Troubleshooting Common Issues

Something's not working. Your alert should have fired, your order should have filled, your account should be connected. But it's not.

Take a breath. Most issues have simple explanations and simple fixes. Let's walk through the common ones.

Alerts Not Firing

"I set up an alert but nothing happened when the condition was met"

Check your webhook URL

The most common issue. Go to your TradingView alert settings and verify:

• The webhook URL is exactly correct (no extra spaces, no missing characters)
• You selected "Webhook URL" in the notifications section
• The checkbox is actually checked

Verify your TradingView subscription

Free TradingView accounts can't send webhooks. You need Pro, Pro+, or Premium. If you just upgraded, you might need to refresh or recreate the alert.

Check your alert condition

Did the condition actually trigger? Go to TradingView's alert log (in the Alerts panel) and see if the alert fired on their end. If it didn't fire there, the problem is with your condition setup, not Algo Bread.

Test with a simple alert

Create a test alert with an easily triggered condition (like a 1-minute timer or a price level that's about to be hit). Does it work? If yes, your original alert condition might be the issue. If no, something's wrong with the connection.

"The alert fired but no trade happened"

Check your JSON payload

Even small errors break JSON:

• Missing quotes around strings
• Missing commas between fields
• Trailing comma after the last field
• Wrong brackets

Use a JSON validator (search "JSON validator" online) to check your payload.

Verify your breadkey

Is the breadkey in your payload correct? Is it associated with an active strategy? Did you copy-paste correctly?

Check your account connection

Go to your dashboard and verify your trading account is connected. If it shows disconnected, that's your problem.

Connection Issues

"My account shows disconnected"

For gateway-based connections (TopstepX, etc.):

• Make sure your trading platform is running and logged in
• Check that the Algo Bread gateway/plugin is active
• Look at the connection status in your trading platform
• If all else fails, restart your trading platform and the gateway

For API-based connections:

• Verify your API credentials haven't expired
• Check if the broker's API is experiencing issues (check their status page)
• Re-authorize the connection if needed

"I keep getting disconnected"

Intermittent disconnections usually mean:

• Network instability on your end
• The broker's API is having issues
• Your session is timing out (some brokers require periodic re-authentication)

Try:

• Using a wired connection instead of WiFi
• Checking your router/modem
• Contacting your broker to ask about API stability

"I'm connected but orders aren't going through"

Your connection might be read-only or have limited permissions. Check:

• Your broker's API permission settings
• Whether you're connected to a paper/sim account vs. live
• If there are any account restrictions (insufficient funds, pattern day trader rules, etc.)

Order Issues

"My order was rejected"

Rejections happen for specific reasons. Check the error message. Common causes:

"Insufficient buying power"

Your account doesn't have enough margin for the position. Reduce size or add funds.

"Market closed"

You tried to trade when the market wasn't open. Check market hours and your alert timing.

"Position limit exceeded"

You've hit the maximum position size allowed by your broker or prop firm. Close some positions first.

"Invalid order type"

The order type you specified isn't available for that instrument or your account type.

"My order filled at a different price than expected"

For market orders, this is normal—especially in fast-moving markets. You got the best available price at execution time, which wasn't necessarily the price when your signal generated.

For limit orders that filled worse than the limit: this shouldn't happen. Contact support if it does.

"My order is stuck pending"

For limit orders: the market might not have reached your price. That's normal—limits only fill at your price or better.

For market orders stuck pending: something's wrong. Check:

• Is the market open?
• Is your connection still active?
• Are there any errors in your dashboard?

Cancel and retry if it's been more than a few seconds.

JSON Payload Issues

"Invalid JSON" errors

Your payload isn't formatted correctly. Here's a valid example:

{"breadkey": "bk_abc123", "action": "buy", "qty": 2}

Common mistakes:

• Using single quotes instead of double quotes
• Missing the colon between key and value
• Adding comments (JSON doesn't support comments)
• Using trailing commas

"Unknown field" warnings

You've included a field that Algo Bread doesn't recognize. Check the documentation for valid field names. The system will ignore unknown fields, but it's worth fixing to keep your payloads clean.

"Required field missing"

Your payload is missing something essential, usually the breadkey. Check the error message for which field is needed.

Getting Help

If you've tried the above and still have issues:

• Check the dashboard logs - Most problems leave traces. Look at recent activity and error messages.

• Gather information - Before reaching out to support, collect:
• What you expected to happen
• What actually happened
• Your alert/payload configuration
• Any error messages you saw
• Times when the issue occurred

• Contact support - Email hi@algobread.com with the above details. The more specific you are, the faster we can help.

Prevention Tips

Most issues are preventable:

• Test everything in paper trading first - Catch problems before they cost money
• Use the test alert feature - Verify your webhook is working before relying on it
• Monitor your connections - Don't assume everything's fine. Check periodically.
• Keep payloads simple - The more complex your setup, the more that can break

When something does go wrong—and eventually something will—don't panic. The trade you missed isn't the end of the world. Fix the issue, learn from it, and move on.