---
title: "Set risk per trade and calculate lot size"
slug: "risk-per-trade-and-position-size"
kind: "HELP_ARTICLE"
category: "strategies"
locale: "en"
canonical: "https://app.forecastcity.com/help/strategies/risk-per-trade-and-position-size"
published: "2026-10-17T00:53:43.804Z"
updated: "2026-10-29T18:56:34.435Z"
description: "Set a risk percentage of your account balance in AI Strategy Studio so your strategy calculates the lot size from the stop distance on every alert."
---

# Set risk per trade and calculate lot size

Keeping risk consistent on every trade is one of the keys to trading success; **AI Strategy Studio** works directly with **AI Trading Journal** to calculate your position size simply and in real time. You no longer need a calculator or pip-value tables for each symbol; set your risk percentage or dollar amount once and the platform automatically calculates the exact position size (`Lots`) on every trade from the distance between entry and stop loss.

Example: your account balance is `$10,000` and you set risk per trade to `1%` (`$100`). If your first trade on EURUSD has a `20 pips` stop loss, the studio calculates `0.50 lots`; if your next trade has a `50 pips` stop loss, it automatically lowers the size to `0.20 lots` so your risk stays at `$100`.

## Set risk per trade in the Build tab

1.  In the **Build** tab, click the dashed **\+ risk per trade** button (or the risk link at the end of the strategy sentence) to open the risk panel.
    
2.  Select one of the risk percentage preset chips (`0.5%`, `1%`, `1.5%` or `2%`) or enter a custom percentage or dollar amount.
    
3.  Choose your account balance source (**Balance source**): pick one of your connected accounts in AI Trading Journal (a real account connected with **ForecastFollow** or a Virtual Account) so the live balance is read automatically, or type a fixed balance amount.
    

![Risk per trade panel and automatic position-size calculation in AI Strategy Studio](https://m.forecastcity.com/t/tnt_forecastcity/media/b9/b996a7df0c9f60448a02ef0f401f5733c35df9bff2bbe89bf404e6071dc96f10.png)

Risk per trade panel and automatic lot-size calculation

1.  The **‹ The strategy** back button at the top of the risk panel
    
2.  Risk percentage preset chips (`0.5%` to `2%`) and custom percentage box
    
3.  Selecting a connected **ForecastFollow** account or typing a custom balance amount
    
4.  Dollar risk per trade and the **Remove the risk part** button
    

## Where the calculated size is used

-   In the **Build** tab: the **If you enter now, on the chart** table displays the exact position size for the current candle.
    
-   In the **Test** and **Run** tabs: the historical test engine and the live forward test engine on a Virtual Account open every trade using this sizing rule.
    
-   Under **Latest alerts**: whenever an entry alert fires, the exact lot size is ready in the **Size** row.
    

![Calculated trade size shown in the alert trading plan card](https://m.forecastcity.com/t/tnt_forecastcity/media/f0/f0e265e9afe178838c55def32499b1dfabf53795747285bfe815497510737845.png)

Calculated lot size (Size) in the trading plan when an alert fires

1.  List of recent fired entry alerts across watched symbols
    
2.  The **The plan at this alert** card with entry price, stop loss, TP1-TP5 targets, **Size** and the **Then** management rule
    
3.  Direct link to the **Open trades** sub-tab to follow the open trade
    

## Related guides

-   [Set up your entry and stop loss](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/strategies/entry-and-stop-loss-setups>)
    
-   [Run your strategy live on a virtual account](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/strategies/run-strategy-on-virtual-account>)
    
-   [Watch symbols and read your trading plan when an alert fires](<https://app.forecastcity.com/help/strategies/watch-symbols-and-strategy-alerts>)