Topstep Rules Explained: Maximum Loss Limit and Consistency
Rules checked against Topstep's help center on October 16, 2026. Prop firms change their rules often, so confirm the current version on Topstep's help center before you trade. Stopline is not affiliated with Topstep.
The short version
A Topstep Trading Combine has one rule and two objectives. The rule is to never let your balance touch the Maximum Loss Limit. The objectives are to reach the profit target and to meet the 55% consistency target, according to Topstep's Trading Combine parameters. Get the loss limit wrong and the account is gone. Get consistency wrong and you just have to trade longer.
| Account size | Profit target | Maximum Loss Limit | Max contracts |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | 5 minis or 50 micros |
| $100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | 10 minis or 100 micros |
| $150K | $9,000 | $4,500 | 15 minis or 150 micros |
Loss limits come from Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit article, profit targets from its consistency article and contract limits from the Combine parameters page. You need at least two trading days to pass, and a trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the next day.
How the Maximum Loss Limit trails
The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is the lowest your balance is allowed to go. On a 50K Combine you start at $50,000 and the MLL starts $2,000 below, at $48,000. Each time the account closes the day at a new high, the MLL moves up by the same amount. It never moves down. Once it reaches your starting balance it locks there for good (Topstep).
| Day | End-of-day balance | MLL |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $50,000 | $48,000 |
| Day 1: +$500 | $50,500 | $48,500 |
| Day 2: -$500 | $50,000 | $48,500 |
| Later: balance closes at $52,000 | $52,000 | $50,000, locked |
Two details catch people out. First, the MLL only moves at the end of the day, so a big open profit that you give back before the close does not raise it. Second, the limit is checked in real time against your balance including open trades. Topstep's own example: with the MLL at $48,000, an open trade dips the balance to $47,750, the account is liquidated, and the fill comes back at $48,050. It is still a breach, because the limit was touched first.
Try it in the calculator
Say your best end-of-day balance so far is $51,200 and you are now at $50,800. Your MLL is $51,200 minus $2,000, or $49,200, so you have $1,600 of room. Enter your highest end-of-day balance, not your highest intraday balance, and set the lock to "Starting balance".
Open this example in the trailing drawdown calculator →
The Express Funded Account works differently
After you pass, the Express Funded Account (XFA) starts at a $0 balance. The 50K label describes buying power, not money in the account. The MLL starts at -$2,000, trails up the same way, and locks at $0 once your balance reaches $2,000. After your first payout the MLL is set to $0, so whatever balance is left becomes your cushion (Topstep).
The calculator needs a positive starting balance, so add $50,000 to every number: enter a $50,000 start, and a $700 high becomes $50,700. The room left comes out the same.
The 55% consistency target
In the Combine, your best single day must be no more than 55% of your total profit. The check is best day / total profit. There is no rounding and no buffer (Topstep).
| Account size | Profit target | Keep your best day under |
|---|---|---|
| $50K | $3,000 | $1,650 |
| $100K | $6,000 | $3,300 |
| $150K | $9,000 | $4,950 |
Going over does not fail the account. It raises your target to best day / 0.55. Topstep's example: a $1,800 best day on a 50K means you need $3,273 in total profit instead of $3,000, without any single day topping $1,800. If a later day makes $2,200, that becomes your new best day and the target rises to $4,000. Losing days do not reset your best day.
Timing matters too. Your best day locks at 3:10 PM CT. If you set a new best day today, any extra profit you make today just adds to that best day, so the remaining profit has to come on a later day.
Check the $1,800 example in the consistency calculator →
XFA payouts: the 40% consistency path
When you activate an XFA you choose a Standard or Consistency payout path. On the Consistency path, your largest single day must be 40% or less of your total net profit, with at least 3 trading days. Topstep's example is $3,600 divided by $9,500, or 37.9%, which qualifies. After you request a payout the count resets to $0 and starts again the next trading day (Topstep).
A simple plan for a 50K Combine
- Cap each day well under $1,650 so consistency never becomes a problem. Topstep lets you set a Personal Daily Profit Target in TopstepX to help with this.
- Size trades from the room you have left, not from the $2,000 headline number. Use the position size calculator with your room left as the account risk budget.
- Track your pace with the profit target pace calculator, and log every day in the journal.
This guide is educational and not financial advice. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss.