My First Day Trade
Execute your first intraday trade with AI guidance. Start small, learn fast.
Note: Day trading is advanced and not the default for most modern retail traders. If you’re earlier in your journey (0.5–3 years, time‑constrained, social‑influenced), start with Money Monty (generalist) or Maverick (swing) workflows first, and use paper trading.
⏱️ Complete in: 20-30 minutes 📱🌐 Platform: Both 👤 Best for: Experienced day traders (use paper trading first!)
🎯 What You'll Learn
How to find day trade setups
Entry and exit timing
Risk management
Using AI for trade ideas
Closing positions same day
Important: Use Ape Paper Trading Account for your first 10-20 day trades!
📋 Prerequisites
Before you start:
✅ Have Ape Paper Trading Account (or real brokerage connected)
✅ Selected Blitz companion (day trader focus; advanced)
✅ Market is open (9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET)
✅ Have 30 minutes to actively monitor
🚀 Step-by-Step Workflow
Step 1: Find a Day Trade Setup (5 min)
Go to Chat, use Quick Prompt: Tap "Major Support and Resistance" for your ticker, or ask:
"Find me a day trade stock setup right now"
AI might respond:
"TSLA day trade setup:
Entry: $465-467
Target: $472 (+1.5%)
Stop loss: $462 (-0.6%)
Volume strong, breaking resistance
Risk/reward: 2.5:1"
Step 2: Research the Stock (2 min)
Tap TSLA to open ticker page:
Check Snapshot Grades (want Technical A or B)
Check current price
Confirm volume is high
Check news (any catalyst?)
If grades look good → Continue If Technical grade D or F → Skip, ask AI for another setup
Step 3: Plan Your Trade (3 min)
Write down (or mentally note):
Entry price: $465-467
Target price: $472
Stop loss: $462
Position size: Start small! (100 shares paper, or 10-20 shares real)
Max loss if stopped: ~$50 (manageable)
Risk only 1-2% of your account on first trades!
Step 4: Execute Entry (2 min)
When price hits your entry zone ($465-467):
Option A: From Chat
Tap "Execute Trade" button (if AI gave you a setup)
Review order: Buy 100 shares TSLA, Limit $466
Confirm
Option B: From Ticker Page
Ticker page → Trade button
Buy 100 shares, Limit $466
Confirm
Order placed! ✅
Step 5: Set Stop Loss Immediately (1 min)
As soon as you're filled:
Go to Portfolio tab
Find your TSLA position
Set stop loss order: Sell 100 shares at $462
Confirm
This protects you if trade goes wrong!
Never skip this step.
Step 6: Monitor Position (Variable)
Now you wait and watch:
If stock moves toward target ($472):
✅ Great! Be patient
Don't get greedy, stick to plan
If stock moves toward stop ($462):
⚠️ Prepare to exit
Stop loss will trigger automatically
If stock just chops around $465-467:
😐 Normal, give it time
If no movement after 1-2 hours, consider exiting break-even
Check every 15-30 minutes, not every minute (avoid stress)
Step 7: Take Profits at Target (2 min)
Stock hits $472! Target reached!
Execute exit:
Portfolio → Tap TSLA position
Sell 100 shares, Market order (or Limit $472)
Confirm
Cancel your stop loss order (no longer needed)
Trade closed! ✅
Profit: Bought at $466, sold at $472 = +$600 on 100 shares! (+1.3%)
Step 8: Review Your Trade (5 min)
Win or lose, always review:
Questions to ask:
Did I follow my plan? (entry, target, stop)
Was my entry price good?
Did I exit too early/late?
What could I improve?
Was position size appropriate?
Write notes (journal):
"TSLA day trade +$600. Setup was solid, entry good, took profits at target. Could have held for $474 but sticking to plan is more important. Good trade."
Learning from every trade = getting better
💡 Key Day Trading Rules
Rule #1: Close Everything by 4 PM
Day trades = same day in and out
Don't hold overnight (defeats the purpose)
Avoid after-hours risk
Rule #2: Use Stop Losses ALWAYS
Protect your downside
Automated exit if wrong
Prevents big losses
Rule #3: Start Small
10-20 shares real money
Or 100+ shares paper trading
Build confidence first
Rule #4: Only Trade High Volume Stocks
Volume > 5M shares
Easy to enter and exit
Tight spreads
Rule #5: Don't Revenge Trade
Lost money? Stop for the day
Emotional trading = more losses
Come back tomorrow fresh
⚠️ Common Mistakes (Avoid These!)
Mistake #1: No Stop Loss
Result: Big losses
Fix: ALWAYS set stop immediately after entry
Mistake #2: Holding Losers
Result: -1% becomes -5%, -10%
Fix: Cut losses fast, stop loss does this
Mistake #3: Moving Target/Stop
Result: "Just $2 more..." then it crashes
Fix: Stick to original plan, no changes mid-trade
Mistake #4: Trading Too Large
Result: Stress, big losses
Fix: Start tiny, build size slowly
Mistake #5: Trading Too Much
Result: Death by 1000 cuts (fees, bad trades)
Fix: 1-3 trades per day max when starting
📊 Example Day Trade Results
Winning Trade
Entry: NVDA @ $880
Exit: $888
Profit: +$800 on 100 shares (+0.9%)
Time: 1.5 hours
Result: ✅ Good
Losing Trade (Stopped Out)
Entry: AMD @ $180
Stop hit: $178
Loss: -$200 on 100 shares (-1.1%)
Time: 30 minutes
Result: ❌ Loss, but controlled
Break-Even Trade
Entry: AAPL @ $175
Exit: $175.10 (no movement)
Profit: +$10 (essentially break-even)
Time: 2 hours
Result: ⚪ Neutral, move on
Win rate goal: 50-60% winning trades Average win > Average loss = profitable over time
🎓 Next Steps After First Trade
After 1 trade:
Review it
Rest
Do another tomorrow
After 10 trades:
Calculate win rate
Calculate average profit/loss
Identify patterns
After 50 trades:
You're developing skills
Consider slightly larger size
Still paper trading? Switch to small real money
After 100 trades:
You're a day trader now
Know what works for YOU
Scale up cautiously
❓ FAQ
Q: What if I get stopped out? A: That's why stops exist! Small loss, move on. Next trade.
Q: Should I day trade every day? A: No! Only when setups are there. Some days = no trades.
Q: Can I make a living day trading? A: Eventually, maybe. But takes 1-2 years to master. Start part-time.
Q: How much money do I need? A: $5,000 minimum (PDT rule if <$25K). But use paper trading first!
What's Next?
More Day Trading:
Premarket Routine → - Morning prep
Following WSB Trends → - Social momentum trades
Continue Learning:
Paper Trading → - Practice more
Options Learning → - Options day trading
Your First Day Trade = The Beginning of Your Trading Journey! Start small, learn fast, grow steady! 🚀📈
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