Can You Sell Short at TradeStation?
If you’re interested in shorting stocks, TradeStation is one brokerage firm that deserves a look. Not only can traders take short positions on securities at TradeStation, but the broker also has some very good tools for doing it. Here’s the rundown:
Selling Short on the Browser Platform
On TradeStation’s web platform, there’s a green Trade button at the top. Click it and you’ll pull up the broker’s order form. It appears directly below the green Trade button and takes its place.
On the order form, you’ll want to find a separate red Sell Short button. It sits right beside the blue Buy button. When entering a short order, that red Sell Short button is the one to use.
The rest of the order process works the same way. First enter the ticker symbol or company name. Next choose quantity (in shares), then order type, then routing destination, then duration, and finally the account if you have more than one at TradeStation.
To limit how much a short trade can lose, you may want to attach a bracket order to the initial short sale. TradeStation’s software supports this. Just click on the OCO/OSO tab at the top of the order ticket and select the bracket order you want. You’ll be able to send a buy stop-loss order together with the initial sell short order. The buy stop order will close the short trade if the stock price rises above the amount you specify.
Short Selling on the TradeStation Desktop
Besides the browser platform, TradeStation also offers a very advanced desktop trading system. Called TradeStation 10, this software includes even more sophisticated tools. There are no fewer than 3 order tickets. Most of the features on the 3 tickets are the same, although the layouts are different. Separate sell short buttons are built in and displayed in red. Bracket orders can be used here as well.
TradeStation also offers extra desktop tools and platform add-ons. If a stock is not easy to borrow, clients can contact the Equities Trade Desk, which will attempt to locate shares for the short sale. A Trade Desk representative can enter the order on the platform, and after that, the order can be modified or canceled by the client. This service does not carry an extra charge.
Because share availability can change quickly, a short-locate request is generally only useful for the current trading day. Hard-to-borrow names can also carry higher borrow costs, so checking the rate before entering the trade is a smart move.
TradeStation Short Selling Summary
TradeStation customers have several ways to place bearish trades on stocks while keeping transaction costs low. And with simulated trading, it’s easy to practice different order formats and trade types.
Updated on 4/7/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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