Match permissions to the exact account
A rule summary is useful only if its scope matches your account. Write down the firm, program, account size, evaluation or funded stage, platform and any selected account variant. Permissions can change after evaluation or differ between standard and swing configurations. Read the agreement and linked rule pages together. A broad label such as “news allowed” or “EA allowed” cannot answer every question about a specific trade or automated system.
Read event windows and holding rules precisely
For news, identify the official calendar, affected instruments, server time zone and restricted interval. Check whether the rule covers order placement, execution, closing or holding, and whether stop-loss and take-profit execution count. The consequence may be a breach, excluded profit or another adjustment, so read that clause too. Separately check overnight, weekend and market-break holding. Permission to hold a position does not necessarily permit every action on it during a restricted event.
Separate automation, copying and account access
An expert advisor permission does not automatically authorize copying, third-party account management or every execution method. Check ownership of the source and destination accounts, allowed stages, account limits and software restrictions. Ask whether a personal trade copier, external signal service, shared algorithm or high message rate has a separate rule. Do not share credentials or assume your software vendor’s claim overrides the firm’s terms. Obtain clarification for your actual setup before connecting it.
Read consistency and prohibited-practice clauses
Consistency may measure the largest profitable day as a share of total profit, but definitions differ. Determine the numerator, denominator, calculation period and consequence before interpreting a percentage. Separate numerical objectives from prohibited-practice clauses covering behavior such as exploiting price-feed delays or coordinated trading. Passing the visible target does not waive other terms. Do not manufacture transactions to conceal a pattern or satisfy a metric; assess whether your ordinary trading process complies.
Create a rule check you can repeat
Before purchase, write a short description of how you enter, manage and exit trades, which tools you use and when you hold positions. Match each behavior to a dated official rule. Ask support about unresolved cases with the exact program and stage, and retain the reply. Recheck after an account transition or announced rule change. If a material permission remains unclear, keep it marked unknown in your comparison instead of treating silence as approval.