Help
Everything you need to get started, manage your recordings, and troubleshoot issues.
Getting Started
Quick setup
When you first launch Sealtrace, pick your broker from the list. Sealtrace will auto-detect when that app or website is open and start monitoring in the background. That's it — setup takes about 60 seconds.
System requirements
Windows 10 or later. Sealtrace uses around 1% CPU in the background. macOS is not currently supported.
Adding a custom broker
If your broker isn't in the pre-configured list, you can add it manually. Go to Settings → Brokers → Add Custom. Enter the app name (for desktop) or the URL (for web platforms). Sealtrace will detect it like any other broker.
Supported brokers (pre-configured)
Interactive Brokers (TWS), thinkorswim, Schwab, Robinhood, Webull, TradeStation, Tradovate, TradingView, Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken.
How It Works
The buffer
Sealtrace keeps the last 5–15 minutes of screen footage in RAM (configurable in settings). This buffer is always rolling — old frames are replaced by new ones. Nothing is written to disk unless an anomaly is detected or you manually trigger a save. This is why CPU usage stays around 1%.
Anomaly detection
Sealtrace watches for four types of problems: screen freezes (platform stops updating for 3+ seconds), connection slowdowns (response time spikes), connection drops (link to broker goes down), and app unresponsiveness (no CPU activity, completely hung). When detected, the buffer is automatically saved to disk as a timestamped clip.
Session recording vs incident clips
Session recording captures your entire trading session continuously to disk — useful for trade review and journaling. Incident clips are saved from the buffer only when something goes wrong (or when you press the hotkey). Both run simultaneously.
Save hotkey
Press Alt+A to manually save the current buffer to disk. This is useful when you notice something the anomaly detector didn't catch. The hotkey is fully configurable in settings.
Microphone audio
Optional. You can enable microphone capture in settings to narrate your sessions or capture voice calls. Disabled by default.
Managing Your Recordings
Where recordings are stored
Everything stays on your computer. Recordings are saved to a local folder (configurable in settings). Nothing is ever uploaded to the cloud.
Exporting a clip
Select an incident clip and click Export. Sealtrace packages the screen recording, network health logs, timestamps, and a professional PDF incident report into a single .zip file. Ready to send to your broker, attorney, or keep for your records.
Session replay and bookmarks
Open any session recording to replay your trading day. Use bookmarks to mark entries, exits, and key moments. Add notes to any point in the timeline. Think of it as a trade journal built from recordings you didn't have to think about.
Verifying an export
Every export includes a README with verification instructions. The .zip contains SHA-256 checksums and RFC 3161 timestamps — open standards that anyone can verify independently.
Account & Billing
Managing your subscription
Your subscription is managed through LemonSqueezy. You can update your payment method, view invoices, and manage your plan from your billing portal.
Starter vs Pro
Starter ($9.99/mo) monitors 1 broker. Pro ($14.99/mo) monitors unlimited brokers. Every feature is available on both plans. You can upgrade or downgrade at any time — changes take effect at your next billing cycle.
Free trial
The 7-day free trial gives you full Pro access — unlimited brokers, all features, no restrictions. You won't be charged until the trial ends.
Cancellation
You can cancel anytime from your billing portal. Your recordings and settings remain on your computer — they're yours. Sealtrace simply stops monitoring after your billing period ends.
Troubleshooting
Sealtrace isn't detecting my broker
Make sure the broker is selected in Settings → Brokers. For web platforms, check that the correct URL is configured. If you're using a custom broker, verify the app name or URL matches exactly. Restart Sealtrace after making changes.
High CPU usage
Normal usage is around 1% CPU. If you're seeing higher numbers, check that you don't have multiple broker windows detected simultaneously. You can also try reducing the buffer length in settings (shorter buffer = less processing).
Recording quality issues
Recording quality is tied to your screen resolution. If recordings look blurry, ensure your display scaling is set to 100% in Windows display settings, or adjust the capture quality in Sealtrace settings.
How to check if monitoring is active
Look for the Sealtrace icon in your system tray (bottom-right of your screen, near the clock). Click it to see the current status — which broker is detected, whether monitoring and session recording are active, and any anomalies detected.
Analytics and privacy
Sealtrace collects anonymous usage analytics (via PostHog) to improve the product. This is enabled by default and can be disabled in Settings. No screen, recording, or audio data is ever sent. See our privacy policy for details.