Build a custom rule

The structured rule form field by field, which rule types each platform offers, and every validation message you can hit.

Same on every platform Updated 26 July 2026

What this does

The custom form is the structured builder. You pick a rule type and fill in its fields directly, with no AI in the loop.

Before you start

The Rules Tracker needs Edge or Pro.

The web offers all six rule types. iPhone and iPad offer five. The conditional modifier, the rule that tightens other rules when you sleep badly, is not in the iOS structured form. On iPhone and iPad, create that one from a template or in plain English instead. Android has all six.

Rule type names differ across surfaces for the same underlying rule:

The rule	Web	iPhone and iPad	Android and Android tablet
At most N trades	Trade count cap	Trade count cap	Count Cap
A money or size ceiling	Dollar value cap	Value/loss cap	Value Cap
No new trades after a time	Time gate (no trades after)	Time gate	Time Gate
Wait after a big loss	Cooldown after loss	Cooldown	Cooldown
A yes or no check	Boolean check	Yes/No rule	Boolean
Tighten other rules on low sleep	Conditional modifier (sleep)	not available here	Conditional

Steps

Open Rules Tracker from the sidebar and press Manage Rules, then Add rule.
Choose the Custom tab.
Pick a Rule type.
Give the rule a name. It is required.
Fill in the fields for that type.
Optionally set Start tracking from to backdate. Leaving it blank starts today.
Press Add rule.

Open the Home tab, the house icon at the far left of the bar at the bottom, then tap the Rules Tracker card.
Tap Manage Rules, then Add Rule, then choose Custom.
Pick a type under Rule type. A one-line explanation appears under your choice.
Fill in Name, which is required, then Configuration.
Turn on Start tracking from a past date if you want the rule backdated.
Tap Create rule.

Open Rules Tracker from the sidebar.
Tap Manage Rules, then Add Rule, then choose Custom.
Pick a type under Rule type.
Fill in Name and Configuration.
Turn on Start tracking from a past date if you want the rule backdated.
Tap Create rule.

Open the Home tab, the house icon at the far left of the bar at the bottom, then tap the Rules Tracker card.
Tap the sliders icon in the top bar, then choose the Custom tab.
Enter a Rule Name, which is required, and an optional description.
Pick a Rule Type chip, then fill in the fields underneath.
Set a start date if you want the rule backdated.
Save.

Open Rules Tracker from the sidebar and press Manage Rules.
Choose the Custom tab.
Enter a Rule Name and an optional description.
Pick a Rule Type chip, then fill in the fields underneath.
Set a start date if you want the rule backdated.
Save.

The fields for each type

Trade count cap. A Scope of whole day or before a time. When you choose before a time, you also set the time in HH:MM and a timezone. Then Max trades, which can be zero.

Dollar value cap. A Metric of position size, daily loss, intraday net low or single-trade loss, then the amount. Daily loss and intraday net low also offer an across-accounts switch. See Rules across multiple accounts.

Time gate. A No trades after time in HH:MM and a timezone. The timezone is fixed at creation and cannot be changed later.

Cooldown after loss. A Trigger: loss exceeds amount, entered as a positive number, and Cooldown (minutes).

Boolean check. A Label, for example “Pre-market plan written”, and a Derived from setting. Choosing journal makes VEXA read whether you journaled that day. Choosing manual means you tick it yourself in the Day Detail panel.

Conditional modifier. An Operator and a Sleep hours threshold, then one or more Rules to tighten, each with a new limit.

Every validation message

Message	What it wants
Max trades must be a whole number of 0 or more.	An integer. Zero is allowed and means no trades at all in that scope.
Before time must be in HH:MM 24-hour format (e.g. 09:45).	A 24-hour clock time.
Enter a valid timezone (e.g. America/New_York).	A timezone identifier, not an abbreviation like EST.
Enter a numeric dollar amount.	A number with no currency symbol.
Position size must be a positive dollar amount.	Above zero. Short positions are graded on absolute size.
Loss red-lines must be negative (e.g. -2000).	Below zero. Daily loss, intraday net low and single-trade loss are all red lines.
No-trades-after time must be in HH:MM 24-hour format (e.g. 11:30).	A 24-hour clock time.
Trigger loss must be a positive dollar amount (magnitude).	The size of the loss, not the signed P&L. Enter 2000 for a 2,000 dollar loss.
Cooldown minutes must be 0 or more.	A non-negative number of minutes.
Enter a label for this check.	Any text. It is what the rule is called on the Day Detail panel.
Sleep-hours threshold must be a positive number.	Hours, above zero.
Pick at least one rule to tighten, with a new limit.	A conditional modifier with no targets does nothing, so it is refused.

The sign convention catches almost everyone once. Position size is a positive number. Every loss limit is a negative number. A cooldown trigger is a positive number.

What you should see

The rule in your list with a plain-English description of what it does, and a graded result on today’s calendar cell after the next grading pass.

If it doesn’t work

You cannot find the conditional modifier on iPhone or iPad. It is not in the structured form there. Use the template or plain English instead.
It refuses your daily loss figure. Enter it as a negative number.
A whole-day count cap graded differently than you expected. Being over by exactly one is a partial, not a failure. See The six rule types explained.

The six rule types explained What each kind of rule measures, exactly when it passes, and the only one that can score a half point. Create a rule from a template The 27 built-in rule templates across five categories, and how to add one on each platform. Sleep-based rules How a conditional modifier tightens your other rules after a bad night, why it stays N/A without sleep data, and how to enter that data by hand.

Still stuck? Email support@vexatrade.ai.