How NinjaTrader Machine ID activation works

Serious NinjaTrader 8 strategies are usually licensed to a single computer using the platform's Machine ID. This page explains how that activation model works in general — and exactly how it works for SI-Trader, step by step.

What a Machine ID is

Every computer running NinjaTrader has a unique Machine ID: a hardware fingerprint the platform generates for that specific PC. A vendor can issue a licence key that is mathematically tied to one Machine ID. The key unlocks the strategy on that computer — and simply does not work on any other machine, even if the file and the key are copied there.

Where to find yours: in NinjaTrader, open Help → About. SI-Trader also prints your Machine ID in the NinjaScript Output window when it runs before activation.

Activating SI-Trader, step by step

  1. Sign in to the buyer portal. Go to account.si-trader.net and enter the email address you bought with. You are emailed a one-time login code — no password to create or remember.
  2. Enter your Machine ID and order number. Your order number is on your Payhip or Square receipt. Paste your Machine ID exactly as shown in NinjaTrader.
  3. Submit the request. Requests are approved in order, usually the same day.
  4. Paste your licence key. Refresh your account page and your personal key appears there (format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX). Paste it into the strategy settings, in the Licence group → Licence Key, and click OK. The dashboard goes live immediately.

After activation there is no internet check: the key is verified on your own machine, so SI-Trader runs the same whether you are online or off. Prefer email? Send your Machine ID and order number to [email protected] and your key comes back by email.

The one-order-one-machine rule

One purchase licenses one buyer on one computer. The rule is enforced by the system itself, not by trust: an order number can only ever be bound to a single machine, and a request from a different machine is flagged for review instead of being quietly approved. Sharing or reselling the file or your key is prohibited — and pointless, since the key will not run on a second machine.

Changed computers? The licence moves free

New PC, new laptop, rebuilt machine — it happens, and it is covered. Email your order number to [email protected] and the licence is moved to your new computer free, usually the same day. The move is logged against your order, and the new machine becomes the licensed one.

"NOT LICENCED" on your chart?

That message before you paste your key is normal — it means the strategy is installed but not yet activated, and it helpfully prints the Machine ID you need for step 2. It is not an install error. If it still shows after pasting your key, double-check the key was pasted into the Licence group with no extra spaces, then contact support with your order number.

Keep your licence key private: it belongs to you and your computer only. Do not post it, forward it, or include it in screenshots you share.

Go to the activation portal