Slippage happens when an order is filled at a different price than the one you expected when you placed it. This is a normal part of trading and can occur across all markets — it is not unique to any particular broker or platform. 

When you submit a trade, there is a brief moment between your request and when it reaches the market. Even if that window is just a fraction of a millisecond, prices can move during that time. If they do, your order will be filled at the next available price rather than the one you originally saw. Depending on the direction of that movement, slippage can result in a slightly better or slightly worse fill than expected. 

When is slippage more likely to occur? 

Slippage tends to happen more frequently under certain market conditions: 

• High-impact news events — sudden price movements can outpace order execution.

• Fast-moving markets — such as during a breakout, when prices shift rapidly.

• Low-liquidity periods — including public holidays, market opens, and over the weekend.

• Large order sizes — when there are not enough counterparties to fill the entire order at a single price.

Can slippage be reduced? 

Slippage cannot be fully eliminated, but there are steps that can help minimise how often it affects your trades: 

• Close open positions before the weekend to avoid slippage from weekend price gaps.

• Trade during more liquid market hours when prices tend to move more gradually.

• Break large orders into smaller portions to improve the likelihood of consistent fills.

• Use limit orders where price certainty is important — a limit order will only fill at your specified price or better 

Important: Stop-loss orders are not guaranteed. In the event of significant slippage — for example during a major news release or market gap — your trade may close at a worse price than your stop level. In such cases, losses could exceed your account balance. Please ensure you understand this risk before trading.