Order Matching on WebNotes

Why a limit order can execute at a better price than the limit

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A limit order on Kite can fill at a price better than the limit you set because the exchange matching engine treats your limit as the worst price you will accept, not the exact price you must get. A buy limit fills at the lowest sell offer available at or below your limit; a sell limit fills at the highest buy bid available at or above your limit. When a better price exists on the other side of the book, it is passed to you. The order can fill at your limit or better, but never worse.

Why a limit order is not executing

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A limit order can stay pending on Kite even when the last traded price touches or moves through your limit, because a trade printing at your price does not mean there was volume left to fill your order. Exchanges match by price-time priority: among all orders resting at the same price, the earliest one fills first, and the opposite-side quantity can be exhausted by the orders ahead of you before it reaches yours. Your order can watch the price trade at its level and still not execute.