# Your first trade

_Source: https://docs.neurotrading.io/zh/tutorials/first-trade_

A complete walk-through, from empty account to a closed position. ~10 minutes.

## Before you start

* You've done the [Quickstart](../getting-started/quickstart): the bot is open, a wallet exists, and it holds some SOL (start small — 0.1 SOL is plenty to learn with).

## Step 1 — Pick a token

Choose something liquid for your first trade (a top token from the token list) rather than a fresh launch. Copy its **contract address (CA)** — from the token list, the Pump.fun scanner, or anywhere else; always verify the CA rather than trusting a name.

## Step 2 — Open the token

* **Telegram:** paste the CA into the chat. The token card appears: price, market cap, liquidity, socials.
* **Web:** paste the CA into the top-bar search and open the token page.

Sanity-check liquidity and socials before proceeding.

## Step 3 — Buy

1. Tap **Buy** and choose a small SOL amount.
2. Leave slippage and fee settings at their defaults for a liquid token.
3. Confirm. Within moments you'll get the fill notification with a transaction link.

If the buy **fails with a slippage error**, the price moved more than your tolerance — raise slippage slightly or try again in a calmer moment.

## Step 4 — Watch the position

* The web token page now shows **your buy marked on the chart** at your exact fill price.
* Your wallet page lists the holding with live value and PnL.

## Step 5 — Protect it

Set a bracket right away (details: [Set up TP/SL](set-up-tp-sl)):

* Take-profit: e.g. **+50% price movement**, sell 100%.
* Stop-loss: e.g. **−25%**, sell 100%.

Now the exit is automatic in both directions.

## Step 6 — Close it

Whenever you're done — trigger fired or not — sell from the token card (**Sell → 100%**). Selling everything automatically cancels the remaining TP/SL. Your realized PnL updates on the dashboard, and the round trip appears in your trade history.

## What you learned

Paste-to-trade, fills-as-notifications, trades-on-the-chart, and automatic exits — that's the core loop. Next: [launch a sniper](launch-a-sniper) or [copy a wallet](copy-a-wallet).