> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.strixlab.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/price-ladder.md).

# Trading with the Price Ladder

The price ladder is Strix Lab's advanced trading view. It shows every price level in a market as a vertical scale — bids on the left, asks on the right — and lets you place and cancel orders with a single click. If you've traded on a professional exchange, it will feel familiar; if not, this page walks through every part.

<figure><img src="/files/NvnR3mC8qvOQz1SL5axe" alt="Annotated overview of the Strix price ladder" width="375"><figcaption><p>The ladder shows the whole market at a glance, from 99¢ down to 1¢.</p></figcaption></figure>

**The ladder trades in limit orders** — every click places a resting order at the exact price you clicked. New to order types? See [Order Types](https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/order-types) first. Prefer a simpler view? The standard trade panel works too; the ladder is optional.

{% hint style="info" %}
One word you'll see throughout this page: **size** simply means the number of shares — your order size is how many shares you're buying or selling; the size at a price level is how many shares are waiting there.
{% endhint %}

### Reading the columns

The ladder has five columns. Each row is one price level (a *tick* — see [How Markets Work](https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/how-markets-work)).

<table><thead><tr><th width="138.91796875">Column</th><th>What it shows</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Bid</strong> (green)</td><td>Shares people want to <strong>buy</strong> at this price — if you wanted to sell right now, these are the buyers waiting for you. Click to place your own buy order here.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Price</strong></td><td>The price level, in cents. The center of the ladder.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ask</strong> (red)</td><td>Shares people want to <strong>sell</strong> at this price — if you wanted to buy right now, this is what's available. Click to place your own sell order here.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>P&#x26;L</strong></td><td>Your <strong>profit &#x26; loss</strong>: if you hold a position, this shows what you'd be up or down were the market to trade at this row's price. Lets you see your break-even and targets at a glance.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Total</strong></td><td>The dollar value of the waiting shares at that level (price × shares).</td></tr></tbody></table>

The shaded bar behind each bid/ask size is a **depth bar** — the wider it is, the more shares sit at that level. Sizes briefly flash green or red when they change, so you can watch the book move in real time.

{% hint style="info" %}
The **spread** is the gap between the best (highest) bid and the best (lowest) ask. The ladder keeps this area centered for you — see *Following the market* below.
{% endhint %}

### Rows worth watching

<table><thead><tr><th width="169.50390625">Highlight</th><th>Meaning</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Yellow row</strong></td><td>The last traded price — where the most recent trade executed.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Blue-tinted row</strong></td><td>Your average entry price for a position you hold — your break-even line.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Bold blue price</strong></td><td>A level where you currently have a resting order.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Placing an order in one click

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Pick YES or NO

Use the **YES / NO** toggle at the top to choose which outcome you're trading. The ladder redraws for that side.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Set your size

Choose a quantity — tap a quick chip (10 / 25 / 50 / 100) or type an exact number. This is how many shares each click will order.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Click a price

* Click in the **green (Bid) column** to place a **buy** at that price.
* Click in the **red (Ask) column** to place a **sell** at that price.

Your order is submitted instantly as a limit order — *good-'til-cancelled*, meaning it stays open until it fills or you cancel it; it doesn't expire on its own. It appears on that row.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Preview before you click.** Hover a bid cell and it shows **"Win $X"** — your return if the outcome you're backing happens (share count × $1). Hover an ask cell and it shows **"Get $X"** — your proceeds from selling at that price. Both figures already subtract any taker fee.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Every order must be worth at least **$1.00** (price × quantity), and prices snap to the market's tick size. Orders below the minimum are rejected with a message.
{% endhint %}

### Your orders, and cancelling

Your resting orders appear as **blue badges** showing their share count — on the left for bids, on the right for asks.

<figure><img src="/files/a0oXwkrB1BSHup9RAdjU" alt="Your resting orders shown as badges on the ladder" width="375"><figcaption><p><strong>Click a badge to cancel your order at that price level.</strong></p></figcaption></figure>

A small blue dot instead of a badge means the order is **currently filling** — a trade against it is mid-execution, so it can't be cancelled at that moment (see the note on cancelling in [Order Types](https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/order-types)).

For bulk actions, use the buttons above the ladder:

<table><thead><tr><th width="232.109375">Button</th><th>Action</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>CXL Bids</strong></td><td>Cancel all your buy orders on this outcome.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>CXL Asks</strong></td><td>Cancel all your sell orders on this outcome.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>CXL ALL</strong></td><td>Cancel every open order you have on this outcome.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Following the market

Because a market has up to \~99 price levels, the ladder scrolls. Two controls keep you oriented:

<figure><img src="/files/MfIsuzEhtUFFlpZOccHn" alt="The ladder&#x27;s header controls"><figcaption><p>Quantity chips, follow, and center controls sit above the ladder.</p></figcaption></figure>

<table><thead><tr><th width="217.14453125">Control</th><th>What it does</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Follow</strong> (compass icon)</td><td>Auto-scrolls the ladder to keep the current spread centered as the price moves. Toggle off to scroll freely.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Center</strong> (crosshair icon)</td><td>Instantly re-centers the view on the current price. Handy after scrolling away.</td></tr></tbody></table>

### One book, both sides

You may notice shares available on the ladder even when few orders exist on your chosen side. That's expected: because YES and NO prices always add up to \~$1, an order to buy NO at 30¢ is the same as an order to sell YES at 70¢. The ladder merges both sides into one view, so the depth you see reflects everyone trading the market — whichever outcome they picked. More on this in [The Order Book](https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/order-book).

### Quick reference

<table><thead><tr><th width="242.265625">To…</th><th>Do this</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Buy at a price</td><td>Click that price in the green (Bid) column</td></tr><tr><td>Sell at a price</td><td>Click that price in the red (Ask) column</td></tr><tr><td>Change order size</td><td>Tap a quantity chip or type a number</td></tr><tr><td>Preview your return</td><td>Hover a bid ("Win $X") or ask ("Get $X") cell</td></tr><tr><td>Cancel one order</td><td>Click its blue badge</td></tr><tr><td>Cancel many</td><td>CXL Bids / CXL Asks / CXL ALL</td></tr><tr><td>Recenter the view</td><td>Crosshair (center) or compass (follow) button</td></tr></tbody></table>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.strixlab.io/trading/price-ladder.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.