Prop Drawdown Buffer Tracker
Enter your loss limits and today's balance and equity to see how many dollars of room are left before the daily and max-loss limits, and how far gold can move against 0.01 to 1 lot.
- Daily limit level (equity must stay above)
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- Daily buffer left
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- Max-loss level
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- Max-loss buffer left
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- Today so far
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- Gold move against you at 0.50 lot
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How far can gold move against you before you breach? (1 lot = 100 oz, so $1 = $100 per lot; before spread, commission, swap and slippage)
| Lots | Value of a $1 move | To the daily limit | To the max-loss limit | Gold can move against you |
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How much room is left before a prop account is breached?
A funded or evaluation account usually has two loss limits running at once: a daily loss limit that resets every trading day and a maximum loss limit for the whole account. Each one is a price level on your equity. This tracker turns your account's numbers into the two levels, the dollars of room left above each, and the gold price move that would use that room at every lot size from 0.01 to 1 lot. The smaller of the two buffers is the one that matters right now.
How to use it
- Enter the account size and the lot size you trade or hold.
- Enter the daily loss limit and how your rules define it: a percentage of the account size, a percentage of the day's starting level, or a fixed dollar amount, and whether the day starts from balance, equity or the higher of the two.
- Enter today's starting balance and equity (at the firm's daily reset) and your current equity.
- Enter the max loss limit and its type: static, trailing intraday (follows the highest equity, including open profit) or trailing end of day (follows the highest daily close). Choose whether the trailing limit stops at the starting balance.
- Enter the highest equity so far. For an end-of-day limit, enter the highest end-of-day level instead; the label changes to remind you.
- Read the table: the last column is how far gold can move against your open size before the nearer limit is touched.
The formulas
- Daily reference = start-of-day balance, start-of-day equity, or the higher of the two
- Daily limit level = reference − daily allowance (allowance = % × account size, % × reference, or the $ amount)
- Static max-loss level = starting balance − max loss allowance
- Trailing max-loss level = highest equity (intraday) or highest end-of-day level − allowance; with a lock it never goes above the starting balance
- Buffer = current equity − limit level; the binding buffer is the smaller of the two
- Gold move to breach = buffer ÷ (lots × 100 oz). At 1 lot, $1 of gold is $100; at 0.10 lot it is $10; at 0.01 lot it is $1
Some firms measure the daily limit from balance only, some from equity, and some from whichever was higher at the reset. Some firms let a trailing limit stop at the starting balance (or at another level), and some never stop it. The tracker covers the common shapes; if your rules differ, use the closest setting and read the result as a guide.
Worked examples
Example 1: static limits, small account. $10,000 account, daily limit 5% of the account size from the start-of-day balance of $10,000, static max loss 10%. Current equity is $9,800. Daily limit level = 10,000 − 500 = $9,500, so the daily buffer is 9,800 − 9,500 = $300. Max-loss level = 10,000 − 1,000 = $9,000, buffer $800. The daily limit is closer. At 0.10 lot ($10 per $1) gold can move $30.00 against you; at 1 lot only $3.00; at 0.01 lot $300.00.
Example 2: an intraday trailing limit after a round trip. $100,000 account, 6% intraday trailing max loss ($6,000) with no lock, daily limit 5% of the account size from a start-of-day balance of $100,000. Equity peaked at $103,000 during a trade that was then closed at a loss, leaving equity at $99,000. Max-loss level = 103,000 − 6,000 = $97,000, buffer $2,000. The daily level is $95,000 with $4,000 of room, so the trailing limit binds. At 1 lot that is a $20.00 gold move; at 0.50 lot $40.00. With a static 6% limit the same account would still have $5,000 of max-loss room.
Example 3: higher of balance or equity, end-of-day trailing with a lock. $100,000 account. The day started with balance $101,000 and equity $102,500 (an open trade was $1,500 up at the reset). The daily limit is 5% of the account size from the higher of the two, so the daily level is 102,500 − 5,000 = $97,500. The max loss is 6% trailing on end-of-day levels, locking at the starting balance; the highest daily close so far is $107,000, so 107,000 − 6,000 = 101,000 is capped at $100,000. Current equity $103,200 gives a daily buffer of $5,700 and a max-loss buffer of $3,200. At 0.50 lot gold can move $64.00 against you; at 1 lot $32.00.
Common mistakes
- Checking the room once a day. Under an intraday trailing limit the level moves with every new equity high. Re-enter the numbers after each trade.
- Forgetting open trades at the reset. If the day starts from equity, or the higher of balance and equity, an open profit at the reset raises today's daily level.
- Using the whole buffer on one stop. Spread, commission, swap and slippage come out of the same room. On gold a stop can fill a dollar or more beyond its level in a fast market.
- Adding size. Twice the lots halves the gold move you can absorb. The table shows it row by row.
- Assuming a lock exists. If your terms do not say the trailing limit stops, set the lock to No.
Learn more
Read how the daily loss limit works on gold and trailing vs static drawdown. Plan a challenge's risk per trade with the prop challenge calculator, check a best-day rule with the consistency rule checker, and size each trade from its stop with the position size calculator.
Hypothetical examples only. We do not recommend any prop firm or evaluation, and this tool names none.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my remaining daily drawdown?
Work out today’s limit level: the day’s reference (start-of-day balance, equity, or the higher of the two, as your rules say) minus the daily allowance. Your remaining room is current equity minus that level. With a $10,000 account, a 5% limit and a $10,000 start, the level is $9,500, so at $9,800 equity you have $300 left.
How far can gold move before I hit my daily loss limit?
Divide the remaining buffer by lots × 100 oz. With $300 of room, gold can move $30 against 0.10 lot, $6 against 0.50 lot and $3 against 1 lot, before spread, commission and slippage.
What is the difference between intraday and end-of-day trailing drawdown?
An intraday trailing limit follows the highest equity reached at any moment, including open profit. An end-of-day trailing limit only moves up when a day closes at a new high. A trade that runs up and then reverses tightens an intraday limit but not an end-of-day one.
What does it mean when a trailing drawdown locks?
Some firms stop the trailing limit once it reaches the starting balance. From then on it behaves like a static limit at that level, so further profit adds room. Other firms never stop it, and some lock at a different level, so check your own terms.
Does the daily limit include open trades?
If it is measured on equity, yes: floating losses count in real time, and a dip through the level can breach the account even if the trade recovers. A balance-based limit counts closed trades only. Choose the matching setting in the tracker.
Is this tracker connected to my trading account?
No. It only uses the numbers you type, works in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. Your firm’s own dashboard is the official figure; use this to understand it and to plan size.
Educational tool only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Check your own broker's contract specification, margin rules and costs. Past data does not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.