Rules checked Oct 1, 2026 against the firm's own pages
Topstep evaluation rules, explained
End-of-day trailing drawdown that is enforced in real time, an optional daily loss limit that pauses rather than fails, and a 55% consistency target.
The published numbers
| Account | Profit target | Daily loss | Max drawdown | Min days | Consistency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K Combine | $3,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 trailing (EOD) | None stated (2 in practice) | 55% best day |
| 100K Combine | $6,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 trailing (EOD) | None stated (2 in practice) | 55% best day |
| 150K Combine | $9,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 trailing (EOD) | None stated (2 in practice) | 55% best day |
The daily loss limit is optional and chosen at purchase. Hitting it flattens you and pauses trading until the next session — Topstep does not count it as a rule violation. Breaking the consistency target raises the profit you need; it does not fail the Combine.
Source: help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284197-trading-combine-parameters · help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284204-what-is-the-maximum-loss-limit · help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284207-what-is-the-daily-loss-limit-and-what-happens-if-i-exceed-it · help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284208-what-is-the-consistency-target. Firms change terms without notice — the firm's own dashboard is authoritative.
How the drawdown actually works
Topstep recalculates the maximum loss limit once a day, from your end-of-day balance — that is the "end-of-day trailing" part. What catches people is that the line, once set, is checked continuously against your live account value including open trades. If a position dips through the floor at 10am, the Combine is over, even if the trade would have closed green.
The floor trails upward only until it reaches your starting balance. On a 50K account that happens after you close a day at $52,000 or higher. From then on the floor is fixed at $50,000 and your whole cushion is profit you have banked, so a bad week after a good one can still end the account while you are net positive overall.
The consistency target works on your best single day: it may be no more than 55% of your total profit. A $2,000 best day means you need roughly $3,640 in total profit instead of $3,000. It is also why a Combine cannot be passed in a single session.
Worked example — a small net loss that still ends the Combine
50K Combine, $2,000 trailing maximum loss limit. Two good days push the end-of-day high to $51,900, so the floor trails up to $49,900. Then three ordinary losing days, none of them near the daily limit.
| Day | Day P&L | Balance after |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | +$1,400 | $51,400 |
| Day 2 | +$500 | $51,900 |
| Day 3 | −$900 | $51,000 |
| Day 4 | −$700 | $50,300 |
| Day 5 | −$500 | $49,800 |
Result: failed on day 5 — the drawdown floor. Floor at that point: $49,900. Net P&L was −$200.
The trader finished only $200 below the starting balance, but the floor had risen $1,900 from where it began. Trailing drawdown is measured from your high-water mark, not from where you started.
Computed at build time by the same evaluation engine the /prop copilot runs on your journal. The engine works on closed-trade balances; Topstep enforces its limits on live equity including open P&L, so a mid-trade dip the journal never sees can still end an account. Consistency rules are not modelled. Illustrative trades, not a recommendation.
Questions traders ask
Does Topstep's drawdown stop trailing?
Yes. The maximum loss limit trails your end-of-day balance up until it reaches your starting balance, then stays there for the rest of the Combine.
Is the Topstep drawdown end-of-day or intraday?
Both, in different senses. The level is recalculated from end-of-day balances, but it is enforced in real time against your account value including open positions, so an intraday dip through it ends the Combine.
What happens if I hit Topstep's daily loss limit?
Your positions are flattened and you cannot trade again until the next session. Topstep treats it as a pause, not a failure, and the limit itself is optional when you buy the Combine.
How does the 55% consistency target work?
Your best day can be at most 55% of your total profit. If it is more, the profit you need rises to your best day divided by 0.55. It changes the target; it does not fail the account.
Track your Topstep evaluation against these rules
Pick the Topstep preset in the prop copilot and see your cushion to the daily loss and drawdown limits after every closed trade, with alerts at 50/80/95%. 7-day trial, card required at signup.
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