A Calm, Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
You open your dashboard and something isn’t right. Maybe the bot status shows an error. Maybe it hasn’t made a trade in days when it normally trades constantly. Maybe you got a notification saying the connection was lost. Maybe the balance just looks wrong.
Whatever the symptom — the first thing to do is take a breath.
In the vast majority of cases, a bot that stops working has a straightforward, fixable cause. It’s rarely a sign that something catastrophic has happened to your funds. Your money stays on your exchange regardless of what happens to the bot connection — so even in the worst case scenario technically speaking, your capital is safe.
This guide walks you through the most common reasons a trading bot stops working and exactly what to do about each one — calmly, methodically, and without making the situation worse.
Step One — Assess the Situation Before Doing Anything
Before you touch any settings or make any changes, spend two minutes gathering information. Rushing to fix something without understanding what’s wrong often makes things worse.
Ask yourself these questions:
What exactly is the bot doing — or not doing? Is it showing an error message? Has it stopped trading but still shows Active status? Did it stop completely? Is it making trades but in the wrong direction or size?
When did the problem start? Did it happen suddenly at a specific time? After you changed a setting? After your exchange announced maintenance? Knowing when helps identify what caused it.
Have you changed anything recently? New API key? Updated permissions? Changed bot settings? Moved funds on your exchange? Any recent change is the first suspect.
Is your exchange having issues? Before assuming the problem is with your bot or BitcoinEra — check your exchange’s status page. Many bot problems are actually exchange downtime issues that resolve themselves within hours.
Most major exchanges have a public status page:
- Binance: status.binance.com
- Bybit: status.bybit.com
- OKX: okxcomstatus.com
If your exchange is showing degraded performance or an outage — wait for it to resolve. Your bot will reconnect automatically in most cases.
The Most Common Problems — And How to Fix Them
Problem 1 — API Connection Error
What it looks like:
- Red or yellow connection indicator in your dashboard
- Error message containing words like “Invalid API Key”, “Authentication Failed”, or “Connection Lost”
- Bot status shows Active but no trades have been made in an unusually long time
What causes it:
API connection errors are the single most common technical issue bot users encounter. They happen for several reasons:
- The API key was deleted from the exchange accidentally
- The API key expired (some exchanges have expiry settings)
- The API key permissions were changed — removing trading access
- An IP restriction is blocking the bot’s server IP
- The exchange is temporarily unavailable
- The Secret Key was entered incorrectly when connecting
How to fix it:
Step 1 — Check Your Exchange API Management Page
Log in to your exchange and go to the API Management section. Find the API key you created for this bot.
Is it still there? If yes — proceed to Step 2. If it’s been deleted — skip to Step 4.
Step 2 — Check the Permissions
Click on the API key to view its permissions. Make sure the following are still enabled:
- ✅ Read
- ✅ Spot Trading (or Trade)
If any permission was accidentally disabled — re-enable it, save, and check if your bot reconnects within a few minutes.
Step 3 — Check the IP Restriction Settings
If you set up IP restrictions on your API key — verify that the bot’s server IP address is still on the approved list. IP addresses can change, and an outdated restriction will block the connection.
If you’re not sure what IP address to whitelist — contact BitcoinEra support for the current server IP.
Step 4 — Create a New API Key
If the original key was deleted, expired, or is otherwise unrecoverable — create a fresh API key on your exchange following the relevant guide:
👉 [How to Create an API Key on Binance →]
👉 [How to Create an API Key on Bybit →]
👉 [How to Create an API Key on OKX →]
Step 5 — Reconnect in BitcoinEra
Once you have a working API key — go to your bot in the BitcoinEra dashboard, disconnect the current connection, and reconnect using the new credentials.
Problem 2 — Bot Has Stopped Trading Completely
What it looks like:
- Bot status shows Active
- API connection is green
- No trades in the history for 24+ hours (or longer than normal for this strategy)
- No error messages anywhere
What causes it:
This is often not a problem at all — it’s the bot working exactly as designed.
Many strategies only trade when very specific market conditions are met. A trend-following bot won’t trade during a sideways market. A breakout bot won’t trade during a quiet consolidation period. A DCA bot may only place one trade per week. Silence from a bot is often strategy, not malfunction.
However, genuine inactivity problems can occur when:
- The bot’s trading pair has very low volume on your exchange
- The price has moved outside the bot’s configured operating range
- A bug in the bot’s logic is preventing it from triggering
- The allocated capital is too low for the bot to place trades at its configured position size
How to fix it:
Step 1 — Check the Bot’s Expected Trading Frequency
Go back to the bot’s catalog page and read the description carefully. What is the typical trading frequency for this strategy? If the bot normally trades a few times per week and it’s only been 24 hours — you may simply need to wait.
Step 2 — Check Current Market Conditions
Is Bitcoin currently moving in a way that would trigger this bot’s strategy? A breakout bot needs volatility. A trend-following bot needs a clear directional move. If the market is unusually quiet or choppy — the bot may be patiently waiting for the right conditions.
Step 3 — Check Your Capital Allocation
Make sure your allocated capital is sufficient for the bot’s minimum position size. If your allocation is $100 but the bot’s minimum trade size is $150 — it literally cannot place a trade. Increase your allocation or adjust the position size setting.
Step 4 — Check the Trading Pair Configuration
Verify that the trading pair configured in your bot settings (e.g. BTC/USDT) is active and liquid on your exchange. Occasionally exchange pairs are temporarily suspended or have very low volume.
Step 5 — Contact the Bot Author
If none of the above explains the inactivity — reach out to the bot’s author through BitcoinEra. They know their strategy best and can often identify unusual behavior quickly.
Problem 3 — Drawdown Limit Triggered
What it looks like:
- Bot status shows Stopped or Paused
- Notification received: “Drawdown limit reached”
- Trade history shows a series of losing trades leading up to the stop
What causes it:
This is not a malfunction — it’s your risk management working exactly as intended. You set a maximum loss threshold and the bot hit it. The bot stopped automatically to protect your remaining capital.
This is a good thing. It’s the system doing its job.
How to handle it:
Step 1 — Don’t Restart Immediately
The instinct is to restart the bot as quickly as possible — especially if you believe the market will recover. Resist this instinct. The drawdown limit triggered for a reason.
Step 2 — Review the Trade History
Go through every trade that contributed to the drawdown. What happened? Was there a sudden market crash? An unusual spike in volatility? A specific pattern of losing trades?
Understanding what caused the losses is essential before deciding whether to restart.
Step 3 — Assess Current Market Conditions
Is the market still in the conditions that caused the losses? If Bitcoin just crashed 15% and the market is still falling — restarting a trend-following bot immediately may lead to more losses. Wait for conditions to stabilize.
Step 4 — Review Your Risk Parameters
Were your risk settings appropriate? With hindsight — was the drawdown limit set at the right level? Were position sizes too large? This is the time to adjust before restarting.
Step 5 — Restart When You’re Ready
Once you understand what happened and you’re satisfied that conditions are appropriate for restarting — go to your dashboard, reset the drawdown counter, and reactivate the bot.
💡 If the same drawdown limit triggers again within a short period after restarting — the current market conditions are genuinely unfavorable for this strategy. Consider pausing the bot until conditions improve rather than repeatedly restarting into losses.
Problem 4 — Bot Is Making Unexpected Trades
What it looks like:
- Trades are opening or closing at prices you don’t expect
- Position sizes look larger or smaller than your settings suggest
- The bot is trading pairs you didn’t configure
- Trades are happening at times that don’t match the strategy description
What causes it:
- Settings were changed accidentally — by you or in a platform update
- A misunderstanding of how the strategy works
- A bug in the bot’s logic (rare but possible)
- Someone else has access to your BitcoinEra account (security concern)
How to handle it:
Step 1 — Pause the Bot Immediately
If trades are happening that you genuinely don’t understand or expect — pause the bot first. This stops new trades from opening while you investigate. Existing open positions will remain until they close naturally.
Step 2 — Review Your Current Settings
Go to the bot’s settings page and review every parameter. Compare them to what you originally configured. Have any values changed from what you intended?
Step 3 — Read the Bot’s Strategy Description Again
Sometimes what looks like unexpected behavior is actually the strategy working correctly — just in a way you didn’t fully understand when you set it up. Reread the bot description and documentation carefully.
Step 4 — Check Your Account Security
If you genuinely cannot explain the trades and your settings look correct — change your BitcoinEra password immediately and check your login history for any unauthorized access. If anything looks suspicious, contact support right away.
Step 5 — Contact the Bot Author or Support
If you’ve checked everything and still can’t explain the behavior — reach out. The bot author can review the trade logic and the BitcoinEra support team can investigate from the platform side.
Problem 5 — Balance Looks Wrong
What it looks like:
- The balance shown in BitcoinEra doesn’t match what you see on your exchange
- Funds appear to be missing
- The numbers just don’t add up
What causes it:
In the vast majority of cases this is not a real problem — it’s a display or timing issue:
- BitcoinEra updates balance data at regular intervals — there may be a short delay between a trade closing on the exchange and the dashboard reflecting the updated balance
- Unrealized losses on open positions reduce your displayed balance temporarily
- Exchange fees reduce your balance slightly with each trade — this is normal
- You may have moved funds on your exchange outside the bot’s allocation
How to handle it:
Step 1 — Check Your Exchange Directly
Log in to your exchange and check your actual balance there. This is the source of truth — not the BitcoinEra dashboard.
Step 2 — Account for Open Positions
If the bot has open positions, those funds are currently tied up in trades. The unrealized profit or loss on those positions affects your displayed balance.
Step 3 — Wait for the Dashboard to Refresh
If your exchange balance looks correct but BitcoinEra is showing a different number — wait 5–10 minutes and refresh the dashboard. Balance sync has a short delay.
Step 4 — Check Your Trade History for Fees
Review your exchange trade history and note the fees charged on each trade. Over many trades these can add up and explain a portion of the apparent discrepancy.
Step 5 — Contact Support If Funds Are Genuinely Missing
If after all of the above your exchange balance is lower than it should be and you cannot account for the difference — contact BitcoinEra support and your exchange support immediately. Include screenshots of your trade history and balance history.
🔒 Remember: BitcoinEra never has custody of your funds. If funds are missing from your exchange, the issue is at the exchange level — not with BitcoinEra.
Problem 6 — Bot Keeps Triggering Stop Losses
What it looks like:
- Stop loss triggers repeatedly on consecutive trades
- Win rate has dropped significantly from historical average
- Balance is declining steadily despite the bot being “active”
What causes it:
This is one of the most important situations to understand correctly — because the right response depends entirely on the cause.
Cause A — Market conditions are unfavorable for this strategy This is the most common cause. A grid bot running during a strong downtrend will trigger stop losses repeatedly. A breakout bot in a low-volatility choppy market will get repeatedly faked out. The bot isn’t broken — it’s running in the wrong conditions.
Cause B — Stop loss is set too tight If your stop loss is 0.5% and Bitcoin regularly moves 1–2% in normal trading — your stop loss will trigger constantly on normal price noise, not actual bad trades.
Cause C — The strategy itself is underperforming Less common but possible — the bot’s strategy may simply not be working well in the current market environment.
How to handle it:
Step 1 — Assess Market Conditions
What is Bitcoin doing right now? Is it trending strongly in a direction that works against this strategy? If yes — the bot may simply need to wait for better conditions.
Step 2 — Review Your Stop Loss Setting
Is your stop loss tight enough to be triggered by normal market noise? For Bitcoin, a stop loss below 1.5–2% is often too tight for most strategies. Consider widening it slightly.
Step 3 — Compare to Historical Performance
How does the current win rate compare to the bot’s historical win rate over an equivalent time period? A temporary dip is normal. A sustained large gap may indicate a strategy issue.
Step 4 — Consider Pausing During Unfavorable Conditions
If market conditions are clearly unfavorable for the strategy — it’s reasonable to pause the bot and wait. This is not panic-stopping — it’s informed, strategic management.
When to Contact Support
Most bot problems can be resolved using this guide. But there are situations where you should reach out to the BitcoinEra support team directly:
- 🆘 You cannot explain trades that have occurred on your account
- 🆘 Your exchange balance is lower than it should be and you can’t account for the difference
- 🆘 Your API connection shows an error that persists after creating a new API key
- 🆘 The bot is exhibiting behavior that completely contradicts its documented strategy
- 🆘 You suspect unauthorized access to your account
- 🆘 You’ve followed all the troubleshooting steps above and the problem persists
When contacting support, include:
- Your account email
- Which bot you’re running
- Which exchange you’re connected to
- A screenshot of the error message or unusual behavior
- A description of when the problem started and what changed around that time
The more information you provide upfront, the faster the support team can help you.
Quick Troubleshooting Reference
| Symptom | Most Likely Cause | First Action |
|---|---|---|
| API connection error | Key deleted or permissions changed | Check exchange API Management |
| Bot not trading | Normal strategy behavior or low volume | Check strategy description and market conditions |
| Drawdown limit triggered | Risk management working correctly | Review trade history before restarting |
| Unexpected trades | Settings changed or misunderstood | Pause bot and review settings |
| Balance looks wrong | Display delay or open positions | Check exchange directly |
| Repeated stop losses | Unfavorable market conditions | Assess market and review stop loss level |
| Bot status shows Error | Technical issue | Check error message and contact support |
Summary
Here’s what we covered in this guide:
- How to assess the situation calmly before taking any action
- How to diagnose and fix API connection errors
- What to do when a bot stops trading unexpectedly
- How to handle a drawdown limit trigger correctly
- What to do when a bot makes unexpected trades
- How to investigate an apparent balance discrepancy
- How to respond to repeated stop loss triggers
- When to contact support — and what information to include
⚠️ Risk Disclaimer: Trading cryptocurrencies involves significant risk of financial loss. Past performance of any trading bot does not guarantee future results. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. Technical issues with bots do not guarantee the safety of your funds — always maintain appropriate risk settings.
