Guide

Paper before live, same rules

Prove the sleeve’s written rules on paper (or dry-run) before live money — and keep the same size caps, loss limits, and GO gates when you go live; do not loosen rules just because cash is real. Pair it with dry run before first live place, write GO before scale-up, one venue, one agent session, size from sleeve not from hope, and name the strategy before connect.

By Agent Lane Editorial · Page dated 27 September 2026

Answer first

Prove the sleeve’s written rules on paper or dry-run before live money. When you go live, keep the same size caps, loss limits, and GO gates — do not loosen them because cash is real. Enforce at review in the official venue UI. Agent Lane publishes the checklist. We do not place trades, hold wallets, invent broker UI, or run your agents.

What this page is

A short operator guide for the continuity rule on the shield — paper before live, same rules — so the limits you proved on paper stay the limits you live with until a written scale-up GO changes them. Pair it with paper before live, dry run before first live place, write GO before scale-up, one venue, one agent session, size from sleeve not from hope, name the strategy before connect, cap daily loss before session, and the shared-box checklist.

We are a publisher, not a trading desk. Product screens change; read balances and positions on the official page. We do not invent paper-to-live dashboards or Agentic menus. You write the rules, prove them, and keep them live.

Same rules in plain terms

• Size caps — max ticket / % of sleeve you already ran on paper — size from sleeve not from hope.
• Loss limits — trade and/or session loss stops you already honored on paper — cap daily loss before session.
• GO gates — what must be written before place, scale, overnight, or novelty — write GO before scale-up, name the strategy before connect.
• Not same rules — “paper was tiny, live can be bigger,” softer stops once cash is in, or skipping GO because “we already proved it.”

Why loosening for live cash is the failure mode

• Paper tiny → live fat. Soft paper size that was never intended as the live cap leaves review approving oversized tickets — size from sleeve not from hope, never skip review before place.
• Loss stops widen when money is real. A paper loss limit that grows at go-live is not a proven stop — cap daily loss before session.
• GO gates skipped after “we proved it.” Dry-run success is not a standing GO to skip review, scale, or overnight rules — write GO before scale-up, no overnight margin without GO.
• Paper and live mixed in one chat. Softening rules while juggling modes blurs fills and kills — one venue, one agent session, paper before live.

Where it sits in the shield stack

1. Name the strategy before connect — written plan that holds size, loss, and GO language.
2. Size from sleeve not from hope + cap daily loss before session — the numbers to prove.
3. Paper before live / dry run before first live place — prove under those numbers.
4. Paper before live, same rules — keep the same size caps, loss limits, and GO gates when cash is real.
5. One venue, one agent session — hard-wall paper vs live; one rail per chat.
6. Write GO before scale-upPaper before live, same rulesStop adding size after a loss day — only path to change the numbers later.
7. Never skip review before place — enforce the same rules in the venue UI.

Healthy flow: named plan + written size/loss/GO → prove on paper/dry-run under those numbers → go live with the same numbers → scale only with a written GO → review enforces. Skip continuity and live cash will quietly outrun the plan you thought you proved.

How to run paper before live, same rules

1. Write the sleeve rules on the named plan. Size caps, loss limits, GO gates — name the strategy before connect. No invented UI.
2. Prove those rules on paper or dry-run. Same numbers you intend to live with — paper before live, dry run before first live place.
3. Copy the same numbers into the live plan. Do not widen tickets or soften stops because cash is real — size from sleeve not from hope, cap daily loss before session.
4. Hard-wall paper vs live; one venue per session. One venue, one agent session; confirm fills in the broker, not chat.
5. Enforce at review; scale only with a written GO. Never skip review before place; later changes need write GO before scale-up.
6. Journal any override; honor overnight and session end. Journal every override; no overnight margin without GO; log session end checklist.

Practical checklist

• Rules written — size caps, loss limits, GO gates on the named plan.
• Paper/dry-run used those same numbers — not a softer paper-only mode.
• Live plan matches paper numbers — no widen-at-go-live.
• Paper vs live hard-walled — one venue / one session.
• Review enforces the same rules in the official venue UI.
• Scale only via write GO before scale-up.
• Overrides journaled.
• No overnight margin without written GO.
• No invented UI. Official screens and your notes; you enforce.
• Shared-box pass. Who can loosen paper→live rules on a shared computer — see shared-box.

Brokerage path: Shield brokerage spend. On-chain pay: Shield crypto spend.

What Agent Lane does not do here

• We do not place trades, preview your orders, or babysit your agents.
• We do not hold your funds, run a hot wallet, or settle payments.
• We do not invent paper dashboards, live-switch menus, or Agentic click-paths.
• We do not set your size caps, loss limits, or GO gates, or claim a product that copies paper settings for you.

Related guides

• Dry run before first live place
• Write GO before scale-up
• One venue, one agent session
• Size from sleeve not from hope
• Name the strategy before connect
• Paper before live
• Cap daily loss before session
• Never skip review before place
• Confirm fills in the broker, not chat
• No overnight margin without GO
• Journal every override
• One strategy, one sleeve
• Fund the session ceiling
• Two-person rule for large places
• Log session end checklist
• Session time-box
• Write invalidation before entry
• Reject duplicate place same thesis
• Confirm symbol before place
• No scale-in without GO
• Flatten all before connector revoke
• One order per idea until fill
• No place while unconfirmed fill
• Write max loss before entry
• Shared-box and connector checklist
• Shield brokerage spend
• Shield crypto spend

FAQ

What does paper before live, same rules mean?

It means: prove the sleeve’s written rules on paper or dry-run before live money, then keep the same size caps, loss limits, and GO gates when you go live. Do not loosen rules just because cash is real. Pair with dry run before first live place, write GO before scale-up, one venue, one agent session, size from sleeve not from hope, and name the strategy before connect.

Which rules must stay the same when going live?

The written size caps, loss limits (trade and/or session), and GO gates you already ran on paper or dry-run. Live money is not a reason to widen tickets, raise loss budgets, or skip GO criteria.

Do I invent a paper-to-live broker UI?

No. Write the rules on the named plan and enforce them at review before place. Use official venue balances and positions. Agent Lane does not invent paper dashboards, live-switch menus, or Agentic click-paths.

Why is loosening rules for live cash the failure mode?

Paper discipline that disappears when money is real leaves the sleeve with larger tickets, softer loss stops, and skipped GO gates exactly when blast radius is highest.

Does this replace paper before live or dry run before first live place?

No. Paper before live proves the pipe before funding. Dry run proves novelty before the first live place. Paper before live, same rules is the continuity rule: the limits you proved stay the limits you live with until a written scale-up GO changes them.

Who sets the paper numbers and keeps them live?

You do. Write size caps, loss limits, and GO gates on the named plan; prove them; keep them when cash is real. Agent Lane does not prescribe magic numbers or claim a product that copies paper settings for you.

Where do I apply this next?

Plan: name the strategy. Size: size from sleeve not from hope. Prove: paper before live / dry run. Go live: same size caps, loss limits, GO gates. Scale later: write GO before scale-up. Venue: one venue, one agent session. Agent Lane publishes the checklist; we do not place trades or invent broker UI.

Next steps

Before an agent touches real money, review every order before it is placed, shield your brokerage account, and map the trading-agent options. Or browse all Agent Lane guides.