Topstep rules

Best single trading day must stay at/below 50% of the Profit Target; exceeding it raises the Profit Target instead of failing the evaluation outright.

XFA Standard path (default) needs no payout consistency, only 5 winning days of $150+. The optional Consistency path instead requires 3 trading days with the largest day ≤40% of net profit.

News trading is not blacked out, but purposefully trading your full Maximum Position Size directly into a scheduled major news event is a prohibited trading strategy.

Yes. Topstep allows copy trading with the TopstepX trade copier on Trading Combine and Express Funded Accounts you own. Trade copying is not available on Live Funded Accounts.

Automated strategies/bots are allowed via TopstepX or the ProjectX API, subject to Prohibited Conduct/Trading Strategies and a standing platform-wide ban on high-frequency trading (HFT).

No stated minimum hold time or tick count, but scalping algorithms designed to exploit unrealistic SIM fills or preferential queue position are treated as prohibited SIM abuse.

VPS/remote servers may not place, modify, cancel or route orders, but read-only use (historical data storage, backtesting, logging, receiving fills/P&L) is allowed.

Yes. Topstep requires a one-time identity verification through a third-party provider. Expect to submit a government ID; verification must be completed before you can make a second purchase.

Express Funded and Live Funded Accounts with no trading activity for more than 30 days may be closed.

Pass a Trading Combine, build profit in an Express Funded Account (up to 5 at once); the Risk Team calls top performers up to a Live Funded Account with capital released in stages as profit milestones are hit.