How Autopilot connects to your brokerage and what it can see and do: tokens, not passwords; orders, not withdrawals; and how to cut it off

I'm Chris, co-founder of Autopilot. "Connect your brokerage" is three words that hide the most important technical fact about the product, so let me un-hide it. Here's how the connection is made, what it lets us see and do, what it can never do, and how you end it. If you only read one thing before connecting, read section 3.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

1) How the link is made

When you connect, you authenticate with your brokerage, and what we receive back is an authentication token, not your username and password. We use those tokens to read the account data needed to set up your Portfolio and to send orders through your brokerage's systems. The tokens are stored hashed, and we keep the connection alive by using them to fetch new tokens before the old ones expire. It works much the way common account-linking services do. Some brokerages also require you to sign an additional authorization, a limited trading authorization or an advisory form, before any third party can send orders in your account; the app prompts you if your connection needs one.

2) What we can see and do

We can read the account information needed to run your allocation: positions, balances, and buying power. And we can send orders. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to that account. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put. The orders are bounded by the allocation you set: we can trade up to that amount and no more.

3) What we can never do

We can't withdraw your funds or move money out of the account. We don't hold your cash or your securities; your brokerage does. We don't sell shares you hold outside your allocation. We don't trade options, crypto, or shorts. And nothing we do can make the app's view of your money larger than what's actually in the brokerage; the brokerage is the source, and it's always the one to believe. Two things that can affect you are yours to set, not ours: whether your account has margin enabled, and how your brokerage accounts for shares of the same stock held inside and outside your allocation.

4) Cutting it off

Two switches, and you should know both. In the app, stop following any Portfolio at any time, or disconnect the brokerage. At your brokerage, revoke our access by following its prompts; that's the switch that doesn't depend on our app working. Either way, all trading on that account pauses and nothing is sold. Your positions stay at your broker exactly as they were and simply stop following until you reconnect, if you ever do. The same thing happens if the connection drops on its own, because your password changed, a session expired, or a two-factor prompt went unanswered: we pause until you reconnect.

5) What our privacy policy commits to

The policy is public, and I'd rather point you at what it says than paraphrase it loosely: encryption for data in transit and stored in our systems, access to your information limited to authorized people by role and need, regular security audits, and regular backups. It also spells out your rights to access, correct, delete, and port your information, and how to exercise them. Read it before you connect; it's short.

6) How to check us, and any app, before connecting

The connection is only as trustworthy as the entity behind it, so look us up. Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser, CRD 331749, on IAPD at adviserinfo.sec.gov, where Form ADV and Form CRS are filed. How to do that in five minutes is in How to check whether an investing app is registered, in five minutes: IAPD, BrokerCheck, and what the relationship summary tells you. Then use both switches above on a schedule: How often to review the permissions you've given a connected trading app, and what to look for when you do. The five questions I'd ask any app are in Is it safe to connect your brokerage to an investing app? Five checks, and how we answer them.

Frequently asked questions

Does Autopilot store my brokerage password?

No. When you connect, you authenticate with your brokerage and Autopilot receives authentication tokens, not your username or password. The tokens are stored hashed and refreshed before they expire to keep the connection alive. Some brokerages also require a signed trading authorization before any third party can send orders, and the app prompts you if yours does. You can revoke access from your brokerage's side at any time.

What can Autopilot do in my brokerage account?

Read the positions, balances, and buying power needed to run your allocation, and send buy and sell orders for stocks and ETFs up to the amount you allocated, which your brokerage fills. It cannot withdraw funds, move money out, sell shares you hold outside the allocation, or trade options, crypto, or shorts. Your brokerage keeps custody, statements, and tax documents.

How do I revoke Autopilot's access to my brokerage?

At your brokerage, follow its prompts for revoking a connected app's access; that switch works whether or not the Autopilot app does. In the app, you can also stop following any Portfolio or disconnect the brokerage. Either way, trading pauses, nothing is sold, and your positions stay at your brokerage as they were.

What happens to my account if Autopilot's connection breaks?

Trading pauses. Nothing is sold and nothing moves; your positions sit at your brokerage exactly as they were and stop following the Portfolio until you reconnect. Connections drop when a password changes, a session expires, or a two-factor prompt goes unanswered. Reconnect with the same name and identity details as your brokerage profile, since mismatches are the usual reason a reconnection fails.

TLDR

You log in at your brokerage; we get tokens, not your password. We can read what's needed and send orders up to your allocation; we can't withdraw, move money, or touch your other holdings. Cut it off in the app or at your brokerage, and trading pauses with nothing sold. Read the privacy policy, look up CRD 331749, and review the connection quarterly.

Start Investing

Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.

Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Descriptions of the connection, tokens, authority, and revocation follow Autopilot's public website FAQ and help center, and the security commitments follow Autopilot's published privacy policy, each as read on the publish date. No security measure eliminates investment risk or the risk of unauthorized access. Nothing here is a recommendation or a claim about results.