📚 Step-by-Step Trading Guides

Trading Guides &
Step-by-Step Tutorials

Everything you need to practise trading confidently on PaperTrader PRO — from placing your first stock order to managing multi-leg commodity strategies.

Trade Stocks

Practise buying and selling NSE-listed equities with real market prices and zero financial risk.

01

Search for a Stock

Tap the search icon in the Watchlist tab. Type the company name or NSE symbol — for example RELIANCE, TCS, or INFY. Results appear instantly with live price and change percentage. Tap any result to open the instrument detail screen.

02

Add to Watchlist

Tap "Add to Watchlist" on the instrument detail screen. Choose which watchlist to save it in. From your watchlist you can monitor price, change %, and open an instrument for trading without searching again.

03

Place a Buy Order

Tap "Buy" on the instrument screen. Choose your order type: Market (executes at current price immediately) or Limit (executes only when the price reaches your specified level). Enter quantity and confirm. Your virtual balance is debited.

04

Monitor Your Position

Open orders and active positions are visible in the Orders tab. You can see real-time P&L, average entry price, and current market value as the price moves throughout the day.

05

Exit the Trade

When ready to close your position, open the instrument and tap "Sell". Select the quantity to exit and confirm. Your realised P&L — after brokerage and STT simulation — is credited to your virtual balance instantly.

Ready to practise? Download the app and start trading NSE stocks with ₹1,00,000 virtual capital — free.

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Guide 1 of 12

Trade F&O

Practise Nifty, BankNifty, and stock futures & options with SEBI-aligned SPAN margin rules.

01

Find an F&O Instrument

Search for futures (e.g. NIFTY FUT, BANKNIFTY FUT) or options (e.g. NIFTY 24000 CE, BANKNIFTY 50000 PE). Use the search bar and filter by instrument type to narrow results to Futures or Options.

02

Check Margin Requirements

Before placing, the instrument screen shows the required SPAN margin. Ensure your virtual balance covers the margin needed. For options writing (short), margin is significantly higher than for buying.

03

Place a Futures or Options Order

Tap Buy (go long) or Sell (go short / write). Choose order type and enter quantity in lots — not shares. F&O quantities are always in lot sizes as defined by the exchange. Confirm the order.

04

Use the SPAN Calculator Premium

For complex multi-leg positions, open the SPAN margin calculator in the Tools tab. It estimates exact margin requirements including hedge benefits under SEBI's Basic standard — helping you practise real margin management before risking live capital.

05

Exit or Square Off

To close a futures or options position, place the exact opposing order (Sell if you bought, Buy if you sold). Net P&L — after brokerage and STT simulation — is settled to your virtual balance immediately.

Practise Nifty and BankNifty options strategies risk-free. SEBI-aligned SPAN margin rules apply automatically.

Start Practising F&O
Guide 2 of 12

Trade Crypto Premium

Trade 500+ INR-paired cryptocurrencies 24×7 with live prices and India-accurate tax simulation.

01

Upgrade & Access the Crypto Market

Crypto trading requires a Premium subscription. Once upgraded, open the app and navigate to the Crypto section. Browse 500+ coins with live INR prices, 24-hour change, and market cap information.

02

Search for a Coin

Type the cryptocurrency name (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP) or symbol (BTC, ETH, SOL) in the search bar to find your coin instantly. Tap it to open the coin's detail screen with live price and chart.

03

Place a Crypto Buy Order

Tap "Buy". Enter your quantity — fractional quantities are fully supported (e.g. 0.001 BTC or 0.5 ETH). The INR equivalent is shown in real time. Confirm to execute. Your virtual balance is debited with the full INR amount plus the entry fee (0.1%).

04

Monitor Prices 24×7

Crypto markets never close. Check your position and P&L at any time — including weekends, public holidays, and after NSE market hours. Live prices update continuously so you always see the current market value.

05

Sell & Track Your P&L

Tap "Sell" to exit your crypto position. India's TDS rules are applied automatically — 1% TDS and 0.1% exit fee are deducted, matching actual rules for crypto trading in India. Your net P&L is updated instantly in your Reports.

Crypto trading is a Premium feature. Upgrade inside the app from Settings → Subscription.

Learn About Crypto
Guide 3 of 12

Trade Commodities Premium

Practice Gold, Silver, Crude Oil, and 25+ MCX commodity futures with real lot sizes and SPAN margins.

01

Open the Commodities Section

Commodity trading requires Premium. Once upgraded, find the Commodities section in the app's Tools tab. Browse all 25+ MCX commodity instruments organised by category: Precious Metals, Energy, Base Metals, and Agriculture.

02

Select an Instrument

Tap any commodity (e.g. Gold, Crude Oil, Copper) to open the detail screen. You'll see the current price, lot size, required margin, upcoming expiry date, and an intraday price chart.

03

Check Lot Size & Margin

Confirm the lot size and required margin before placing. Use the SPAN margin calculator to see exact requirements. Commodity margins can be significant — practising this step virtually is essential before trading live.

04

Place a Commodity Order

Choose Buy or Sell. Enter the number of lots (minimum 1 lot). Confirm the order — margin is blocked from your virtual balance and Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) plus brokerage simulation are applied at the time of order placement.

05

Exit the Position

During MCX market hours, open the position and tap the opposing direction to close it. Charges are applied and your net P&L is updated immediately in your Reports and virtual balance.

Commodity trading is a Premium feature. Learn more about the full MCX instrument list.

Explore Commodities
Guide 4 of 12

Add Virtual Funds

Increase your virtual trading capital from the Settings screen. Free: up to ₹1 Lac/day. Premium: up to ₹10 Cr/day.

01

Go to the Settings Tab

Tap the Settings icon in the bottom navigation bar (last tab). The Settings screen opens showing your Capital card at the top with your current virtual balance and total capital.

02

Expand the Add Funds Panel

Tap "Add Funds" within the Capital card. An input panel expands showing your current balance, daily amount added today, and the remaining daily limit. The input remains disabled if your daily limit has already been reached.

03

Enter the Amount

Type the amount you want to add. Free users can add up to ₹1,00,000 per day with a maximum total capital of ₹50 Lac. Premium users can add up to ₹10 Crore per day with a maximum of ₹100 Crore.

04

Confirm & Done

Tap the "Add Funds" button. Your virtual balance is updated immediately and the new capital is visible in the Capital card. No real money is involved — this is entirely virtual balance for paper trading practice.

Guide 5 of 12

Basket Mode

Place multiple orders simultaneously — perfect for spreads, straddles, hedged positions, and multi-leg strategies.

01

Open Basket Mode

Navigate to the Tools tab and tap "Basket Mode". You'll see your saved baskets — Free accounts have 1 basket, Premium accounts have up to 20. This allows you to maintain multiple independent strategies simultaneously.

02

Create or Open a Basket

Tap "New Basket" to create one or tap an existing basket to edit it. Give it a descriptive name — for example "Nifty Strangle", "BankNifty Bull Call Spread", or "Commodity Hedge". Named baskets help you organise multiple strategy scenarios.

03

Add Legs to the Basket

Tap "Add Instrument" to add each leg of your strategy. For each leg, set the Buy/Sell direction, quantity (or lots for F&O), and order type (Market or Limit). Add as many legs as your strategy requires.

04

Review the Basket

Check all legs are correct before executing. The total estimated margin for the entire basket is shown — verify that your virtual balance can cover it. You can edit or remove individual legs at any time before firing.

05

Fire the Basket

Tap "Execute Basket". All orders in the basket are placed simultaneously in a single action — ideal for strategies where timing and simultaneous entry across legs is critical. Perfect for iron condors, straddles, and hedged spreads.

Premium users get 20 baskets to test multiple strategies at once. Free tier includes 1 basket.

Try Basket Mode Free
Guide 6 of 12

Order Types

Understand the four order types available across all instruments and when to use each one.

01

Market Order

Executes immediately at the current best available market price. Use a Market order when entering or exiting a position quickly and price precision is less important than speed of execution. Best for highly liquid instruments like Nifty or large-cap stocks.

02

Limit Order

Executes only when the price reaches your specified level — not before. Use a Limit order to enter at a precise price point or improve your average entry cost. The order stays pending until the price is hit or you cancel it manually.

03

Stop-Loss (SL) Trigger

A protective exit order that automatically closes your position if the price moves against you beyond a set threshold. Set a Stop-Loss when placing any order to protect your virtual capital from large adverse moves. Builds the habit of pre-defined risk management.

04

Target Price

An automatic profit-booking order. When the instrument hits your target price, the position is automatically closed and P&L is locked in. Combine a Target Price with a Stop-Loss to define a precise risk-reward ratio for every trade you place.

Pro tip: Always set both a Stop-Loss and a Target Price on every trade in the paper trading environment. This builds the discipline of pre-defined risk-reward — one of the most important habits for a consistent live trader.

Practise all order types with real NSE, Crypto, and Commodity prices — no real money involved.

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Guide 7 of 12

Data Backup & Restore

Export your trade history, watchlists, and settings — and restore them any time from a local backup file.

01

Open Settings → Data Management

Go to the Settings tab and scroll to the Data Management section. Here you'll find the options to Export and Import your trading data. Your backup includes all trades, watchlists, order baskets, preferences, and current virtual balance.

02

Tap "Export Data"

Tap the "Export Data" button. The app generates a backup file containing your complete trade history, watchlist contents, basket configurations, and account balance. The file is saved to your device's Downloads folder.

03

Save the Backup File Safely

Copy or move the exported file to a safe location — Google Drive, OneDrive, or another folder on your device. The file is in a portable format and can be used to restore your full account state at any time.

04

Restore from a Backup

To restore, tap "Import Data" in the same Data Management section. Select your backup file using the file picker. A confirmation dialog appears — review what will be restored and confirm. Your existing data is replaced with the backup.

05

Verify Your Restored Data

After import, check the Orders tab for your trade history, the Watchlist tab for your saved instruments, and the Capital card in Settings for your restored balance. If anything looks off, you can re-import from the same backup file at any time.

Guide 8 of 12

Upgrade to Premium

Unlock crypto trading, commodities, SPAN calculator, higher fund limits, and 20 watchlists — all in one upgrade.

01

Open the Settings Tab

Tap the Settings icon in the bottom navigation bar. Scroll to the Subscription section — you'll see your current plan (Free) and a prominent "Upgrade to Premium" button highlighting all features that will be unlocked.

02

Review What's Included

Tap the upgrade button to open the subscription plans page. Premium includes: live crypto markets (500+ coins), 25+ MCX commodity futures, SPAN margin calculator, hedge benefit calculations, ₹10 Cr daily fund top-up, 20 watchlists, 20 baskets, and unlimited daily orders.

03

Choose Your Plan

Select from the available subscription durations. Longer plans offer significantly better value per month. Tap your preferred plan — the price, billing period, and all included features are shown clearly before you commit.

04

Complete Payment via Razorpay

Tap "Proceed to Pay". The Razorpay payment screen opens — choose UPI, Net Banking, Credit/Debit Card, or any other supported method. Complete the payment securely. Your payment details are never stored on our servers.

05

Premium Unlocks Instantly

Once payment is confirmed, your account is upgraded within seconds. The Subscription card in Settings updates to show "Premium" with your expiry date. All Premium features — Crypto, Commodities, SPAN Calculator — are accessible immediately without restarting the app.

Upgrade from inside the app — Settings → Subscription → Upgrade to Premium.

View Premium Features
Guide 9 of 12

SPAN Margins Premium

Use the SPAN calculator to find exact margin requirements for any F&O or commodity position before placing the trade.

01

What is SPAN Margin?

SPAN (Standard Portfolio ANalysis of Risk) is the margin framework used by NSE and MCX. It calculates the minimum margin needed to hold a futures or options position based on worst-case price scenarios across 16 risk arrays. Unlike a flat percentage, SPAN considers volatility and the specific combination of your positions.

02

Open the SPAN Calculator

Navigate to the Tools tab and tap "SPAN Calculator" (Premium feature). The calculator opens with an empty position list. You can add multiple legs here — just like building a multi-leg strategy — to see the combined margin requirement for the whole portfolio.

03

Add Your Positions

Tap "Add Position" and search for the F&O instrument you want to trade. Select Buy or Sell, set the number of lots, and add it. Repeat for each leg of your strategy. You can mix NSE futures, CE/PE options, and MCX commodity futures in the same calculation.

04

Read the Margin Breakdown

The calculator shows three values: SPAN Margin (the exchange-mandated initial margin), Exposure Margin (additional broker buffer, typically 3–5% of contract value), and Total Required Margin. If your positions hedge each other, a Hedge Benefit reduction is also displayed — lowering the total margin needed.

05

Use It Before Every Multi-Leg Trade

Always run the SPAN calculator before placing complex strategies. This ensures you have enough virtual — and eventually real — capital before committing. If the required margin exceeds your balance, adjust lot sizes or add a hedging leg to reduce the requirement.

SPAN Calculator is a Premium feature. Upgrade to access it along with Commodities, Crypto, and more.

View Premium Features
Guide 10 of 12

Hedge Benefits Premium

Learn how holding offsetting positions reduces your total margin requirement under SEBI's margin framework.

01

What Are Hedge Benefits?

When you hold positions that offset each other's risk — for example, shorting a Nifty call while also holding a Nifty futures position — the exchange recognises the reduced portfolio risk and charges you less margin. This reduction is the "hedge benefit" and can lower total margin by 30–70% on well-structured strategies.

02

Which Position Pairs Qualify?

Common hedged positions that attract benefits: Short Call + Long Futures (covered call), Short Put + Short Futures (covered put), Short Option + Long Option of same underlying and expiry (vertical spread), and defined-risk multi-leg strategies like iron condors and straddles with both sides capped.

03

Check Hedge Benefit in SPAN Calculator

Add both legs of your hedged position in the SPAN Calculator (Tools tab → SPAN Calculator). The calculator automatically detects offsetting positions and shows the Hedge Benefit amount — the margin saved because of the hedge. The "Total Required Margin" reflects this reduction directly.

04

Place the Hedged Strategy via Basket Mode

Once satisfied with the margin calculation, place both legs simultaneously using Basket Mode. This is important because placing legs separately changes your margin requirement mid-entry — you may be charged full unhedged margin for the first leg until the second leg is placed.

05

Monitor Margin as Prices Move

Hedge benefits change dynamically as prices move. As one leg goes deep in-the-money, the benefit may reduce. Check the SPAN Calculator periodically when holding multi-leg positions to ensure your virtual balance remains sufficient to maintain all the positions.

Hedge Benefit calculations are available in the SPAN Calculator — a Premium feature.

View Premium Features
Guide 11 of 12

Margin Calculations

Understand how margin is calculated, blocked, and released for futures, options, and commodity positions.

01

Types of Margin

There are two primary margin components for F&O and commodity trades: SPAN Margin (exchange-mandated initial margin based on worst-case scenario analysis) and Exposure Margin (an additional broker buffer, typically 3–5% of contract value). Both are blocked from your virtual balance when you place an order.

02

How Margin is Blocked on Order Placement

When you place a futures order or write (sell) an options contract, the total of SPAN + Exposure Margin is immediately blocked from your available balance. For options buying, you pay only the premium upfront — no margin is blocked. The exact amount is shown on the order ticket before you confirm.

03

Mark-to-Market (MTM) Settlement

For futures positions, P&L is settled at the end of each market day — this is MTM settlement. Profits are added to your balance and losses are deducted daily. If losses reduce your balance below the maintenance margin threshold, a margin call occurs and the position may be auto-squared off to prevent a deeper deficit.

04

Margin Release on Exit

When you close a position (square off), the blocked margin is released back to your available balance immediately. For futures, the final MTM P&L is also settled at exit. The net result — released margin plus or minus the realised P&L — reflects in your virtual balance instantly after the closing order confirms.

05

Using the Margin Calculator Before Trading

Before placing any F&O or commodity trade, use the SPAN Calculator in the Tools tab to see exactly how much margin will be blocked. This is especially critical for multi-leg strategies where hedge benefits may significantly reduce the total requirement compared to calculating each leg in isolation.

Practise margin management risk-free. The SPAN Calculator shows exact margin requirements before you commit.

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Guide 12 of 12