Quantity higher than Maximum (Freeze Limit)

What this error means

Indian stock exchanges set a maximum quantity for any single order. This cap is called the Quantity Freeze Limit. When your order quantity goes above this cap, the order is rejected with this error.

The freeze limit is always a quantity, never a number of lots. It is also set per contract, so two contracts can have very different limits. On a contract that trades in lots, work out how many whole lots fit inside the limit to know how many lots you can send in one order.

Solution

• First, check that you really meant to enter such a large quantity. Make sure it was not a typing mistake.
• If the quantity is correct, use the split order feature of AutoTrader Web. It splits your large order into multiple small orders, each within the freeze limit. On futures and options, the quantity is first brought down to a whole number of lots, so the total placed can be a little less than you entered — always less than one lot.
• Orders placed through Alert Automation (for example, TradingView alerts) are split automatically. If your alert quantity is above the freeze limit, you do not need to do anything.

How to split a large order

Splitting breaks one large order into several smaller orders, so each one stays within the freeze limit. The system does not divide the quantity into equal parts. It fills each order with as much quantity as the limit allows, and the last order carries whatever is left over. For example, with a freeze limit of 5,000, an order of 12,000 goes as three orders: 5,000 + 5,000 + 2,000.

On futures and options, splitting by the freeze limit adds one step first: the quantity is brought down to a whole number of lots, and then every split order is a whole number of lots as well. This means the total placed can be a little less than you entered — always less than one lot — and in return no order is rejected for an invalid quantity. A quantity smaller than one single lot is never reduced to zero; it is sent as it is, so your broker tells you what is wrong.

Where you turn it on depends on how the order is placed:

• From the Trade screen — set Split Order to AUTO to split using the freeze limit, or QTY to slice by a quantity you choose. NO means do not split. You can set the default under Settings → General.
• Master-child copy — turn on Auto Split Frozen Qty on the master account. It is off by default.
• Alert automation — orders are split automatically, so there is nothing to turn on.

The video below shows how the split order feature works.

If the error says “Freeze limit not found”

That is a different error and it needs the opposite fix. It means splitting could not run at all, so you have to turn splitting off, not on. See Freeze limit not found.