Non-Discretionary Routing

SnipeRoute makes zero trading decisions on behalf of users.

Overview

SnipeRoute is non-discretionary infrastructure. This means it makes zero trading decisions on behalf of users. Every execution parameter must be fully specified in the Trade Intent before submission.

Non-discretionary routing ensures that all trading logic remains with the upstream platform (Snipefinity, TradingView, enterprise system, etc.), not with SnipeRoute.

What SnipeRoute Does NOT Decide

Parameter	Example	Who Decides
Symbol	AAPL vs MSFT	Upstream platform
Price	Limit price, stop price	Upstream platform
Timing	When to submit order	Upstream platform
Quantity	10 shares vs 100 shares	Upstream platform
Order Type	Market vs Limit	Upstream platform
Time in Force	GTC vs Day	Upstream platform
Slicing	How to split large orders	Upstream platform

SnipeRoute only routes the fully specified instructions. It does not optimize, adjust, or modify any parameter.

Fully Specified Trade Intents

Every Trade Intent must include all execution parameters:

{
  "intent_id": "my_trade_123",
  "symbol": "AAPL",          // Specified by upstream
  "side": "buy",             // Specified by upstream
  "quantity": 10,            // Specified by upstream
  "order_type": "limit",     // Specified by upstream
  "limit_price": 175.00,     // Specified by upstream
  "time_in_force": "gtc",    // Specified by upstream
  "broker_id": "my_alpaca"   // Specified by upstream
}

⚠️

If any required parameter is missing, SnipeRoute will reject the Trade Intent with a 400 Bad Request error. It will NOT guess, infer, or apply defaults.

Comparison: Discretionary vs Non-Discretionary

Discretionary System (NOT SnipeRoute)

A discretionary system might:

Choose between AAPL and MSFT based on market conditions
Optimize limit price based on current order book
Decide to split a 1000-share order into 10x 100-share orders
Delay execution until after earnings announcement
Route to different brokers based on liquidity

Non-Discretionary System (SnipeRoute)

SnipeRoute:

Routes exactly what you specify
No optimization
No timing decisions
No splitting logic
No broker selection (you specify broker_id)

Why Non-Discretionary?

1. Predictability

You know exactly what will be executed. No surprises.

2. Compliance

Your upstream platform retains full control over trading logic and strategy.

3. Auditability

Every Trade Intent is traceable back to the upstream decision-making system.

4. Separation of Concerns

Upstream Platform: Makes all trading decisions
SnipeRoute: Routes instructions to broker
Broker: Executes orders in the market

Regulatory Implications

Investment Adviser Exclusion

By making zero trading decisions, SnipeRoute avoids acting as an investment adviser. All discretion remains with the upstream platform.

Broker-Dealer Exclusion

SnipeRoute does not execute trades, hold positions, or provide liquidity. It only routes instructions to existing broker accounts.

User Control

Users maintain full control over their broker accounts. SnipeRoute acts as an authenticated relay, not a custodian.

Examples

Acceptable: Fully Specified

from sniperoute import SnipeRouteClient
from sniperoute.models import TradeIntentRequest, OrderSide, OrderType
from decimal import Decimal
 
intent = TradeIntentRequest(
    intent_id="trade_001",
    symbol="TSLA",
    side=OrderSide.BUY,
    quantity=Decimal("50"),
    order_type=OrderType.LIMIT,
    limit_price=Decimal("250.00"),
    time_in_force="day",
    broker_id="my_schwab"
)
 
# All parameters specified by upstream platform

Not Supported: Discretionary Decisions

# This does NOT exist in SnipeRoute API
intent = TradeIntentRequest(
    symbol="TSLA",
    side=OrderSide.BUY,
    # Missing quantity - SnipeRoute won't guess
    # Missing order_type - SnipeRoute won't default
    # Missing broker_id - SnipeRoute won't choose
)

Next Steps

Deterministic Routing

Learn how the same input always produces the same output

Trade Intents

Understand the structure of Trade Intents

Trade Intents Deterministic Routing