Short answer
What is a GTT order?
A GTT (Good Till Triggered) order is a standing instruction you leave with your broker to buy or sell when a stock reaches a trigger price you choose. It stays valid for up to a year at most brokers. When the price is hit during market hours, the broker sends a limit or market order to the exchange for you.
Key takeaways
- A GTT order waits with your broker, not on the exchange, for up to a year until its trigger price is reached.
- When the trigger is hit during market hours, the broker places a normal limit or market order; the GTT itself does not guarantee a fill.
- A single GTT has one trigger, for an entry or an exit. An OCO GTT has a stop-loss trigger and a target trigger, and cancels one when the other fires.
- Set a buy GTT's limit price slightly above its trigger and a sell GTT's limit slightly below, so the order has room to fill.
- A gap past the trigger still triggers the GTT, but a limit order can stay unfilled, so check open orders after a big gap.
- Sell GTTs on holdings need demat authorisation, and splits, bonuses and similar corporate actions can cancel open GTTs.
- In a zone plan, a buy GTT just above the proximal line handles the entry and an OCO GTT handles the distal-line stop and the 1:2 target.
What is a GTT order?
GTT stands for Good Till Triggered. Instead of sending an order to the exchange now, you leave an instruction with your broker: when the price reaches this level, place this order. Until then nothing reaches the exchange's order book. Your money is not blocked when you place a buy GTT, but it must be in your account when the GTT triggers.
- Trigger price: the price that wakes the GTT up. It is compared with the last traded price.
- Limit price: the price of the order the broker places once triggered. Some brokers also allow a market order.
- Quantity and product: usually delivery or carry-forward products. Most brokers do not offer GTT for intraday orders.
- Validity: up to a year at most brokers. You can modify or cancel the GTT at any time before it triggers.
How does a GTT order work, step by step?
- You set the trigger price, limit price and quantity, and the broker stores the instruction.
- During market hours, the broker watches the last traded price of the stock or contract.
- When the price reaches the trigger, the broker places your limit or market order on the exchange.
- The order then fills like any other order, or stays open if the price has already moved past your limit. An unfilled order is cancelled at the end of the day like a normal day order.
- A GTT triggers only once. If it triggered but did not fill, place a fresh GTT to try again.
GTTs trigger only while the market is open. Since NSE's closing auction started on 3 August 2026, at least one large broker stops triggering GTTs on stocks that have F&O at 3:15 PM, on other stocks at 3:30 PM and on F&O contracts at 3:40 PM. See the full session table on the stock market timings page.
What are the types of GTT orders?
| Type | Triggers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Single | One trigger price | Enter a new position, or exit at one price |
| OCO (one cancels the other) | Two triggers: a stop loss below and a target above | Exit a holding at whichever level is reached first; the other trigger is cancelled |
| Trailing stop loss | A stop trigger that moves up as price rises | Lock in part of a gain on a running trade |
Not every broker offers every type. Some allow an OCO GTT only as a sell order on stocks you already hold, and a buy OCO only in F&O contracts. Some let you attach a stop loss and target to the entry in a single order. Check what your own platform supports before you plan around it.
How do you use GTT orders for a demand zone trade?
- Mark a fresh demand zone and fix the plan: entry just above the proximal line, stop loss just below the distal line, target at least twice the risk. The stop loss and target lesson explains each level.
- Work out the quantity from your risk per trade with the position size calculator.
- Place a single buy GTT: trigger just above the proximal line and a limit a rupee or two above the trigger.
- Once it fills, place an OCO sell GTT for the same quantity: a stop-loss trigger just below the distal line and a target trigger at the 1:2 level, each with a limit slightly below its trigger.
- Set alerts at the same three levels so you know the moment each one is reached, even if an order does not fill.
What are the risks and limits of GTT orders?
- Gaps: if a stock opens beyond your trigger, the GTT still triggers, but your limit order may not fill. A stop-loss GTT with a ₹965 limit does not sell if the stock opens at ₹950, so the position stays open until you act.
- Not on the exchange until it triggers: the broker holds the instruction, so the order has no place in the exchange queue before the trigger price is reached.
- Funds and holdings at trigger time: a buy fails if the money is not in your account when it triggers. A sell GTT on holdings needs your depository authorisation (TPIN), unless you have a POA or DDPI with the broker.
- Corporate actions: brokers can cancel open GTTs around splits, bonuses, rights issues and similar events. Place them again with adjusted prices afterwards.
- One trigger only: once triggered, the GTT is used up even if the order did not fill.
- Charges: placing a GTT is usually free. Normal brokerage, taxes and charges apply when the order executes.
GTT vs stop-loss order vs price alert: which should you use?
| Feature | GTT order | Stop-loss (SL) order | After-market order (AMO) | Price alert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where it waits | With the broker | In the exchange order book | With the broker until the next session | With the alert service |
| How long it lasts | Up to a year | That trading day | One session | Until it triggers or you delete it |
| What happens at the price | Broker places a limit or market order | Becomes a limit or market order on the exchange | Sent when the market opens, whatever the price | You get a notification; no order is placed |
| Best for | Swing entries and exits days or weeks away | Protecting an intraday position | Placing an order outside market hours | Knowing when a level is reached, across brokers |
Many swing traders combine them: GTT orders do the execution, and alerts confirm when the entry, stop loss or target is reached, so a gap or an unfilled order never goes unnoticed. StockNotify's trade lifecycle alerts track all three levels on Telegram or email without placing any order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of GTT in the stock market?
GTT stands for Good Till Triggered. It is an order instruction held by your broker that stays active, usually for up to a year, until the price reaches your trigger. At that point the broker places the actual buy or sell order on the exchange.
How long is a GTT order valid?
Most Indian brokers keep a GTT active for up to one year (365 days) from the day you place it, unless it triggers or you cancel it first. You can modify the trigger, limit price or quantity at any time before it triggers.
Is there any charge for placing a GTT order?
Placing, modifying or cancelling a GTT is usually free. Brokerage, taxes and exchange charges apply only when the triggered order executes, exactly as they would for a normal order of the same size.
Will my GTT trigger if the stock gaps past my price?
Yes. If a stock opens beyond your trigger, the GTT triggers at the open, but a limit order is placed at your limit price and may not fill if the market is already past it. For example, a buy GTT with a ₹100 trigger and ₹102 limit will not fill if the stock opens at ₹110.
Can I use a GTT order for intraday trading?
Usually not. Most brokers allow GTT only for delivery and carry-forward products, such as delivery stocks and F&O positions held overnight, because a GTT can trigger on any day within its validity. For intraday levels, a stop-loss order or a price alert is the usual tool.
What is the difference between a GTT and a stop-loss order?
A stop-loss order sits in the exchange order book and is valid only for that trading day. A GTT waits with your broker for up to a year and is only sent to the exchange when its trigger is reached. That makes GTT better for swing trades planned days ahead, and a stop-loss order better for protecting an intraday position.
Why did my sell GTT not execute?
Common reasons are a missing demat authorisation (TPIN) when the sell triggered, the shares not being in your holdings, a gap that left your limit price behind the market, or the GTT being cancelled because of a corporate action such as a split or bonus. Check the order history on the day it triggered.
Does StockNotify place GTT orders?
No. StockNotify never places orders and needs no broker login. It sends Telegram or email alerts when your entry, stop loss or target is reached, which you can use alongside the GTT orders you place at your own broker.
Put this into practice
Work out the numbers before the market moves, then let an alert bring you back to your own plan.
Sources and further reading
Educational content only. Nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Chart diagrams use illustrative prices, not market data. Trading involves risk of loss; verify prices independently and apply your own risk process.