The Trade Logging Problem Every ATAS Trader Has
If you trade with ATAS and a prop firm, you've lived this cycle: you finish your trading session, open your journal or spreadsheet, manually export a CSV from ATAS, upload it to your journal, then try to figure out where your trailing drawdown stands. By the time you're done, the data is already stale and you've spent 15 minutes on something that should take zero.
Or worse: you skip it entirely. You tell yourself you'll do it later, and later becomes never. Your journal falls behind, you lose visibility into your rules, and one day you discover you were $200 from a trailing drawdown violation — after the fact.
This isn't a discipline problem. It's a workflow problem. If logging trades requires multiple steps, switching between apps, and manual data entry, it will always fall behind. The only trade journal that works is one that happens automatically.
The Solution: A Live ATAS-to-PropControl Bridge
PropControl includes a custom ATAS indicator that creates a live, two-way connection between your trading platform and your prop firm dashboard. Here's what it does:
Every trade you take in ATAS is automatically synced to PropControl. The moment you close a position, the trade data — entry, exit, P&L, contracts, symbol, timestamp — flows into your PropControl journal via API. No export, no upload, no delay.
Your prop firm rules update in real time. As trades sync, your trailing drawdown floor, daily loss counter, equity curve, and all prop account metrics recalculate instantly. You see the impact of every trade on your rules the second it happens.
A prop firm dashboard appears directly inside your ATAS chart. This is the part that no other journal offers. The PropControl indicator renders an overlay inside ATAS itself — showing your daily loss, trailing drawdown percentage, remaining room, and max risk per trade. You never have to leave your chart to check your rules.
The In-Chart Prop Firm Dashboard
The PropControl ATAS indicator displays a compact dashboard directly inside your chart window. Here's what you see at a glance:
Today's P&L
Your cumulative daily result, updated in real time with every closed trade. Color-coded: green for positive, red for negative.
Daily loss used
Shows the dollar amount used and the percentage of your daily loss limit consumed. At a glance you know how much room you have left today.
Trailing drawdown
Your current trailing drawdown distance as a percentage and dollar amount. Shows how close you are to the floor — the number that determines whether you keep your account.
Max risk per trade
Based on your current balance and drawdown distance, PropControl calculates the maximum dollar risk you should take on your next trade. A live guardrail for position sizing.
The dashboard also shows your account name (so you know which prop account you're trading), the remaining drawdown in dollars, and the current time — all in a compact overlay that doesn't obstruct your chart or orderflow analysis.
Think of it as the instrument panel of a cockpit. A pilot doesn't fly without altitude, speed, and fuel gauges visible at all times. As a prop trader, you shouldn't trade without your drawdown, daily loss, and risk gauges visible either.
How to Set It Up (Step by Step)
Create your PropControl account
Go to app.propcontrol.io and sign up for a free 14-day trial. No credit card required. Once inside, create a Prop Account and select your firm (Apex, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, Leeloo, or custom). PropControl auto-configures the correct drawdown, daily limits, and rules.
Download the PropControl ATAS indicator
In PropControl, go to Settings and find the ATAS Integration section. Download the PropControl indicator file. This is a custom ATAS indicator built specifically for the integration. You'll also get your unique API key that connects your ATAS to your PropControl account.
Install the indicator in ATAS
Open ATAS. Go to your Indicators list and import the PropControl indicator file. Add it to any chart — it will appear as a compact dashboard overlay in the corner of your chart window. Enter your API key in the indicator settings to connect it to your PropControl account.
Select your prop account
In the indicator settings, select which PropControl prop account this ATAS instance should sync with. If you're running multiple accounts, you can add the indicator to different chart workspaces, each connected to a different account.
Trade normally
That's it. Take your trades as you normally would. Every closed position syncs automatically. The in-chart dashboard updates in real time. Your PropControl web dashboard updates simultaneously. Your journal, analytics, and prop account metrics are always current — without you doing anything extra.
Total setup time: approximately 5 minutes. After that, you never have to think about trade logging again.
CSV Import vs. Auto-Sync: Why It Matters
Most trading journals — including Tradervue, TradeZella, and Edgewonk — rely on CSV exports or broker syncing that updates once or twice per day. Here's why the PropControl auto-sync is fundamentally different:
| Feature | CSV Import (traditional) | PropControl Auto-Sync |
|---|---|---|
| When data arrives | After session (manual export) | Instantly after each trade |
| Manual steps required | Export → Save → Upload → Map fields | Zero — fully automatic |
| Prop rules update | After import (delayed) | Real time with each trade |
| In-chart visibility | None — switch to browser | Dashboard inside ATAS chart |
| Drawdown tracking | Not available (most journals) | Live trailing DD with alerts |
| Risk of data gap | High — trader forgets to export | Zero — always synced |
| Multi-account | Manual per account | Per indicator instance |
The core difference: CSV import gives you a rearview mirror. Auto-sync gives you a windshield. One shows you what happened after the session. The other shows you what's happening right now — while you can still act on it.
What Gets Synced and Tracked
Every closed trade flows from ATAS to PropControl with the following data:
Trade data: Entry price, exit price, number of contracts, symbol, side (long/short), entry time, exit time, gross P&L, commissions.
Prop account metrics (auto-calculated): Running daily P&L, daily loss limit consumed (dollar and percentage), trailing drawdown floor position, distance to trailing drawdown violation, whether the drawdown floor has locked, consistency rule progress (if applicable), progress toward profit target.
In-chart dashboard (ATAS overlay): Today's P&L, daily loss used (dollar + percentage), trailing drawdown distance (percentage), remaining drawdown in dollars, max risk per trade (calculated from balance and drawdown room).
PropControl web dashboard (full analytics): Equity curve plotted against trailing drawdown floor, performance calendar, win rate, profit factor, average CRV, performance by time of day, by setup, by symbol, trade journal with screenshots and notes, AI Prop-Coach analysis.
The ATAS indicator handles the real-time sync. The PropControl web app handles the deep analytics. Together they form a complete system: you see the critical numbers while you trade, and you see the full picture when you review.
Related: Trailing Drawdown Explained — The Complete Guide for Futures Prop TradersSee your prop firm rules while you trade
The PropControl ATAS indicator auto-syncs every trade and shows your trailing drawdown, daily loss, and max risk directly inside your chart. Set it up in 5 minutes.
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Built by an ATAS trader, for ATAS traders
I trade with ATAS every day. I built this indicator because I needed my prop firm rules visible while I trade — not after the session when it's too late. Now you can use it too.
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