---
title: Add or remove a stock trade restriction
description: Learn how to add or remove a stock trade restriction, and how it differs from excluding a stock.
---
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September 28, 2026
# Add or remove a stock trade restriction
A trade restriction stops Frec's algorithm from buying or selling a specific stock. It's commonly used if you work at a publicly traded or regulated company and need to avoid trading certain stocks during a blackout period or restricted window.
You can add up to 50 stock restrictions per account, managed anytime from **Account settings**. A restriction applies across all direct indices within this account. It won't carry over to other accounts you hold with Frec (a personal account and a trust, for example, are separate).
### Adding or removing a trade restriction
1. Select your name in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Select **Account settings**.
3. Select the **Investing** tab.
4. Scroll to **Trade restrictions** and select **View trade restrictions**.
From here:
- To add one, search for the stock by name or symbol.
- To remove one, select **Remove restriction** next to any stock on your list.
### What happens once a stock is restricted
Frec holds your existing position, if you have one, without buying or selling it. Keep in mind this can[affect how closely your portfolio tracks its index](https://help.frec.com/hc/en-us/articles/37429153876372-Learn-more-about-your-direct-index-tracking-error?hsLang=en-us). You're still free to trade that stock on your own, anytime, in your self-managed portfolio. The restriction only applies to Frec's direct indexing algorithm.
### Trade restriction vs. excluding a stock
These sound similar but work differently:
| | **How it works** |
| --- | --- |
| Trade restriction | Keeps your existing position exactly as-is (no buying, no selling), and applies account-wide, across every direct index in this account. |
| [Exclusion](https://help.frec.com/hc/en-us/articles/37081168763028-Customizing-your-direct-index?hsLang=en-us) | Set per index. Sets the stock's target weight to 0%, and the algorithm sells out of it over time in that specific index, redistributing the weight to your other positions. |
### Keep in mind
- Adding a restriction while a trade run is already in progress may mean it doesn't take effect until the next run.
- Removing a restriction doesn't exclude the stock from your index. If it's part of your index's target weights, the algorithm will trade back into it once the restriction lifts, which can create a gain or loss. If you don't want it traded going forward, exclude it as well.
- A trade restriction is a strong instruction to the algorithm, not an absolute guarantee. In rare cases, such as margin call risk management, Frec may still need to trade the position.
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