Troubleshooting Connection Issues

MimikTrader maintains persistent connections to Tradovate's API for real-time trade detection, order placement, and market data. These connections are generally stable and self-healing, but there are situations where manual intervention may be needed. This article covers the most common connection issues and how to resolve them.

Understanding the Status Indicators

Each connected account on the MimikTrader dashboard displays a status indicator. Here is what each state means:

• Green — Connected: The account has a valid access token and an active WebSocket connection to Tradovate. Trade detection and order placement are fully operational.
• Yellow — Reconnecting: The WebSocket connection was lost and MimikTrader is attempting to re-establish it. This is usually transient and resolves within a few seconds. Trade copying is paused during reconnection.
• Red — Disconnected: The connection could not be re-established, or the access token has expired and cannot be refreshed. Manual action is required.
• Gray — Token Expired: The Tradovate OAuth token has expired and automatic refresh failed. You need to re-authorize the connection.

Common Issues and Solutions

Token Expired

Tradovate OAuth tokens have a limited lifetime. MimikTrader automatically refreshes tokens before they expire in most cases. However, if the refresh token itself has expired (which can happen after extended periods of inactivity or if Tradovate rotates their token policy), the automatic refresh will fail and you will see a “Token Expired” status.

To fix this:

1. 1

   Click the Reconnect Button

   On the Accounts page, find the affected account and click the “Reconnect” button. This initiates a new OAuth authorization flow.

2. 2

   Re-Authorize with Tradovate

   You will be redirected to Tradovate's login page. Enter your credentials and approve the authorization request. This issues a fresh set of access and refresh tokens.

3. 3

   Verify the Connection

   After returning to MimikTrader, confirm the account status changes to green (“Connected”). The WebSocket connection will be re-established automatically.

WebSocket Disconnects

WebSocket connections can drop for several reasons: Tradovate server maintenance, network instability, or brief internet interruptions. MimikTrader has built-in automatic reconnection logic that handles most disconnects without any user action.

The reconnection process works as follows:

• When a disconnect is detected, MimikTrader immediately begins reconnection attempts.
• The first retry occurs within 1-2 seconds. If it fails, subsequent retries use an exponential backoff strategy, waiting longer between each attempt.
• During reconnection, the account status shows yellow (“Reconnecting”). No trades are copied to or from this account during this period.
• Once reconnected, MimikTrader synchronizes the account state (positions, pending orders) to ensure it has an accurate picture before resuming trade copying.

If the reconnection does not succeed after several minutes, the status will change to red (“Disconnected”). At this point, check whether the issue is on Tradovate's side (their API status page may show maintenance) or whether your MimikTrader account needs re-authorization.

OAuth Authorization Errors

If the OAuth flow fails during initial connection or reconnection, you may see one of these errors:

• “Access Denied”: You clicked “Deny” on Tradovate's consent screen instead of “Allow.” Re-run the connection and approve the permissions this time.
• “Invalid Credentials”: The username or password entered on Tradovate's login page was incorrect. Double-check you are using the right login for the accounts you want to connect.
• “Session Expired”: The OAuth session timed out before you completed the login. This can happen if you left the authorization page open for too long. Start the process again from the Connect button.
• “Application Not Found”: This is a rare server-side issue. If you encounter it, wait a few minutes and try again. If it persists, contact MimikTrader support.

Accounts Showing Offline During Market Hours

If all your accounts suddenly show as disconnected during market hours, the most likely causes are:

• Tradovate API maintenance: Tradovate occasionally performs maintenance, typically outside of regular trading hours but sometimes with brief interruptions during low-volume periods. Connections will automatically restore when their API comes back online.
• Exchange maintenance: CME has a daily maintenance window (typically 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Central Time on weekdays). During this window, trading is halted and connections may drop. This is normal and connections re-establish when trading resumes.
• MimikTrader deployment: During platform updates, there may be a brief connection interruption (typically under 30 seconds). Connections are restored automatically after the deployment completes.

Preventing Connection Issues

• Do not disconnect and reconnect accounts unnecessarily. Each reconnection consumes API calls and token refreshes.
• If you are not trading for an extended period (more than a week), your tokens may expire naturally. Plan to re-authorize before your next trading session.
• Check the MimikTrader dashboard status indicators before your trading session begins. It takes 30 seconds to spot a connection issue and fix it before trading starts.
• Keep your Tradovate account credentials current. If you change your Tradovate password, you will need to re-authorize in MimikTrader.

Getting Help

If you have tried the steps above and your connection issues persist, gather the following details before contacting support:

• The specific error message or status you are seeing.
• Which accounts are affected (account numbers or names).
• When the issue started (approximate time and timezone).
• Whether you can log into Tradovate directly through their web or desktop platform.