Scaling in (layering in)
Scaling in means entering a position in pieces. You start small, then add only when the chart proves the idea. Full size never goes on at once.
In depth
Say your full size for a trade is six contracts. A starter is a quarter to a third of that, so two. If price holds the level and the structure confirms, you add two. If it breaks out with volume behind it, you add the last two. Your average entry improves as the evidence does.
The rule that keeps it honest is what triggers each add. Add on structure, never because the position is green. Adding to a losing trade is averaging down, a different thing with worse odds. The point of scaling in is smaller risk while you find out whether you are right.
Why it matters
Full size at the first touch puts your whole risk on before you know anything. If the level fails, you lose the maximum on your weakest information. A starter costs a third of that. The two adds only happen after the market has agreed with you.
Partial entries import as separate fills from Schwab or IBKR. TraderLog shows the whole build on a TradingView chart, with your fills marked. Tag the trades where you scaled in. The By tag table compares them against the ones you took in one go.
Frequently asked questions
A quarter to a third of your full size for that trade. Small enough that a stop out barely matters.
No. Scaling in adds after the chart confirms you. Averaging down adds while the trade is losing, to lower your cost.
Keep your Scaling in (layering in) trades on the record in TraderLog
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