Hot Keys

Instructions

Assigning actions to specific keys and key combinations helps you rapidly create and transmit orders to the marketplace. You can assign any keystroke, or a combination of the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys with one of the 26 keyboard letters, to map specific order creation and order transmission commands, such as buy, sell, transmit and cancel.

  1. For Mosaic - Click the File menu in the top left corner.

    For Classic TWS - Click the Edit menu in the top left corner.

  2. Click Global Configuration

  3. Click Hot Keys in the left pane

  4. In the Possible Actions area, choose an action to which you want to assign a hot key and click Create Shortcut.

  5. In the Keyboard area, click Record. If you already have a hot key recorded for the selected action, it is displayed in the Current Key Shortcut field.

  6. Press the actual keystroke or keystroke combination you will use to complete this action. The system records your keystroke and displays it in the Current Key Shortcut field.

The TWS configuration hot keys menu.

Note: If the Customize tab is visible, you can customize your hot key to be more specific. For example, after you record a Buy hot key, customize it to create a bracket or trailing stop limit order.

After you record the desired hot keys and click Close, the mapped keys are displayed on the status line at the bottom of the screen. To re-record a hot key assignment, follow steps 1-4 above. To remove a hot key assignment from an action, click Clear.

Defining Hot Keys

The procedures below pertain to specific hotkey functionality, including:

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane select click Hot Keys

  3. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  4. Click the Customize tab.

  5. In the Order Type drop-down select the order type for which you want to create a hot key.

  6. Populate any necessary order type-related fields.

  7. Click the Shortcuts tab.

  8. Click Record and press the keystroke combination that will represent the order type hot key.

  9. Verify that the hot key has been properly recorded in the Shortcuts section.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane select Hot Keys

  3. Select Buy or Sell Specific Product as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  4. Click the Customize tab.

  5. In the Underlying field, enter an underlying symbol.

  6. Populate the Order related fields.

  7. Click the Shortcuts tab.

  8. Click Record and press the keystroke combination that will represent the order type hot key.

  9. Verify that the hot key has been properly recorded in the Shortcuts section.

When you create a buy or sell hot key for any order type, you can elect to "Transmit the order instantaneously" by checking this feature at the bottom of the Customize page. When you activate instantaneous transmission, using the hot key combination creates and transmits the order without giving you time to review and modify order parameters.

Leave this feature unchecked to have the hot key combination create an order and leave it on the trading screen for you to manually transmit.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane select Hotkeys.

  3. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  4. Click the Customize tab.

  5. In the Attached Orders area, check Add Simple Bracket.

  6. In the Bracket Orders area:

  7. In the Lmt Price (+/- offset) field select Bid, Ask, Last or None as the basis for the Limit Price portion of the bracket order, and enter an offset amount if desired.

  8. Select a Stop Type.

  9. Set the Stop price and offset for the stop trigger price.

  10. For Stop Limit orders, set the Stop Limit price and offset.

  11. On the Shortcuts page record the hot key combination, and click OK.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane select Hotkeys.

  3. Select Increase (Decrease) price or size and click Create Shortcut.

  4. On the Customize tab select Size in the Field drop-down.

  5. Set the Num Ticks value to represent the increment by which to increase (decrease) the default order size.

  6. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination to represent Increase (Decrease) order size.

  7. Close the dialog box.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane select Hotkeys.

  3. Select Increase (Decrease) price or size and click Create Shortcut.

  4. On the Customize tab select Limit Price (Aux. Price) in the Field drop-down.

  5. Enter the Num Ticks increment by which you want the hot key to increase (decrease) the price value.

  6. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination to represent Increase (Decrease) Limit (Aux.) Price.

  7. Close the dialog box.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane, select Hotkeys.

  3. Select Buy or Sell as the Action and click Create Shortcut.

  4. Click the Customize tab.

  5. In the Size field, select Available, then click OK. Now when you use the Buy or Sell hotkey, the order quantity will be determined by the number of available contracts as shown in the Ask Size or Bid Size field.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane, select Hotkeys.

  3. In the Modify/Transmit Order section, select Modify Order Type or Modify Time in Force and click Create Shortcut.

  4. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination.

  5. Close the dialog box.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane, select Hotkeys.

  3. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select View Alerts and click the Create Shortcut button.

  4. On the Shortcuts page, click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + A.

  5. Close the dialog box.

  6. Click OK.

    When you use Ctrl + A from the TWS, the Alerts box opens displaying your current alerts. To create an alert, click the New button.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane, select Hotkeys.

  3. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select Add Auto Stop Order.

  4. Click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + A.

  5. Close the dialog box.

  6. Click OK.

    Now when you use Ctrl + A from the TWS, you will attach a Stop order to the selected order.

  1. For Mosaic - On the File menu select Global Configuration.

    For Classic TWS - On the Edit menu select Global Configuration.

  2. In the left pane, select Hotkeys.

  3. In the Real-time Activity Monitoring section, select Add Auto Trailing Stop Order.

  4. Click Record and press the hot key combination, for example Ctrl + T.

  5. Close the dialog box.

  6. Click OK.

    Now when you use Ctrl + T from the TWS, you will attach a Trailing Stop order to the selected order. The trailing amount used is the value defined in the order defaults.

If you try to use a reserved key - for example the Alt key - when creating a hotkey shortcut, you will receive an error message. If this happens please re-record the hotkey with another keystroke combination.

Note: The standard hot keys do not function within the Rapid Order Entry panel. When you record a hot key for one of the rapid order entry actions, you must use "Ctrl" plus a character key, or the Escape key.

 

Additional Resources

Learn About Hot Keys in Trader Workstation at IBKR Campus

Visit the Trader Workstation Website