Different traders have different needs. So IB's Trader WorkstationSM (TWS) has been designed to allow for customizing TWS components to suit your trading preferences.
When you first launch the Trader Workstation, the platform opens in a single tab-based frame. You have a choice of layouts from the Mosaic pre-formatted workspace and the Classic TWS spreadsheet layout. With the release of TWS build 961, a new Layout Library was introduced with 22 new layout designs to choose from.
The default layouts consist of the basics you need to start trading. Use the layouts as-is or unlock and edit to make it your own. You can always add items or re-arrange as you find a need.
Each workgroup, window or panel is customizable so you have control over what to display. You can add, remove and resize tools. Use the windows group linking icon to connect tools to your selected ticker(s).
Toggle between your layouts by simply clicking each tab on the bottom of the frame.
Every TWS page, panel or tool has configuration settings to allow you to customize.
The Global Configuration window – accessed from File > Global Configuration or anywhere you see a Configure Wrench – provides a central area to define your preferred settings. The left navigation panel shows you components that are universal to the TWS platform and includes expandable categories that let you drill down to individually configure each tool.
Look for the Wrench icon in each window’s title bar to find the applicable configuration choices for each tool/window. This flexibility lets you customize your work environment according to your trading needs.
To customize the basic Display settings click the "+" to expand the category selections. Information icons will provide hover help tooltips.
Any changes to your TWS settings are automatically saved by default to your computer each time you exit TWS. So any configuration changes, tickers added or component modules that have been opened will be visible when next logging into TWS exactly the way they appeared when you last logged off.
TWS automatically stores your configuration choices, specific to your user id in a settings file –
If you've made inadvertent changes, or don't know how to undo a change – choose the File > Layout/Settings Recovery command to quickly revert to a previously saved configuration.
The Mosaic workspace and Layout Library designs provide a collection of interchangeable windows that give you the flexibility to add, remove, resize, reconfigure and rearrange these separate, individual components.
Above the pre-formatted workspace windows is a toolbar with icons that apply to the entire workgroup – such as a Configure Wrench, expand to full screen, increase/decrease font sizes and locking/unlocking the layout editor.
Individual windows all contain a Configure Wrench for choices specific to that feature. For example the configuration wrench for the Monitor window opens to display all available market data fields. The News window Configure Wrench lets you filter individual news feeds, specify topic, or filter headlines to a ticker, portfolio or Watchlist.
Both the Monitor and News windows also let you add more tabs within the window. Click the "+" tab and select from the multiple formats. Or add a Social Sentiment news tab and configure for a particular ticker, items in your Watchlist or your portfolio holdings.
Advisors and other multi-account types have full trading and share allocation capabilities in the Mosaic workspace. The Mosaic Order Entry window for Advisor accounts includes the ability to specify the applicable Account Groups or Allocation Profiles when placing orders.
You can also add the Allocation and Method fields to the Order Entry window with the Configuration wrench.
For more information on creating Pre-Trade Allocations profiles and setting up Account Groups, please refer to TWS User Guide.
The Classic TWS spreadsheet tab displays expanded quote details along with Position and P&L fields in the quote line for real-time position information wherever a held ticker is displayed. Available market data fields can be added with the Configure Wrench.
Unlike the Mosaic interface with a separate Order Entry window, Classic TWS uses Quick Click Order entry from the Bid/Ask prices. Multiple orders can be created and managed from the Quote Monitor spreadsheets.
Order Presets expand the usefulness of default order settings by allowing you to create multiple named order strategies by asset class or by specific ticker. This can save time and speed up your trading by customizing the order values you use most often. Right click on any ticker row and choose Configure Order Presets. Or access through Global Configuration > Presets.
Preset values will populate an order row when you initiate a trade. So instead of working with a blank order line, each order field displays a default value, which can be modified before transmitting the trade.
Order presets are laid out in a three-level hierarchy.
Each sub-level inherits the settings and default values from the upper level preset. You can see this when you create an order in TWS. The order row will populate with a Day Limit order for 1 contract or 100 shares at the current bid/ask price.
Select the instrument type first, to create separate default values for stocks, futures or forex trades.
The values you set will pre-populate when you create an order for the specified asset class. These can be modified on a per-order basis.
Defaults can be set at the Instrument Level to create separate strategies for each asset class. The ... Green ball indicates the Active order default for all tickers of that instrument type.
Timing – set the time in force for your trades. Some futures contracts trade in a virtual 24 hour market, to participate select Allow order to be activated outside regular trading hours.
Size – set the number of contracts, shares, or specify an amount.
Use the Preset button in left panel to create new additional strategies.
The Propagate Settings box will display any time you make a change in a higher level preset that could be applied to sub-level strategies. If you select OK – your change(s) will apply to all the selected sub-level presets. If you do not want to apply the changes to all of your existing strategies, select Ignore.
For example: The top level preset uses $1.00 for Stop Price as well as Target order – so when you create an order and attach a bracket the target profit limit is $1 above the parent and the protective stop is $1 below the parent limit price. Presets created at the instrument level will 'inherit' these settings, which can be changed individually.
This section of the Order Presets page includes system default limits in both the Size Limit and Total Value Limit fields.
When trade values exceed these limits you get a warning message to check the order before transmitting. This helps prevent mistyped order values. You can override the warning and transmit, or set your own precautionary limits, or disable by entering zero in these fields.
Please note while you can bypass these precautionary settings, that IB will reject trades if the order price is too far away from NBBO (currently 10% for stocks; 20% for options).
When multiple strategies are created, you can select a different named strategy from the Preset field in an interactive quote line in the Classic TWS spreadsheet before you create an order row.
Trader Workstation gives you more control over the workspace, with the Optimized order entry modules designed to meet specific trading needs – such as for options, forex, spreads, algos etc. Look for the Configuration wrench in each component feature for the available choices.
Be sure to check the website menu Trading | Desktop Trading | Trading Tools for a description of all the optimized features available on the TWS Platform.