Post-only adds a maker condition.
A regular limit can immediately match an existing order at its price or better. Post-only asks the exchange to accept the instruction only under its maker-only rules. On Bybit, an order that would execute immediately on submission is cancelled instead.
This is different from GTC. GTC describes how a remaining quantity may stay active. Post-only describes whether the instruction may take existing liquidity when it arrives. Neither ensures that the order will eventually fill.
Compare three buy prices.
Assume a fictional best bid of 50,000 and best ask of 50,010 USDT, with a valid price increment of 1 USDT and enough size at the ask. The following outcomes assume the book remains unchanged until matching.
| Buy instruction | Expected initial behavior |
|---|---|
| Regular limit at 50,010 | Can match the ask immediately. |
| Post-only limit at 50,010 | Would cross the ask; Bybit cancels it under its post-only rule. |
| Post-only limit at 50,005 | Can rest inside the spread if all other checks pass. |
The third row is not a fill prediction. Other resting orders, queue priority, later cancellations and incoming orders affect what happens next. An order accepted into the book can remain unfilled.
The quote can change during submission.
Suppose the ask is 50,010 when a buy at 50,005 is entered, but falls to 50,004 before the instruction is matched. The buy is now aggressive relative to the new ask. A post-only cancellation can therefore be consistent with its instructions even though the displayed quote looked passive when the button was clicked.
Compare the submitted price, exchange response and current quote. Repeatedly resending the same instruction without reading the outcome can create a confusing sequence of working orders and cancellations. A terminal cannot reserve a displayed quote while a request travels to the exchange.
Maker status is not a universal fee amount.
Post-only can help express a maker-only requirement, but the amount charged depends on the venue, instrument and account fee schedule. A maker order is not automatically free, and a rebate should not be assumed. Separate price slippage from trading fees when comparing outcomes.
Post-only also does not protect against a later adverse price move after a fill. It is an order-execution condition, not a stop or a promise about the position’s subsequent value.
Read the Post setting in context.
- Choose a supported Limit form and inspect the account and symbol.
- Compare the explicit price with the live opposite side of the book.
- Enable Post only when maker-only behavior is intended.
- If cancelled, read the venue result and inspect open orders before resubmitting.
- Use fills to confirm executed quantity rather than relying on a briefly displayed order line.
Combined Bybit Spot exposes Post with Limit. Market orders do not inherit a stale Post setting. A chart limit uses the clicked price; the same post-only condition still applies if that price crosses the book.