context-trade-diagnose-order

name	context-trade-diagnose-order
description	Troubleshoot orders that aren't filling, got rejected, or show unexpected behavior

Diagnose Order

Troubleshoot orders that aren't filling, were rejected or voided, or are behaving unexpectedly.

When to Use

An order isn't working as expected — not filling, got voided, shows an error, or produced unexpected results.

Prerequisites

Read-only diagnosis uses MCP read tools (no auth). Checking your own orders requires API key + private key.

Order Not Filling

1. Is the market active? Call context_get_market — check that status is "active". If "pending", "resolved", or "closed", the market is not accepting new trades.
2. Is your price competitive? Call context_get_orderbook — for a buy order, your bid must be at or above the lowest ask to fill immediately. For a sell, your ask must be at or below the highest bid.
3. Is the spread wide? If the bid-ask spread is large (>10 cents), your limit price may sit in the gap unfilled. Adjust closer to the opposite side, or use a market order.
4. Is there sufficient depth? Large orders need enough liquidity at your price level. Check the orderbook depth — if only 5 contracts are available at 45c and you want 100, most of your order will sit unfilled.
5. Resolution: Adjust price closer to the opposite side, reduce size, or switch to a market order for immediate fill.

Order Rejected or Voided

1. Get the order details — ctx.orders.get(orderId) and check status and voidReason.
2. Diagnose by void reason:

Void Reason	Cause	Fix
UNFILLED_MARKET_ORDER	Market order could not fill immediately	Reduce size, widen the cap price, or use a limit order
UNDER_COLLATERALIZED	Not enough USDC or inventory to support the order	Check context_get_balance, then deposit or adjust inventory mode
MISSING_OPERATOR_APPROVAL	Trading approvals are missing	Run context_account_setup
BELOW_MIN_FILL_SIZE	Executable remainder is below the minimum fill size	Increase size or use a limit order
INVALID_SIGNATURE	Private key doesn't match account	Verify CONTEXT_PRIVATE_KEY is correct
MARKET_RESOLVED	Market ended or resolved	Cannot trade this market
ADMIN_VOID	Order was voided administratively by the system	Inspect account and market state, then retry if appropriate

High Slippage in Simulation

1. Check orderbook depth — context_get_orderbook — is there sufficient liquidity at reasonable prices?
2. Reduce size — re-simulate with a smaller amount. Large orders eat through the book.
3. Use a limit order — instead of a market order, set a priceCents that caps your worst-case fill.
4. Slippage thresholds: <2% is good, 2–5% is acceptable for small markets, >5% means insufficient liquidity — reduce size or wait.

Gotchas

• Simulation and execution can differ. The orderbook changes between calls. Simulate is a preview, not a guarantee.
• voided ≠ cancelled. Voided means the system rejected it (bad params, no balance). Cancelled means you cancelled it intentionally.
• Orders on resolved markets are automatically voided. If a market resolves while your order is open, it gets voided — this is expected behavior.
• MAKER_ONLY constraint causes reverts. If you see InvalidRoleConstraint errors, someone set makerRoleConstraint: 1. Never use this value.

Verification

After resolving the issue, place a new order and confirm it appears in context_my_orders with status "open".

See Also

• Order Lifecycle — All states, void reasons, fill tracking
• Orders API — Method signatures and types