How Trade Sync Works for Copy Leaders

A new copier accepts your copy request on Wednesday afternoon. You have been holding AAPL calls since Monday and they are already up 15%. Your new follower starts copying you — but they do not get those AAPL calls. They only get whatever you trade from now on.

That is the mid-stream copy problem. Your follower is paying for your edge, but they are missing your best positions because they joined after you opened them. Trade Sync solves this. Here is how it works.

The Problem: Partial Portfolios

When a follower starts copying a leader, the platform can only mirror new trades. It has no way to know what the leader is already holding unless the leader explicitly shares that information. This creates three problems:

• Missing winners. The follower misses the leader's existing profitable positions.
• Concentration mismatch. The leader might be 40% in one position, but the follower is 0% — until the leader adds more, at which point the follower gets an outsized allocation relative to the leader's true exposure.
• Confusing PnL. The follower sees the leader up 20% on the month, but their own account is flat because they did not get the positions that generated those returns.

The Solution: Trade Sync

Trade Sync is a one-click feature on OptionsHood that lets a leader push their current open positions to a specific follower. It is not automatic — the leader chooses when to sync and which follower receives it. Here is what happens:

1. The leader goes to their Copy Trading page and sees a list of active copiers.
2. Next to each copier is a Sync button.
3. The leader clicks Sync. The platform reads the leader's current open positions from their broker.
4. For each position, the platform calculates the proportional size based on the follower's capital allocation.
5. Market orders are submitted to the follower's account to match the leader's holdings.
6. The follower now holds a scaled version of the leader's portfolio.

When Should Leaders Use Sync?

Trade Sync is a powerful tool, but it is not meant for daily use. Here are the right times to sync:

• When a new copier joins mid-cycle. If someone starts copying you on Tuesday and you have three open positions from Monday, sync them so they are not flying blind until your next trade.
• After a strategy rebalance. If you rotate out of tech and into energy, your new positions might not trigger a copy if they were built gradually. A sync ensures followers match your new allocation.
• After a follower resumes copying. If a follower paused for two weeks and missed several position changes, syncing gets them back in alignment.
• Not after every trade. If you are actively trading, the normal copy flow handles new positions. Only sync when the follower's portfolio has drifted significantly from yours.

How Sizing Works During Sync

Trade Sync uses the same proportional sizing as normal copy trading. If you are 20% in AAPL and your follower allocated $10,000, the sync buys approximately $2,000 of AAPL for them. For options:

• Stock positions sync to the nearest whole share (or fractional, depending on broker).
• Option positions sync to the nearest whole contract. If the math says 0.4 contracts, the platform rounds based on available buying power — typically up to 1 contract if there is sufficient cash.
• If a position would exceed the follower's allocation or buying power, that specific position is skipped and logged. The rest of the portfolio still syncs.

What Followers See

Followers do not initiate sync — leaders do. But followers can see the result. After a sync, the follower's Copied Orders feed shows the new positions with a "synced" context. Their portfolio updates to reflect the new holdings, and their unrealized PnL now tracks the same positions as the leader.

Importantly, sync does not close existing follower positions unless the leader has already closed them. If the follower holds a position the leader no longer has, that position remains in the follower's account. Sync only adds missing positions. It does not automatically rebalance or force-sell.

Best Practices for Leaders

• Sync new copiers within 24 hours. The sooner they are aligned, the better their experience and the more likely they stay subscribed.
• Warn followers before syncing. A sudden $5,000 market order can be alarming if unexpected. A quick message in your community bio or a note in your strategy description sets expectations.
• Do not sync into illiquid options. If your position is in a low-volume option with a wide spread, the follower might get a terrible fill on the sync order. Consider closing illiquid positions yourself rather than syncing them.
• Monitor buying power. Followers with smaller accounts might not have enough cash to absorb a full sync. Check their allocated capital before syncing large portfolios. If they are under-capitalized for your strategy, they might be better off waiting for your next fresh trade.