As of 2026, Polymarket has fully transitioned from its old liquidity pool model to a Central Limit Order Book (CLOB). This means you no longer have to accept whatever price the “pool” gives you; you can set your own price and wait for a buyer or seller to meet you.
Setting a limit order is the hallmark of a “Polymarket Bro” who wants to maximize ROI by avoiding the “spread.”
Market Order vs. Limit Order
- Market Order: You buy or sell instantly at the best available current price. You pay a “convenience fee” in the form of the spread.
- Limit Order: You specify the exact price (e.g., $0.22) you are willing to pay. Your order sits in the Polymarket order book until someone else agrees to that price.
How to Set a Limit Order: Step-by-Step
1. Navigate to Your Market Find the event you want to trade on the Polymarket dashboard. Click into the specific outcome (e.g., “Yes” on a specific candidate or team).
2. Toggle to “Limit” On the trading side panel (usually on the right), you will see two tabs at the top: Market and Limit. Click Limit.
3. Set Your Price
- Enter the price you want to pay per share (between $0.01 and $0.99).
- Pro Tip: Look at the Order Book (the green and red list of numbers). If the highest “Bid” (green) is $0.44 and the lowest “Ask” (red) is $0.46, setting your limit at $0.45 places you at the front of the line to buy without overpaying.
4. Enter the Amount and Place Trade Enter how much USDC you want to spend. Polymarket will show you exactly how many shares you will receive if the order fills. Click Place Limit Order.
5. Confirm in Wallet If you are using a non-custodial wallet like MetaMask, you will need to sign a message to “post” the order to the Polymarket off-chain book. Note: This does not cost gas.
Understanding the Polymarket Order Book
The order book is the heart of the Polymarket exchange.
- Bids (Green): These are other traders trying to buy. The top green number is the most anyone is currently willing to pay.
- Asks (Red): These are traders trying to sell. The bottom red number is the cheapest price you can buy at right now.
- The Spread: The gap between the top green and bottom red numbers. By using limit orders on Polymarket, you can “capture” this spread instead of paying it.
Managing Your Orders
Once placed, your order will appear under the “Open Orders” section at the bottom of the market page or in your Portfolio tab.
- Partial Fills: A limit order on Polymarket doesn’t have to fill all at once. If you want 1,000 shares but only 500 are available at your price, Polymarket will fill the first 500 and keep the rest open.
- Canceling: You can cancel an open limit order at any time for free. Since orders are matched off-chain and only settled on-chain, Polymarket allows for instant, gas-free cancellations.
- Expiration: In 2026, most Polymarket limit orders are GTC (Good-Till-Cancelled), but you can also set GTD (Good-Till-Date) if you want the order to expire before an event starts.
Advanced: Order Batching (New for 2025/2026)
For high-volume traders, Polymarket now supports Batch Orders. This allows you to place up to 15 different limit orders across multiple prices or markets in a single signature. This is highly effective for “laddering” into a position (e.g., setting orders at $0.40, $0.38, and $0.36 to average your entry price).
