Copy trading means your account automatically copies another trader's trades, usually through a broker app. It sounds easy, but you're copying their risk too, not just their wins. Nobody can promise you'll come out ahead, and past results don't tell you what happens next. Only try it with money you can afford to lose.
Copy trading is when you connect your account to a trader you pick, and their trades get copied into your account automatically, usually scaled to how much money you put in. You're not researching charts or placing orders yourself, someone else is doing that part. It's popular with beginners because it feels like a shortcut past learning to trade.
The catch is you inherit that trader's risk, not just their returns. A trader who did well last month can have a bad month next, and your account moves with theirs, including the losses. Fees and spreads also eat into whatever profit shows up, and you can lose money, sometimes fast if the trader takes big risks.
If you want to try it, start with a small amount you're fine losing completely, and look at how long a trader's track record is, not just their recent numbers. Spread your money across a couple of traders instead of one, and check what happens if you want to stop copying and pull your money out. Treat it as one small experiment, not your main plan for passive income.
Read next
Questions people ask
Is copy trading the same as using a trading bot?
No. Copy trading copies a real person's trades, while a trading bot follows a fixed set of rules with no human changing their mind. Both come with risk, and neither one runs completely hands off.
Can beginners really make money with copy trading?
Some do and some don't, there's nothing certain about it, and you should only copy trade with money you can afford to lose completely.
Work out your own number with the quit your job calculator, or take the passive income quiz.