How to Block Trading Around High-Impact Events

EdgeFlo's Block Trading Settings let you set a window of time before and after high-impact news events during which new trades are automatically disabled - protecting you from the spike volatility and widened spreads that regularly occur around major economic releases.

Most blown accounts trace back to a handful of moments when emotion replaced discipline. Baking your news rules directly into the platform means you don't have to rely on willpower when volatility spikes.

Why This Feature Exists

High-impact news events are among the most dangerous moments to be entering a trade. Spreads widen, slippage increases, and price regularly spikes in both directions before establishing a direction. This is not a clean trading environment for most strategies.

The Block Trading feature does not stop you from monitoring your existing positions. It stops you from entering new ones during the window most likely to result in an unplanned, emotion-driven trade.

ℹ️ Note: Block Trading Settings in News applies specifically to news-based blocking. It works alongside Trading Guardrails.

Setting Up News-Based Trade Blocking

Open the News module from the left navigation bar.
Click the Block Trading Settings button in the top-right corner of the page. A settings panel will open.
Toggle the Block Trading on High-Impact News switch to the on position.
Set your Block Window - the number of minutes before and/or after a high-impact event that trading will be disabled. The default is 15 minutes. Available options are 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes.
Set your Block Behavior - choose whether to block trading Before the event only, After the event only, or Before and After.
Click Save to apply the settings. The block is now active and will apply automatically whenever a qualifying high-impact event falls within your set window.

💡 Tip: A block window of 15 minutes before and after is a reasonable starting point for most traders. This avoids the pre-news spread widening and the immediate post-news spike. You can adjust this based on your strategy and how fast your instruments typically settle after releases.

Which Events Trigger the Block

The block applies to High impact events only - indicated by a red dot in the News module. Medium and low impact events do not trigger the block.

EdgeFlo scans only the currencies on your watchlist when checking for qualifying events. If a high-impact USD event is scheduled but USD is not on your watchlist, the block will not be triggered. This keeps the protection relevant to what you actually trade.

⚠️ Important: If you want the block to apply to a currency, make sure it is included on your watchlist. A high-impact event for a currency you have not added to your watchlist will not trigger the block - even with Block Trading enabled.

What Happens When the Block Is Active

When you are inside a news block window, the Trade button will be disabled. You can still view your charts, monitor existing open positions, and check your PnL. The block only prevents opening new trades.

ℹ️ Note: Closing an existing position is never blocked. If you have an open trade during a news window and want to exit, you can do so at any time.

Disabling the Block

To turn off news-based trade blocking, open the News module, click Block Trading Settings in the top-right corner, and toggle the Enable News Block switch to the off position. The block will be removed immediately.

There is no temporary override. If you need to take a trade during a news window, you must disable the block entirely and then re-enable it afterward.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling the block permanently removes this protection until you re-enable it. If you are having a difficult trading day or feel a strong urge to trade through a news event, consider whether this is the moment to remove a guardrail you deliberately put in place.

Block Window Options

Setting	Options	Recommended for
Block Window	5, 10, 15, 30, 60 minutes	15 min is a solid default. Use 30 or 60 min if you trade instruments known for extended post-news volatility.
Block Behavior: Before	Blocks only before the event	Useful if you want to trade the post-news reaction but avoid getting caught by pre-news spread widening.
Block Behavior: After	Blocks only after the event	Not generally recommended - pre-news entries are where most traders are caught off guard.
Block Behavior: Before and After	Blocks both sides of the event	Recommended for most traders. Covers both the pre-news risk window and the immediate post-news spike.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the block apply to all currency pairs or only the ones on my watchlist?

Only pinned currency pairs on your watchlist are scanned for high-impact events.

Can I still close a position when the block is active?

Yes. Closing an existing position is never blocked. The block only prevents you from opening new trades during the news window.

The block window has passed but I still can't open a trade. What do I do?

Check whether a Guardrail is active with a separate block, such as a daily loss limit or drawdown limit breach. Guardrails blocks are separate from news-based blocks. If neither appears to be the cause, try refreshing EdgeFlo. If the issue continues, contact support with your details.

Does the block apply to medium-impact news events?

No. The block applies to High impact events only (the red dot in the News module). Medium and low impact events do not trigger the block regardless of your settings.