# Time in Force: Day, GTC and GTD Orders > Time in force sets how long an order stays active. Learn day orders, good till cancelled, good till date and extended hours settings, with examples and pitfalls. Source: https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/time-in-force/ Track: Orders and Execution · Level: Intermediate · Updated: 2026-10-03 Publisher: TradeLabs AI (https://tradelabsai.com). Education, not financial advice. Cite as: TradeLabs Learn, "Time in Force: Day, GTC and GTD Orders", https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/time-in-force/ Every order has two parts people often forget about: what you want to trade and how long the order should stay alive. The second part is called time in force. It decides whether an unfilled order disappears at the end of the day, stays for weeks, or must fill immediately. Choosing it deliberately prevents two common problems: orders that vanish before your price arrives, and forgotten orders that fill weeks later when circumstances have changed. ## The main time in force options | Setting | Lasts until | Typical use | |---|---|---| | Day | The end of today's session | Intraday plans; default at most brokers | | Good till cancelled (GTC) | Filled or cancelled, often with a broker maximum | Resting entries, stops and targets for swing trades | | Good till date (GTD) | A date you choose | Plans tied to an event or expiry | | Immediate or cancel (IOC) | Fills what it can now; the rest is cancelled | Taking available liquidity without resting | | Fill or kill (FOK) | Fills completely now, or not at all | All or nothing immediate execution | | At the open / at the close | The opening or closing auction | Trading the official open or close price | IOC and FOK have their own lesson: [IOC and FOK Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/ioc-and-fok-orders/). Auction orders are covered in [Opening and Closing Orders: MOO, MOC, LOO, LOC](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/opening-and-closing-orders/). ## Day orders A day order expires automatically if it has not filled by the end of the trading session. It is the default at most brokers because it is the safest: nothing is left behind overnight. **Example: A day order expiring** At 10 a.m. you place a buy limit at $72.50 on a stock trading at $73.40. The stock bottoms at $72.65 and closes at $74.10. Your order never fills and is cancelled at 4:00 p.m. Tomorrow, you decide fresh whether the setup is still valid. Check whether a day order covers extended hours. Many brokers treat pre-market and after-hours as separate sessions and require a specific setting. ## Good till cancelled (GTC) A GTC order stays active across days until it fills or you cancel it. Swing traders use GTC for: - **Protective stops** that must stay in place while they hold a position. - **Profit targets** at a price they are happy to sell at. - **Entry limits** at a support level they expect to be tested. Most brokers cap GTC orders, commonly at 60 to 90 days, after which they are cancelled automatically. Some brokers also cancel or adjust open orders after corporate actions such as stock splits or special dividends. **Watch out: The forgotten GTC order** A GTC buy limit placed three weeks ago at $40 can fill today after bad news sends the stock to $39, even though the reason you wanted it at $40 no longer applies. Review open orders regularly, especially before earnings and after any news on the stock. ## Good till date (GTD) A GTD order stays active until a date you choose, then expires. It is useful when a plan only makes sense for a set window, such as before an earnings report or before an option's expiry. ## Time in force in other markets - **Futures:** day and GTC orders are standard; some platforms define the "day" by the exchange's trading session, which may start the previous evening. - **Forex and CFDs:** GTC is common because markets trade around the clock on weekdays. - **Crypto exchanges:** GTC, IOC and FOK are standard, along with post-only for makers. See [Post-Only and Reduce-Only Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/post-only-and-reduce-only-orders/). ## Choosing the right setting 1. **Intraday idea?** Use day orders so nothing carries overnight. 2. **Swing trade stop or target?** GTC, reviewed weekly. 3. **Plan tied to a date?** GTD. 4. **Need an immediate fill, nothing resting?** IOC or FOK. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the default time in force? At most brokers it is a day order, which expires at the end of the session if unfilled. ### How long does a GTC order last? Until it fills or you cancel it, subject to your broker's maximum, often 60 to 90 days. ### Do day orders work in pre-market trading? It depends on the broker. Many require you to select an extended hours option for the order to be active outside the regular session. ## Sources - Wikipedia, [Order (exchange)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_%28exchange%29) ## Continue learning - Next lesson: [IOC and FOK Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/ioc-and-fok-orders/) - Previous lesson: [Trailing Stop Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/trailing-stop-orders/) - Related: [Trailing Stop Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/trailing-stop-orders/): A trailing stop follows the price by a set amount or percentage and only moves in your favour. Learn how it works, how to set the distance and common pitfalls. - Related: [IOC and FOK Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/ioc-and-fok-orders/): Immediate or cancel and fill or kill orders must trade at once or be cancelled. Learn how they differ, when traders use them and how partial fills are handled. - Related: [Limit Orders](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/limit-orders/): A limit order trades only at your price or better. Learn how buy and sell limits work, why they may not fill, queue priority and how to set a smart limit price. - Related: [Opening and Closing Orders: MOO, MOC, LOO, LOC](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/opening-and-closing-orders/): Market on open, market on close, limit on open and limit on close orders trade in the opening and closing auctions. Learn how they work, cut-off times and uses. - Related: [Order Types Explained](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/orders/order-types-explained/): Market, limit, stop, stop-limit and trailing stop orders explained with examples. Learn what each order does, when to use it and the mistakes to avoid. - Related: [Trading Sessions](https://learn.tradelabsai.com/markets/trading-sessions/): Markets have sessions with different liquidity and volatility. Learn stock market hours, extended hours, the forex sessions and how timing affects your trades.