Last updated 25 July 2026
Error while loading portfolio (find the real cause with a dummy order)
When the Portfolio screen shows an error for an account, the message on screen is often not the real reason. A portfolio read is a light request, and many brokers answer it with very little detail, so all we can show you is a general error. The fastest way to see the real reason is to place a dummy order on that same account and read the message your broker returns for it — a rejected order almost always carries the broker's exact words. A dummy order is a real but harmless test order: pick any stock with quantity 1 (or an option contract with quantity 1 lot), choose product type INTRADAY, order type LIMIT, side BUY, and set the limit price well below the current market price so it cannot execute. Place it, read the message in the Reject. Reason column on the Orders tab, then cancel the order. Almost every portfolio error turns out to be an account that is not set up correctly, and the dummy order names it for you. Also remember that a portfolio that loads fine does not prove the account can trade: some brokers, such as Angel One, allow reading your portfolio from any IP but accept orders only from a static IP registered with them.
When this happens
- 1 The trading account is not set up correctly — wrong or expired API details, or a static IP that is not registered with the broker.
- 2 The broker's reply to a portfolio read carries no detail, so the screen can only show a general error.
- 3 The broker checks orders more strictly than portfolio reads, so reading works and only orders fail.
Why the portfolio error does not show the real cause
Most of the time this error means the trading account is not set up correctly. But the wording you see on screen rarely tells you what is wrong.
Reading your portfolio is a light request. When it fails, many brokers reply with very little information — sometimes only a short code or a general message with no reason attached. We pass on whatever the broker sends, so the screen can only be as clear as the broker’s reply. This is why two completely different problems can look like the same portfolio error.
Placing an order is different. Brokers check an order carefully and, when they reject it, they usually send back a clear reason in plain words. So an order tells you far more than a portfolio read.
That is the whole idea: make the broker reject a harmless order, and read what it says.
Place a dummy order to see the real error
- Open Trading -> Portfolio and go to the Trade tab.
- Select only the account that is showing the error. Do not select your other accounts.
- Fill in a dummy order (see the next section for the exact values).
- Place it.
- Go to the Orders tab and read the Reject. Reason column for that account. This is your broker’s actual error message.
- Fix that error, then load the portfolio again.
- If the order was accepted instead of rejected, cancel it — see Cancel the dummy order.
What is a dummy order?
A dummy order is a small test order that is placed only to see how your broker replies. It is a real order sent to your broker, so it is set up in a way that it cannot execute:
| Field | What to use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Any stock, or any option contract that has a live price | Something your account is allowed to trade |
| Quantity | 1 for a stock, or 1 lot for an option | The smallest size possible |
| Product Type | INTRADAY | Nothing is carried to the next day |
| Order Type | LIMIT | A limit order rests instead of executing at once |
| Buy / Sell | BUY | A buy is simpler — you do not need to hold the stock |
| Price | Well below the current market price (LTP) | The market is nowhere near your price, so the order just sits there |
Because the limit price is far below the market price, the order stays open and does nothing. You can cancel it whenever you want.
Two small things to keep in mind. It is a real order at your broker, so keep the quantity at the minimum and set the price far away from the market price. And your broker may block a small amount of margin while the order is open, which is released as soon as you cancel it.
If your broker rejects the order, you have what you came for: the real error message. If your broker accepts it, that also tells you something useful — the account can place orders, so the problem is elsewhere and it is worth contacting us with a screenshot.
Reading the portfolio can work even when orders do not
A portfolio that loads without any error does not prove that the account is ready to trade. Some brokers apply stricter rules to orders than to reading data.
Angel One is the clearest example. It lets you read your portfolio from any IP address, but it accepts orders only from a static IP that is registered with them. So the portfolio looks perfectly fine, and you only find out at the moment you place your first real order.
A dummy order catches this before it costs you a trade. If you have just added an account, or just changed its static IP or API details, place one dummy order and confirm it is accepted.
What the real error usually turns out to be
Once you have the broker’s actual message, it is normally one of these:
| What the broker says | What to do |
|---|---|
| Anything about an IP — not registered, invalid, does not match | Assign a static IP to the account and register that same IP with your broker. See Broker rejects your IP. |
| Wrong API key, invalid token, session or login problem | Open Accounts -> Trading Accounts, edit the account, correct the API details, then Validate and Save. |
| Segment not enabled for your account | See Segment not enabled for your account. |
| Not enough margin | See Insufficient margin. |
| Something we cannot decode | See Unknown error from your trading platform. |
You can also see every request and reply for the account under Tools -> Activity.
Cancel the dummy order
If the dummy order was accepted, cancel it once you are done:
- Go to the Orders tab.
- Click the row of the dummy order to select it.
- Click Cancel.
Because the order was placed as INTRADAY and far away from the market price, it never executes, and any margin it was holding is released when you cancel it.
Still stuck?
If the dummy order is accepted but the portfolio still shows an error, contact us with the account nickname, the broker name and a screenshot of the error. We will check it for you.
