited. The sections above set out exactly where the boundary sits.
The rule as written: what does Phidias Propfirm say?
Phidias sets it out in one clause: the use of bots, fully automated trading algorithms or any other form of automated trading is not allowed. Only semi-automatic software is permitted, provided the trader actively supervises and manually adjusts all trades. The wording is deliberately broad, so anything that places or manages a position without you present is out.
Semi-automatic means supervised, not scheduled: what does Phidias Propfirm say?
The permitted case requires two things together: active supervision and manual adjustment of all trades. A tool that alerts you, sizes a position or lays out a bracket while you sit at the screen is the kind of thing this covers. A system left running while you are away is not, no matter how simple it is.
What happens if I run a bot on a Phidias Propfirm account anyway?
You are risking the account. Where a firm prohibits automation outright, running it is a rule breach rather than a grey area, and any profits made through it can be challenged at payout.