How to place an SL order on Kite

From WebNotes, a public knowledge base. Last updated 12 May 2026. Reading time ~8 min. Level: Intermediate.

Key facts

Order type selector	SL in the Kite order ticket
Two price fields	Trigger price (activates the order) and Limit price (execution cap)
Status before trigger	Trigger pending
Status after trigger	Open (limit order released to the exchange)
Risk	May not fill if market gaps beyond the limit price

An SL (Stop-Loss) order on Zerodha Kite is a conditional limit order that sits dormant until the market price crosses a user-defined trigger price, at which point it releases a limit order to the exchange. It is distinct from an SL-M order in that the execution is bounded by a limit price rather than filled at the market price. This makes the SL order more price-controlled but introduces the risk of non-execution if the market gaps through the limit price. This guide explains the procedure for placing an SL order and the logic behind the two price fields.

Trigger price and limit price, the core concept

An SL order uses two price parameters:

Trigger price: The price at which the stop-loss condition is met. When the last traded price (LTP) on the exchange touches or crosses this price, Kite releases the underlying limit order. Until that moment, the order sits in a Trigger pending state at Kite’s system level and is not visible in the exchange’s open order book.

Limit price (Price field): The price that the released limit order carries. The exchange will fill the order at this price or better but not worse. If the market has already moved past the limit price at the moment the limit order reaches the exchange, the order rests in the order book at the limit price and may not fill.

Practical rule for SL sell orders (protecting a long position):

Set the trigger price at or just above the price at which you want to exit.
Set the limit price slightly below the trigger price to allow a reasonable execution window. For example, if the trigger is Rs 490, set the limit at Rs 487. This gives a Rs 3 window to find a buyer.

Practical rule for SL buy orders (protecting a short position):

Set the trigger price at or just below the price at which you want to exit the short.
Set the limit price slightly above the trigger price.

The exact gap between trigger and limit price depends on the stock’s liquidity and typical intraday volatility. For liquid large-cap stocks, a gap of 0.1–0.5% is usually sufficient. For less liquid mid-cap stocks, a wider gap is prudent.

Step-by-step procedure

Log in to Kite

Open kite.zerodha.com or the Kite mobile app. Authenticate with your Zerodha client ID, password and six-digit TOTP.

Open the order ticket for the scrip

Locate the scrip in your marketwatch. On Kite web, hover over the row and click Sell (for a stop-loss sell protecting a long position) or Buy (for a stop-loss buy protecting a short position). On the Kite app, tap the scrip and then the appropriate action button.

Select SL as order type

In the order ticket, click or tap SL in the Order type selector. The ticket now shows two separate price fields labelled Trigger price and Price (which is the limit price). This is the key distinction between an SL order and a plain limit order.

Set trigger price and limit price

For a stop-loss sell order (protecting a long equity position):

Suppose you bought a stock at Rs 500 and want to exit if it falls to Rs 490.

Trigger price: Rs 490 (the stop condition, the order activates when LTP touches Rs 490).
Limit price (Price field): Rs 487 (the limit at which the released sell order rests; ensures you do not sell below Rs 487).

If the stock falls sharply and gaps from Rs 493 directly to Rs 484, the trigger fires at Rs 490 but the exchange sees a sell limit order at Rs 487. Since the LTP is now Rs 484, which is below Rs 487, there are likely buyers at Rs 487 and the order fills near that price. If the gap is very large (say, to Rs 470), you may not find a buyer at Rs 487 and the order will remain open until price recovers.

For a stop-loss buy order (protecting a short F&O position):

Suppose you shorted at Rs 500 and want to exit if it rises to Rs 510.

Trigger price: Rs 510.
Limit price: Rs 513 (slightly above the trigger to allow execution).

Enter product code, validity and quantity

Product: Select CNC for a delivery position or MIS for an intraday position. For overnight F&O, select NRML.
Validity: DAY is the standard. The order (including its trigger-pending phase) expires at the end of the session if not triggered.
Qty: Enter the number of shares to square off. This should match your open position size.

Submit the order

Click Sell or Buy in the order ticket. Kite routes the trigger to its order management system. A confirmation toast appears with the order ID. Navigate to Orders in the left panel.

Monitor until triggered

In the Order book, the SL order appears with status Trigger pending. At this point, the order is held at Kite’s system level, not yet in the exchange order book. When the LTP touches your trigger price, the system changes the status to Open (the limit order is now in the exchange order book) and, if it fills immediately, to Complete.

You can leave the terminal and the trigger will still work during market hours, as the trigger is monitored by Zerodha’s servers, not by your browser session.

SL order vs SL-M order

The key difference:

Feature	SL order	SL-M order
Execution after trigger	At limit price or better	At market price (best available)
Execution certainty	Not guaranteed if market gaps	High for liquid stocks
Price certainty	Yes, bounded by limit price	No, market price

See How to place an SL-M order on Kite for details on the market variant.

What can go wrong

Order not triggered. The price did not reach the trigger level during the session. The order expires. You can place a GTT order to monitor across multiple sessions.
Triggered but not filled. The market gapped beyond your limit price. The order is open in the exchange book at the limit price, waiting for a counter-order. Manually cancel and re-enter a new order at the current market price if you need to exit urgently.
Trigger and limit price too close. In fast markets, the execution window may be smaller than the gap you left. Widen the gap or use an SL-M order.
Wrong direction. For a sell SL, the trigger price must be below the current LTP. For a buy SL, the trigger price must be above the current LTP. Kite will reject an SL order where the trigger is already breached (the limit order would immediately be released and act like a plain limit order; use a limit order directly in that case).

References

Zerodha Support, Stop-loss orders on Kite, support.zerodha.com.
NSE India, Stop-loss order mechanism, nseindia.com.
SEBI, Circular on stop-loss order facility, sebi.gov.in.
Zerodha Varsity, Stop-loss orders, theory and placement, zerodha.com/varsity.

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Last reviewed: 12 May 2026
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