The 10 FAQ every trader asks about Email Trader.
FAQ (common questions we anticipate)
Q1. 5–15s latency… isn’t that too slow?
For HFT, yes. But for most retail algo strategies (TradingView signals, swing trading, daily/weekly systems), a few seconds don’t change the outcome. The trade-off is stronger security + zero server dependency.
Q2. What if Gmail goes down?
Gmail has ~99.9% uptime and globally distributed infra. In case of outage, signals are just delayed — similar to any SaaS relay. The difference is, no external vendor is in the middle.
Q3. Why not just use the IBKR WebAPI?
WebAPI only supports basic stock trades. With TWS API you get full coverage (stocks, options, futures, FX) + richer order types. And with Email Trader we remove the API key management problem entirely.
Q4. Isn’t parsing emails fragile compared to webhooks?
Emails are cryptographically signed (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) + OAuth2.0 validated by Google. On top of that, Email Trader adds a sender whitelist. That’s often stronger than raw API keys stored on third-party servers.
Q5. Why no dashboards?
Instead of dashboards, you get logs:
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Session logs = all actions during the session, timestamped.
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Trade logs = each trade stored in DB with timestamps.
This way you see exactly what worked and what failed, without UI clutter.
Q6. How many trades per day can it handle?
We cap it at 1000/day. Under the hood, it’s multi-threaded and tested at ~3 trades/sec on a good machine. More than enough for most retail/semi-pro use cases.
Q7. Is there a free trial?
Yes: one-week free trial. For the launch (until end 2025), we can also provide Microsoft Store / Apple Store promo keys on request.
Q8. Can it connect to other brokers?
The philosophy behind Email Trader is to avoid handling API keys ourselves and to remain a secure intermediary built on proven standards. For that reason, if we expand broker support, we’ll focus on those that secure their APIs with OAuth2.0 (such as Alpaca, for which we already have a functional prototype). Whether we move further in that direction will depend on user demand.
Q9. Is it audited or validated externally?
Yes. Gmail API access required a TAC Security audit, which included a full review of the source code itself (maximum rating obtained). We also passed Google’s OAuth2.0 validation. Distribution through the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store ensures sandboxing and code-signing compliance.
Q10. What if TWS crashes?
We’ve built in logs, anti-replay checks, and error handling. If TWS is down, trades are held until the connection recovers. Of course, nothing in software is ever 100% predictable — but we’ve done our best to ensure resilience and transparency.
About my recent Reddit rollercoaster
Reddit has reinstated both r/emailtrader and u/emailtrader after last week’s mistaken ban — very encouraging news. I’ll make sure to stay aligned with the community spirit, contributing knowledge first and using official Reddit Ads when it comes to promotion.
At the same time, r/interactivebrokers’ moderators recently banned me. I’ve already appealed and hope it can be resolved. Either way, I believe Reddit remains one of the best platforms to connect with thoughtful traders, and I’ll do my best to share Email Trader’s progress in the most transparent and constructive way possible.