# Write invalidation before entry

Before the agent enters a live ticket, write what would invalidate the thesis — price, time, structure, or catalyst fail — so exit is pre-committed, not improvised after you are in. Pair with name-the-strategy-before-connect, one-risk-unit-per-idea, no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis, flatten-before-news-unknown, never-skip-review-before-place, size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope. Agent Lane does not place trades, hold wallets, or invent broker UI.

Canonical HTML: https://agentlane.net/guides/write-invalidation-before-entry/

## Answer first

Before a live entry: write the invalidation for this ticket — what kills the thesis and what you do when it hits (flatten, cancel working, reduce). Set one risk unit and size from sleeve in the same review step. Do not approve a blank “we’ll see.” Chat hope after fill is not a plan.

## Write invalidation before entry in plain terms

1. **Before place, not after** — the kill line is written in the same review step as size and approve.
2. **What kills the thesis** — price level, time stop, structure break, and/or catalyst fail you already named.
3. **What you do when it hits** — flatten, cancel working, or reduce — not “give it room” in chat.
4. **Risk unit + sleeve size** — [one-risk-unit-per-idea.md](./one-risk-unit-per-idea.md), [size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md](./size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md).
5. **Gate at review** — reject entry if invalidation is blank or vague — [never-skip-review-before-place.md](./never-skip-review-before-place.md).

## Why improvising the exit after entry is the failure mode

- **Hope rewrites the thesis** — [journal-every-override.md](./journal-every-override.md).
- **Adds without a new thesis** — [no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md](./no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md).
- **Holding into unknown news** — [flatten-before-news-unknown.md](./flatten-before-news-unknown.md), [no-overnight-margin-without-go.md](./no-overnight-margin-without-go.md).
- **Size without a kill** — risk unit is how much; invalidation is when — [size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md](./size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md).

## Shield stack

1. [name-the-strategy-before-connect.md](./name-the-strategy-before-connect.md) — strategy-level plan and kill conditions.
2. [one-risk-unit-per-idea.md](./one-risk-unit-per-idea.md) — max loss for this thesis in sleeve terms.
3. [size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md](./size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md) — ticket size from written rules.
4. Write invalidation before entry (this page) — per-ticket kill line before place.
5. [never-skip-review-before-place.md](./never-skip-review-before-place.md) — human gate rejects blank invalidation.
6. [no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md](./no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md) — add-size needs fresh thesis + new invalidation.
7. [flatten-before-news-unknown.md](./flatten-before-news-unknown.md) — session rule for catalysts outside the written edge.
8. [journal-every-override.md](./journal-every-override.md) — write holds past invalidation and blank-entry skips.

## How to run write invalidation before entry

1. Name the idea and risk unit — [name-the-strategy-before-connect.md](./name-the-strategy-before-connect.md), [one-risk-unit-per-idea.md](./one-risk-unit-per-idea.md); no invented UI.
2. Write the invalidation — price / time / structure / catalyst fail + action; size from [size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md](./size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md).
3. Same review step as size and place — reject if blank — [never-skip-review-before-place.md](./never-skip-review-before-place.md); large tickets: [two-person-rule-for-large-places.md](./two-person-rule-for-large-places.md).
4. Enforce after fill — exit per the note; [confirm-cancel-in-broker-not-chat.md](./confirm-cancel-in-broker-not-chat.md), [one-cancel-one-confirm.md](./one-cancel-one-confirm.md).
5. No add without new thesis + new invalidation — [no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md](./no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md), [write-go-before-scale-up.md](./write-go-before-scale-up.md).
6. Journal overrides; respect unknown news — [journal-every-override.md](./journal-every-override.md), [flatten-before-news-unknown.md](./flatten-before-news-unknown.md), [revoke-before-debug.md](./revoke-before-debug.md).

## Practical checklist

- Invalidation written before approve — price / time / structure / catalyst + action.
- Risk unit + sleeve size set in the same step.
- Reject blank / vague kill lines at review.
- Enforce when it hits — no chat rewrite.
- Confirm flatten/cancel in the broker UI.
- Adds need new thesis + new invalidation.
- Overrides journaled if anyone entered without invalidation or held past it.
- Official paths only — no invented broker UI.

Related: [Write max loss before entry](./write-max-loss-before-entry.md), [No scale-in without GO](./no-scale-in-without-go.md), [Confirm symbol before place](./confirm-symbol-before-place.md), [Reject duplicate place same thesis](./reject-duplicate-place-same-thesis.md), [name-the-strategy-before-connect.md](./name-the-strategy-before-connect.md), [one-risk-unit-per-idea.md](./one-risk-unit-per-idea.md), [no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md](./no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis.md), [flatten-before-news-unknown.md](./flatten-before-news-unknown.md), [never-skip-review-before-place.md](./never-skip-review-before-place.md), [size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md](./size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.md), [write-go-before-scale-up.md](./write-go-before-scale-up.md), [journal-every-override.md](./journal-every-override.md), [one-cancel-one-confirm.md](./one-cancel-one-confirm.md), [confirm-cancel-in-broker-not-chat.md](./confirm-cancel-in-broker-not-chat.md), [no-overnight-margin-without-go.md](./no-overnight-margin-without-go.md), [two-person-rule-for-large-places.md](./two-person-rule-for-large-places.md), [review-before-place.md](./review-before-place.md).

## FAQ

**What does write invalidation before entry mean?**
Before a live entry, write what would kill the thesis for that ticket — price, time, structure, or catalyst fail — so exit is pre-committed. Pair with name-the-strategy-before-connect, one-risk-unit-per-idea, no-averaging-down-without-new-thesis, flatten-before-news-unknown, never-skip-review-before-place, size-from-sleeve-not-from-hope.

**How is this different from name the strategy before connect?**
Name the strategy is the plan before you connect. Write invalidation before entry is the per-ticket kill line in the same review step as size and place. You need both.

**Do I invent a stop / invalidation broker UI?**
No. Official venue order and position screens and your written sleeve notes. Agent Lane does not invent UI or read your broker for you.

## Sources

- Canonical HTML: https://agentlane.net/guides/write-invalidation-before-entry/
- Related shelf: https://agentlane.net/resources/
- Site index: https://agentlane.net/llms.txt

Agent Lane publishes checklists. We do not place trades, hold wallets, invent broker UI, or read your order tickets.