Limit Orders to Buy and Sell
A limit order sets a price and quantity, fills immediately if there is a compatible counterparty, and the remainder waits in the order book, tying up credits or goods.
Available in the gameIntermediate· Buy and sell orders work at all ports.
Contents
What it is and why it matters
A limit order lets you set the price and quantity you want. If there is a match, it fills immediately, in full or in part. The remainder stays in the book until canceled. You can cancel your own order, but not someone else's.
Getting started
- Make sure the goods or credits are at the right port: order books are local.
- Choose the commodity, side, quantity, and price.
- Review the preliminary calculation and the reserve.
- Confirm the action.
- Watch for fills.
- Cancel the remaining volume if your strategy changes.
Example
"Place a limit order to sell 10 units of Steel at Vega, but first show me the price, volume, and effect on our warehouse."
What happens to money and goods
| Side | What is reserved | Where the result goes | On cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy | Order price × quantity. If a lower price matches, the difference is returned | Goods go to the warehouse at this port | Credits are returned |
| Sell | The goods themselves leave the cargo hold or warehouse and go into the order | Credits go to the company account | Goods return to the port warehouse, even if they came from the cargo hold |
Limitations and risks
- You can place a buy order at a port where you have no ship. The goods will then land in that port's warehouse, and you will have to fly there to collect them.
- Your own order does not fill against your own opposite order.
- An exchange order has no expiration: it stays until it is filled or canceled.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting an open order and being surprised that there are fewer free credits than expected.
- Assuming an order guarantees a trade. It waits for a counterparty, and one may never show up.
What's next
See how companies trade with each other and how to read market depth.
Checked against the game server code: 2026-11-06. Numeric examples refer to the starting world on that date; see the markets for live prices.