DRAFT TRADING
ON ETORO

There are three steps involved in draft trading on eToro: log in to your account, choose your option, and create your draft trade.

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When starting off trading a new market or type of instrument, it is important to develop a clear understanding of how things work. This guide explains how to use the eToro draft trading service, which uses virtual funds so that you can practice trading options before trading with real cash.

Log In to Your Account

First, log in to your eToro account. If you haven’t already signed up for the eToro Options service, you will need to register for an Options account by answering a few questions to make sure that you fit the profile of an options trader.

This extra step might be required because eToro Options is a separate feature within the eToro platform. It is specifically designed to support trading in options contracts.

Choose Your Option

Next, search for the options relating to your favorite stocks and ETFs, and choose which one you want to create a draft trade for. 

You can choose between calls and puts, which appreciate in value depending on whether the underlying asset goes up or down. You can also create different types of options trading strategies such as spreads. 

Once you’ve picked your option, it’s time to get into the details. Choose the expiration date of the contract and the strike price that best fits your strategy.

       

You’ll be presented with the prices of the available options, but don’t worry — with draft trading, you won’t risk any real cash.

Whether you’re a beginner learning about options, or an experienced trader researching a new approach, you might want to try booking different trades and testing multiple strategies in separate draft trades, just to see how they work.

Create Your Draft Trade

Review your option and hit the “Save as draft trade” button. You can view your saved draft trades on the Options portfolio screen.

Then, you can either wait until the expiry date to see what happens, delete your trade draft, or turn your draft trade into a real trade, at any time. Hit the “Tap here to execute or delete” button at the bottom of the screen to see your choices.

To see how your draft trade is doing, you may want to look at the P/L section. From there, you can see what you would have made or lost if your option was sold or expired at that moment.

Final thoughts

Draft trading offers an excellent way to develop new skills and a greater understanding of how the options markets work. The fact that draft trading involves virtual funds means that it is accessible for those wanting to learn about the mechanics of trading options. 

It is important to bear in mind that stepping up to trading with real cash can result in your decision-making being influenced by the fact that real funds are now at stake.

Want to learn more about options? Head over to the eToro Academy today.

FAQs

What is the difference between options and futures? 

The key difference between options and futures is that options give you the right to convert your option into the underlying security, but with futures you are obliged to convert on the contract’s expiry date.

Do I need to download the eToro Options app if I want to trade options?

Yes, currently, the eToro Options platform is only accessible through the mobile app. You cannot trade options on the web version of the platform. The eToro Options app is specifically stated as a separate “eToro Options” app on app stores.

What other ways are there to learn about options trading?

If you want to carry out more research to back up your hands-on training with the draft trading service, visit the eToro Academy to access the free options course, which provides more information on how the market works.