Are you getting the “Take Profit Price Is Out of Range” error when opening a short trade? You’re not alone. This common error appears when your take profit (TP) level is set too close to your entry price. In this post, we’ll break down what causes it and how to fix it fast.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- What causes the take profit price error, where it is often out of the acceptable range
- How to calculate the correct take profit (TP) for short trades
- Simple tools to avoid the issue completely
Let’s break it down clearly with real trading examples.
What Does “Take Profit Price Is Out of Range” Mean?
This error means that the Take Profit price you entered is too close to your entry price and doesn’t meet the platform’s minimum distance rule.
Most trading platforms require the TP to be at least 1% or more away from your entry price (especially in leveraged or demo trades), or else the specified take profit price is out of range.
If your TP is too tight (like 0.2%), it will be rejected.
Understanding Short Trades and Take Profit Logic
In a short position, you’re betting that the price of an asset will fall.
So:
- You sell high first
- Then buy back lower
- Profit = difference between entry and exit
This means your Take Profit must be set at a LOWER price than where you entered the trade.
If it’s not low enough (as per platform rules), you’ll see the error, indicating the take profit price is out of range.
Real Example of the Take Profit Error
Let’s say you open a short trade at:
Entry Price: $117,965
You manually enter your Take Profit at:
TP: $117,739
This looks okay it’s lower, right?
But let’s check the numbers:
- $117,965 − $117,739 = $226
- That’s only 0.19% below your entry
That’s too close. If your platform requires a 1% minimum TP gap, this will trigger the “out of range” error for the take profit price.
Correct Way to Set TP in a Short Trade
Let’s say you want a 1% profit on your short trade.
Here’s how to calculate your Take Profit:
1% of $117,965 = $1,179
$117,965 − $1,179 = $116,786
So your TP should be at $116,786 or lower to be accepted and to avoid the out of range error.
Result:
- No error
- Proper profit target
- Compliant with platform rules
Pro Tip: Use the % Tool Instead of Manual Entry
Most platforms now offer a percentage-based TP/SL option. When you select something like “1% Take Profit,” the system auto-calculates the right value based on your entry price.
This helps you:
- Avoid manual errors
- Stay within valid TP range
- Trade more confidently
Quick Cheat Sheet: TP in Short Trades
| Entry Price | 1% TP (Minimum) |
| $117,965 | $116,786 |
| $10,000 | $9,900 |
| $1,000 | $990 |
Remember: For short trades, TP must always be lower than entry, and at least 1% away. Otherwise, the take profit price may be flagged as out of range.
Avoiding the Take Profit Error
Here’s a recap on how to prevent the “Take Profit price is out of range” error:
In short trades:
- Always set TP lower than your entry
- Make sure it’s at least 1% away
- Use the % TP setting when available
Avoid this common beginner mistake by letting the platform calculate TP/SL for you using the percentage option.
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