How to Pause a Trading Bot, Edit It or End a DCA Plan (and What Happens to What You Already Bought)
NivelixPro ·
Automating does not take management off your hands: sooner or later you will have to pause a trading bot, change its configuration or close it down. The question is almost never how to do it, but what happens to what the bot has already bought. This guide explains it for NivelixPro's two products, Grid bots and DCA plans, because they are managed in different tabs and do not behave the same way.
This is educational content. It contains no promises of results and no recommendations on when to pause, sell or end. And one idea worth having clear from the start: pausing or ending does not protect you from the market. What you already bought remains exposed to price rises and falls.
Two Products, Two Ways to Manage Them
- Grid bots: managed in the Active tab, inside each bot's card. If you do not know how they work, start with NivelixPro Grid Bots: How They Work and What the Risks Are.
- DCA plans: managed in the DCA tab, in the list of investments in progress. They are scheduled buys of a fixed amount; if you are torn between this method and buying all at once, read DCA vs Lump Sum in Crypto.
Grid Bot: The Card Controls
In the Active tab, each bot shows a row of icons. They carry no visible text: their name appears when you hover over them (tooltip); on mobile it is not shown, so it is worth checking them beforehand from a computer. The ones that matter here are:
- Pause / Resume
- Advanced Configuration
- Market Sell
- Delete permanently (on simulated bots and, as an exception, on some real bots whose market sell is disabled)
There are other icons as well, such as History, Replenishment, the speaker that turns that bot's Telegram notifications on or off, and Manual Buy (the latter does not appear on OKX bots). If you are not sure what one does, hover over it before clicking; some actions, such as selling, move real money.
Pausing a Grid Bot: What Stops
A paused bot neither buys nor sells, even if it has an open position. That last point is the one most often overlooked:
- If the price falls, the bot does not execute the following levels.
- If the price rises to a level's target, that level is not sold while the bot stays paused.
- The position it already held stays open and remains exposed to the market.
On OKX there is an additional nuance: a paused bot has no orders placed on the exchange, and the card says so ("Paused · no orders on OKX").
Pausing is useful, for example, to review the configuration calmly or to stop buying while you decide what to do. It is not a way to "freeze" a position or to limit a loss: it simply means ceasing to act.
There is another pause that you do not decide. On real bots, if the SVR balance (the prepaid balance for the Grid bot fee) runs out, the real bots are paused. While they are paused, they do not sell even if the price reaches their target. Check that balance regularly. To resume a real bot, the platform also checks the SVR balance and your plan's monthly volume limit.
Editing a Grid Bot
The Advanced Configuration icon opens the bot's configuration in read-only mode. To change anything, you have to click MODIFY (that button does have text) and, when you finish, SAVE SETTINGS.
Before touching anything, keep three things in mind:
- Changing the table does not change what has already been bought. The buys already made stay there, at the price they were made at.
- A change can alter the capital the bot may end up needing. If you modify multipliers, levels or the base amount, look at Capital Verification again, as explained in How to Set Up a Grid Bot Step by Step.
- If the bot is in real mode, the changes affect real money. If in doubt, test the idea first on a simulated bot.
Market Selling a Grid Bot
Market Sell sends a market order to close the bot's position. It is worth knowing exactly what it does:
- It sells at market the amount the bot holds, not your whole balance at the exchange.
- Before executing, it asks for confirmation and shows you the estimated profit or loss.
- After selling, it archives the bot.
Two important warnings. The first: selling at market means accepting the price of the moment, which may close with a loss; the figure you see in the confirmation is an estimate and the final price may differ. The second: on some real bots, market sell may be disabled; in that case the icon appears disabled and its tooltip explains why.
Deleting a Grid Bot
Delete permanently appears on simulated bots. Real bots cannot be deleted, with one exception: on real bots whose market sell is disabled, the platform allows you to delete the bot and warns that this does not sell anything. Deleting a bot is not the same as selling it: if there is a real position, it does not disappear or turn into money by deleting the card; what was bought stays in your exchange account. In all other cases, closing a real bot is done with Market Sell, with everything that implies.
DCA Plan: The Buttons on Each Plan
In the DCA tab, each plan shows the amount invested, the quantity, the result and the next buy, plus these buttons with visible text: Buy Now, History, Edit, Pause / Resume and End Plan.
Pausing a DCA Plan
Pause stops the scheduled buys. It sells nothing and does not touch what you have already accumulated. When you resume, the plan goes back to buying on its schedule. On some real plans the platform does not allow resuming; the button itself says so. While it is paused, you are not buying: the regularity that DCA aims for is interrupted.
It can also pause by itself: if, when a buy comes due, there is not enough balance at the exchange, the plan pauses and you are notified on Telegram (if you have it linked). It is another reason to check your balance.
Editing a DCA Plan
Edit lets you change the amount per buy and the frequency. It is an adjustment to future buys; it does not modify what has already been bought. The next buy is recalculated from the last one, using the new frequency. There is a minimum per buy, and on some exchanges, such as OKX, it can be higher depending on the asset's price.
Ending a DCA Plan
End Plan is the most final action, and the one that causes the most confusion. This is what happens:
- The plan moves to history as ended.
- It sells nothing. What you bought stays in your exchange account.
- It cannot be resumed. If you want to buy periodically again, you will have to create a new plan.
- On OKX, each buy starts with a limit order. If a buy is in progress when you end the plan, the platform withdraws the order and records whatever had already been bought before closing the plan.
Think of ending a DCA plan as stopping buying, not as exiting the investment. What you accumulated stays in your account, subject to the market price, and what you do with it (hold it or sell it) is something you decide directly at your exchange.
What Happens to What You Already Bought: Summary
| Action | Does it sell? | Can it be undone? | What was bought |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pause Grid bot | No (and it does not buy or sell anything else either) | Yes, with Resume | Stays open and exposed |
| Edit Grid bot | No | You can modify it again | It stays |
| Market Sell | Yes, the bot's amount, at market price | No | It is sold; the bot is archived |
| Delete simulated bot | No real money involved | No | Not applicable |
| Delete real bot (when market sell is disabled) | No | No | Stays in your exchange account |
| Pause DCA plan | No | Yes, with Resume | Stays in your account |
| End DCA plan | No | No, you have to create a new one | Stays in your account |
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I pause a Grid bot with an open position?
The position stays open. A paused bot neither buys nor sells, so it will not execute its levels' sells either, even if the price reaches their target, until you resume it.
Does ending a DCA plan sell what I have bought?
No. The plan moves to history as ended and what was bought stays in your exchange account. It cannot be resumed; to buy periodically again, you have to create a new plan.
Does Market Sell sell my whole balance?
No. It sells at market the amount that bot holds, not your whole balance. Before that it asks for confirmation, showing the estimated profit or loss, and afterwards it archives the bot.
Can I pause a bot to avoid losses?
It is not meant for that. A paused bot stops trading, but what is already bought remains exposed to the market, and selling at market can close with a loss. With real money, the capital invested can be lost entirely.
Can I delete a real bot?
No, with one exception: on real bots whose market sell is disabled you can delete the bot, but that sells nothing and what was bought stays in your account. In all other cases, closing a real bot is done with Market Sell.
What to Check Before Pausing or Ending
- Am I clear on whether the bot or plan has an open position or accumulated quantity, and how much?
- Do I know that pausing neither sells nor limits losses, and that while a Grid bot is paused not even its sells are executed?
- If I am going to use Market Sell, have I read the estimated profit or loss and do I accept closing at market price?
- If I am going to end a DCA plan, do I understand that it cannot be resumed and that what was bought stays in my exchange account?
- Do I have enough SVR balance on my real bots, so they do not pause without me deciding it?
- If I am going to edit a bot, have I checked again the capital it may end up needing?
- What will I do with what stays in my account after pausing or ending?
- Have I tested it in simulation first?
Reviewing these decisions calmly helps avoid many of the mistakes we describe in trading bot mistakes to avoid.
Keep reading
If you want to go deeper, these NivelixPro guides complement this article:
- Grid Bot or DCA Bot: How They Differ and What to Keep in Mind with Each
- What Is a DCA Bot and How Does It Work in NivelixPro?
- How to Get Started with a Trading Bot on NivelixPro: From the Free Demo to Your First Bot in Simulation
Explore the Free 30-Day Demo
With free sign-up and no card you get a 30-day demo with example bots and a step-by-step guide to walk through each section. The demo figures are fictitious and do not represent real or expected results. With a plan, you can also practise pauses, edits and closures in simulation mode, with live prices and no orders sent to the exchange.
Costs: annual fee, taxes included (Standard €100, Advanced €125, Pro €150). Grid bots in real mode also pay the SVR fee, deducted from a prepaid balance; DCA does not pay SVR. See the terms on the website.
Sign up for free and explore the 30-day demo at nivelixpro.com
Risk warning: Cryptocurrency trading carries substantial risk and may result in the total loss of the capital invested. Past performance does not guarantee future results. NivelixPro is automation software: it does not hold funds or provide investment advice.