What is Shadower? #

Shadower is a desktop app for Windows that automatically copies the trades of top Polymarket traders to your account. You pick the wallets you want to follow — Shadower monitors them in real time via blockchain WebSocket and places the same bets on your behalf.

🎯 How it works

You add a trader's wallet address
Bot monitors it via Polygon blockchain
Trader places a bet → Shadower copies it
Your position updates in real time

🔧 What you need

Polymarket account with USDC
MetaMask or any Polygon wallet
Free Alchemy API key
Windows 10 / 11 · macOS 12+

Two modes

DRY-RUN Simulation

Bot runs without spending USDC. All actions are logged so you can test your strategy risk-free.

LIVE Real Trading

Bot executes real transactions on Polymarket. Requires Private Key + Alchemy API key.

Installation #

1

Download the installer Go to shadower.trade and click Download. You'll get a Shadower-Setup.exe file.

2

Run the installer Double-click Shadower-Setup.exe → click Next → Install → Finish.

3

Windows SmartScreen warning You may see "Windows protected your PC". This is normal for new apps. Click "More info" → "Run anyway".

4

First launch The app opens the login screen. Proceed to create your account.

⚠️

The SmartScreen warning appears because the app is new and not yet widely downloaded. Your data stays local — Shadower never uploads your keys or wallet data.

Account & Login #

Shadower uses a cloud account to manage your subscription. Your private key and wallet data are stored locally only.

Sign in options

G

Google Click "Sign in with Google" → your browser opens → authorize → the app detects the login automatically.

D

Discord Click "Sign in with Discord" → browser opens → authorize → return to app.

@

Email + Password Enter email and password → click "Create account" → check inbox for a confirmation link → click it → you're logged in.

Returning users

Your session is saved locally for ~30 days. On next launch the app logs you in automatically. If the session expires, you'll need to sign in again.

ℹ️

One account = one device. If you log in on a second device, the first device will show a warning: "Account active on another device." Only the most recent device can trade actively.

First-time Setup #

After login, the Setup window appears. Fill in your wallet credentials to enable LIVE trading.

💡

DRY-RUN (simulation) works without any setup. You only need the keys below to enable real trading.

1. Private Key

Your Polygon wallet's private key. Used to sign transactions on Polymarket.

Format: 64 hex characters, optionally prefixed with 0x
Storage: Encrypted with AES-256-GCM, machine-bound. Never sent anywhere.

🔐

Never share your private key with anyone. Use a dedicated wallet with only the funds you want to trade.

🌐 Signed up via Google / Email

Most Polymarket users. Your wallet is managed by Polymarket.

Go to polymarket.com/settings
Open the Export Private Key tab
Confirm with your login → copy the key

🦊 Connected MetaMask / Rabby

If you connected an existing Web3 wallet.

Open MetaMask → click account avatar
Account details → Export private key
Enter MetaMask password → copy the key

Option A — Polymarket Settings (Google / Email login)

Step 1 — Click your avatar (top right)

Polymarket — dropdown menu, click settings — Step 2 — Click the ⚙️ gear icon in the dropdown

Polymarket Settings — click Private Key in sidebar — Step 3 — Click "Private Key" in the left sidebar

Polymarket Private Key page — click Start Export — Step 4 — Click "Start Export"

Magic.link — Before you continue, click Reveal Private Key — Step 5 — Confirm and click "Reveal Private Key"

Wallet Private Key — click Copy — Step 6 — Click "Copy" — the key is ready to paste into Shadower

Option B — MetaMask

Open MetaMask and click Account 1 dropdown — Step 1 — Open MetaMask → click "Account 1" to open accounts list

MetaMask accounts — click three dots next to account — Step 2 — Click the ⋮ three dots

MetaMask Account details — click Private keys — Step 3 — Click "Private keys"

MetaMask Private keys — copy Polygon key — Step 4 — Copy icon next to **Polygon**

2. Wallet Address

Your public wallet address (the one matching your private key).

Format: 0x + 40 hex characters
Example: 0xAbC1234...7890dEf
This must match the private key above

Your wallet address is shown on your Polymarket profile page — click the copy icon

3. Alchemy API Key

Used to receive real-time blockchain events from Polygon network.

1

Register at alchemy.com — free account

2

Create an app — Chain: Polygon, Network: Polygon Mainnet

3

Copy the API Key from the app dashboard

⚠️

Make sure you select Polygon Mainnet, not Ethereum. An Ethereum key will not work.

Alchemy dashboard — click Create new app — Step 1 — Click "+ Create new app" on the Alchemy dashboard

⚙️

App settings — Polygon Mainnet

Chain: Polygon · Network: Polygon Mainnet (not Ethereum!)

Step 2 — Select Polygon Mainnet

🗝️

Copy API Key

App dashboard → "API Key" tab → copy the key string

Step 3 — Copy the API Key and paste it into Shadower

4. Language

Choose your preferred interface language. Available: English, Русский, Українська, Español, Português, Türkçe, 한국어, 中文.

Saving settings

Click Save. The app validates the data and starts the bot in DRY-RUN mode. You can change any setting later via the Settings button in the toolbar.

🖥️

Shadower — Setup window

The Setup window after first login — all fields filled in correctly

Shadower Setup window — filled in and ready to save

App Overview #

The main window is divided into 5 zones:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ TOOLBAR: [DRY-RUN] [Live Trading] [Ratio] [Min Bet] [Limit/h] │ │ [Sell Mode] [Settings] [Active until] │ ├─────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┬───────────────┤ │ │ [All] [Trader 1] [Trader 2] │ Open │ │ Statistics │ ────────────────────────── │ Positions │ │ ───────────── │ Trades table │ │ │ Traders list │ ────────────────────────── ├───────────────┤ │ │ Log output │ Errors │ │ [+ Add Trader] │ │ │ ├─────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┴───────────────┤ │ Shadower 1.1 | Copying: Trader 1 | Mode: DRY-RUN | 78ms │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Zone	Description
Toolbar	Mode toggle, all settings buttons, subscription status
Left panel	Statistics block + trader list + Add Trader button
Center	Tabs with trade history and bot log for each trader
Right panel	Currently open positions with live P&L + error log
Status bar	App version, active traders, mode, blockchain ping

Toolbar #

Button	What it does
DRY-RUN / LIVE	Current mode indicator (read-only label)
Live Trading	Toggle between DRY-RUN and LIVE mode. Bot restarts on toggle.
Ratio	Set copy coefficient (0.01%–100%). Opens a number input dialog.
Min Bet	Skip trader bets below this amount ($1–$100,000).
Limit/h	Max % of your balance to spend per hour.
Sell Mode	How to exit positions + Auto-Sell settings.
Settings	Change Private Key, Alchemy key, wallet address, language.
Active until…	Subscription status badge. Click to manage or upgrade.

Traders Panel #

The left sidebar shows all wallets you're copying. Up to 5 traders can be active at once.

Adding a trader

1

Click "+ Add Trader" at the bottom of the left panel.

2

Paste the wallet address — format: 0x + 40 hex characters.
Find a trader's address on their Polymarket profile page (it's in the URL or shown on their page).

Not sure who to follow? Browse our curated leaderboard: View Top Polymarket Traders →

3

Enter a label (optional) — e.g. "Whale #1". Helps you identify them in the tab bar.

4

Click OK. The bot restarts and begins watching the new wallet.

Managing a trader

Right-click any trader in the list (or hover and click ···) to open the context menu:

Action	Description
Enable / Disable	Pause copying without removing the trader. Disabled traders show `○` instead of `●`.
Rename	Change the display label.
Remove	Delete this trader. Their tab and history are removed.

Trades Table #

The central area shows a tab for All traders combined, plus an individual tab for each trader you've added. Each tab contains a trades table and a log below it.

Table columns

Column	Description	Example
Time	When the event occurred	`15:42:07`
Action	What the bot did (see below)	BUY
Side	Direction of the bet	Up / Down
Market	Polymarket event name	Bitcoin Up or Down - Mar 29
Price	Token price in cents	72¢
Amount	Bet size in USDC	$5.40

Action types

Action	Color	Meaning
BUY	Green	Trade was copied and submitted
SELL	Red	Position sold when trader sold
AUTO-SELL	Orange	Position sold automatically at target price
REDEEM	Orange	Winning token redeemed for USDC
SKIP	Gray	Trade ignored — see skip reasons

Statistics Block #

The left panel shows 8 real-time metrics, updated every second while the bot is running:

Metric	Description
Ratio	Current copy coefficient (e.g. 0.5%)
Copied	Number of trades copied this session. During trial: shows `3 / 10`
Min Orig Bet	Current minimum trader bet filter (e.g. $205)
Hourly	Hourly spend used vs. total allowed (e.g. $43 / $200)
Portfolio	Total account value: available USDC + value of all open positions
Cash	Available USDC not currently invested in positions
Uptime	How long the bot has been running this session
Src BC	Total blockchain events received from Polygon since bot started

Open Positions #

The top-right panel shows all positions currently held by the bot, with live unrealized P&L.

Column	Description
Market	Event name + outcome (Up/Down)
Price	Current market price of the token (in cents)
P&L	Unrealized profit/loss. Green = profit, red = loss

At the bottom of the table: Total unrealized P&L for all open positions combined.

ℹ️

Positions are updated every second. P&L is calculated based on the current market price, not your entry price. It becomes realized when you SELL or REDEEM.

Log & Errors #

Bot Log (center-bottom)

Full history of everything the bot does, with timestamps:

Color	Meaning	Example
Gray	Skipped trades, status messages	`SKIP ($45 < $205)`
White/colored	BUY / SELL actions	`BUY Up 72¢ Bitcoin...`
Orange	Auto-sell events	`AUTO-SELL Up 99¢...`
Red	Errors and failures	`FAIL: order rejected`

The log is cleared when the bot restarts. To save a session's log, copy the text manually.

Errors Block (right-bottom)

Shows only error messages filtered from the main log. Use this panel to quickly spot issues without scrolling through all activity.

Status Bar #

Shadower 1.1 | Copying: Trader 1, Trader 2 | Mode: DRY-RUN | Ping: 78ms

Field	Description
Shadower 1.1	Current app version
Copying: ...	Names of traders being actively copied. Shows "—" if none.
Mode	DRY-RUN (gray) or LIVE (green)
Ping	Latency to the Polygon blockchain in milliseconds. Normal: 50–200ms

Ratio (Coefficient) #

The ratio determines the size of your bet relative to the trader you're copying.

Your bet = Trader's bet × Ratio

Example: Trader bets $1,000 · Ratio = 5% → Your bet = $50


Range	0.01% to 100%
Default	1%
Saved in	.env as BET_RATIO
Tip	Start at 1–5% while testing in DRY-RUN mode

Min Bet #

Bets from traders that are smaller than this value are ignored (logged as SKIP). Useful for filtering out small/experimental trades.

If trader's bet < Min Bet → SKIP

Example: Min Bet = $200, trader bets $150 → SKIP


Range	$1 to $100,000
Default	$100
Tip	Set higher ($200–$500) to only copy serious positions

Hourly Limit #

Sets the maximum amount of USDC the bot can spend in any rolling 60-minute window, expressed as a percentage of your balance.

Max spend per hour = Balance × Hourly Limit %

Example: Balance = $1,000 · Limit = 20% → Max $200/hour

Once the limit is reached, all new trades are skipped until the oldest bets fall outside the 60-minute window.

💡

Use this as a risk control to prevent the bot from over-betting during a highly active market period.

Sell Mode #

Controls what happens to your position when the copied trader sells their position.

Mode	What happens	Best for
Ignore	Your position stays open. Bot never sells based on trader actions.	Manual traders who want full control over exits
Full	Bot sells 100% of your position when the trader exits.	Most users — mirrors the trader's full exit
Percentage	Bot sells only X% of your position (e.g. 50%).	Partially locking in gains while keeping exposure

💡

Recommended: Start with Full — it most faithfully mirrors your trader's behavior.

Auto-Sell #

An independent feature that automatically sells a position when its market price reaches your target threshold, regardless of what the trader does.

Auto-Sell: ON · Threshold: 99¢

Bought token at 72¢ → price rises to 99¢ → bot sells automatically
Profit: (99 - 72) / 72 ≈ 37.5%


Default threshold	99¢
Range	50¢ to 100¢
Check interval	Every 1 second
Works in DRY-RUN	Yes (simulated)

ℹ️

Auto-Sell is independent of Sell Mode. You can have Sell Mode = Ignore but still use Auto-Sell to take profit when a token approaches resolution.

DRY-RUN vs LIVE #

	DRY-RUN	LIVE
Real transactions	❌ No	✅ Yes
USDC spent	❌ No	✅ Yes
Logged in app	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Requires Private Key	❌ No	✅ Yes
Requires Alchemy Key	❌ No	✅ Yes
Use for	Testing strategies risk-free	Real copy trading

How to switch to LIVE

1

Ensure Private Key and Alchemy Key are configured (Settings button).

2

Click "Live Trading" in the toolbar.

3

The bot restarts. Status changes to LIVE in toolbar and status bar.

⚠️

In LIVE mode, the bot spends real USDC. Start with a small Ratio (1–2%) and monitor the log closely for the first few hours.

How Copying Works #

When the bot is running, it monitors your traders' wallets via the Polygon blockchain WebSocket in real time. Here's the full flow for each copied trade:

1

Trader places a bet on Polymarket (on-chain transaction)

2

Blockchain event received via Alchemy WebSocket (typically within 1–3 seconds after block confirmation)

3

Filters applied: price range check (3¢–97¢), min bet check, hourly limit check, age check (<120 seconds old)

4

Bet size calculated: trader's bet × Ratio, minimum $1

5

DRY-RUN: trade is logged only
LIVE: order submitted to Polymarket CLOB

6

Trades table updated, statistics refreshed, position added to Open Positions panel

Why Trades Are Skipped #

When a trade shows as SKIP in the log, one of these filters blocked it:

Log message	Reason	Fix
`SKIP ($45 < $205)`	Trader's bet is below your Min Bet setting	Lower the Min Bet threshold
`SKIP (price 0.98 out of range)`	Token price is above 97¢ or below 3¢	These are near-resolved markets — this is intentional
`SKIP (hourly $200/$200)`	Hourly spending limit reached	Wait for the hour to roll over, or increase the limit
`SKIP (stale event)`	Blockchain event is older than 120 seconds	Normal during startup warmup — not an error
`SKIP (trial limit)`	10 trial copies used up	Subscribe to continue

Subscription & Trial #

Free Trial

Duration: 24 hours from account creation
Copy limit: 10 trades
Ends when either the time runs out OR 10 copies are used — whichever comes first
Trial status shown in top-right badge: Trial: 18h 30m · 3/10

Paid Plans

	Monthly	Yearly
Price	$19.99/month	$189.99/year
Per month	$19.99	$15.83
Savings	—	Save 21%
Copy trades	Unlimited	Unlimited
Support	Standard	Priority

How to subscribe

1

Click the badge in the top-right corner of the app (Trial: ...)

2

Choose a plan: Monthly or Yearly

3

Choose payment method: Crypto (BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC) or Card (Visa, Mastercard, Apple/Google Pay)

4

Complete payment — subscription activates automatically within a few minutes

Subscription statuses

Badge	Meaning
Trial: 6d 12h · 3/10	Trial active — time and copies remaining
Active until 28.04.2026	Paid subscription active
Cancelled until 28.04.2026	Cancelled but still works until the date shown

App Updates #

Shadower checks for updates automatically in the background when you launch it.

Soft update (orange banner at the bottom)

A new version is available but you can keep using the current one.

Click "Download" to open the download page in your browser
Click "×" to dismiss and continue using the app

Forced update (blocking dialog)

Your version is too old and is no longer supported. The bot stops.

Click "Download" → browser opens with the download page → app closes
Clicking "×" on the dialog also closes the app
Install the new version and relaunch to continue

Security #

What	How it's protected
Private Key	Encrypted with AES-256-GCM. The encryption key is derived from your machine's hostname using PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 (260,000 iterations). The encrypted value is stored in a local `.env` file — it cannot be decrypted on another machine.
Cloud data	Only your email and subscription status are stored server-side (Supabase). No keys, no trades, no wallet data.
Network	All connections use HTTPS/WSS (TLS encrypted). Blockchain data comes through your own Alchemy key.

🔐

Best practices: Use a dedicated wallet with only the USDC you intend to trade. Never reuse your main MetaMask wallet's private key. Do not share your .env file.

Log Reference #

Every line in the log follows a pattern. Here's how to read it:

[15:42:07] +1240ms  Trader 1  Up 72¢  Bitcoin Up or Down - Mar 29  $5.40 (x3)
[15:42:09] SKIP ($45 < $205)
[15:42:11] BUY placed: orderID=0x3f9a...

Line parts explained

Part	Meaning	Example
`[15:42:07]`	Local time the event was processed	HH:MM:SS
`+1240ms`	Blockchain delay — how many milliseconds after the block was confirmed that Shadower received the event. Normal: 1000–2500ms. Only shown when delay > 1 second.	`+1420ms`
`Trader 1`	Label of the trader who placed the bet	`Whale #1`
`Up / Down`	Direction of the bet on the market	`Up` = betting the outcome happens
`72¢`	Price of the token in cents at the time of the trade (100¢ = $1 = certain outcome)	`72¢` = 72% implied probability
`$5.40`	Size of YOUR copied bet in USDC	Trader bet $750 × 0.72% Ratio = $5.40
`(x3)`	The trader placed this same bet 3 times in quick succession — grouped into one line	`(x3)`

Common log messages

Message	Meaning
`SKIP ($45 < $205)`	Trader bet $45 but your Min Orig Bet is $205 — ignored
`SKIP (price 0.98 out of range)`	Token is priced above 97¢ — market is near resolution, skipped by design
`SKIP (hourly $200/$200)`	Hourly spending cap reached
`BUY placed: orderID=0x…`	Order submitted to Polymarket successfully (LIVE mode)
`AUTO-SELL Up 99¢ …`	Auto-sell triggered — position sold at target price
`REDEEM Win …`	A winning outcome token was redeemed for USDC
`CLOB: initializing…`	Bot is connecting to Polymarket's order system on startup
`CLOB: ready`	Connection established, bot is ready to trade
`── Starting Shadower (LIVE) ──`	Bot started in LIVE mode
`── Starting Shadower (DRY-RUN) ──`	Bot started in simulation mode
`Loading… $11.72 (x3)`	Startup warmup — bot is loading last 100 trades per trader to get context. Normal at launch.
`BC error: …`	Blockchain WebSocket connection issue — bot will auto-reconnect

Glossary

Term	Meaning
USDC	USD Coin — a stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. Used as currency on Polymarket.
CLOB	Central Limit Order Book — Polymarket's order matching system. All buy/sell orders go through it.
Outcome token	A token representing one possible result of a Polymarket event (e.g. "Yes" or "Up"). Resolves to $1 if the outcome is correct, $0 if not.
72¢	The current price of an outcome token. Roughly equals the market's implied probability of that outcome occurring (72% chance).
99¢	A token near $1.00 — means the market has almost fully resolved in that direction. Auto-Sell target is usually set here.
Up / Down	The two sides on price-based Polymarket events (e.g. "Will Bitcoin be Up or Down today?").
P&L	Profit & Loss — the difference between what you paid and what the position is currently worth.
Unrealized P&L	P&L on a position you still hold. Becomes realized when you sell or redeem.
DRY-RUN	Simulation mode — bot runs all logic but submits no real orders.
Allowance	A permission you give Polymarket's smart contract to spend your USDC. Required once before first trade in LIVE mode.
Src BC	Source Blockchain — number of raw events received from the Polygon network since bot started.
Warmup	The startup phase where the bot loads the last 100 trades per trader to build context before live monitoring begins.

Error Reference #

Red messages in the log or the Errors panel mean something went wrong. Here's what each one means and how to fix it:

Error message	Cause	Fix
`BUY error (insufficient_balance)`	Not enough USDC in your wallet, or Polymarket's spending allowance hasn't been approved	Add USDC to your wallet. The bot will auto-retry and approve allowances. If it persists, restart the app.
`BUY error (size_too_small)`	Your calculated bet is below Polymarket's minimum order size (~$1)	Increase your Ratio setting, or lower Min Orig Bet so you copy larger trades.
`BUY error (duplicate)`	Polymarket rejected the order because an identical order already exists	Not a real error — happens occasionally with fast traders. Bot ignores it automatically.
`BUY error (market_closed)`	The market has closed or trading is paused	Normal — bot skips it automatically. No action needed.
`BUY error (other): …`	Unexpected error from Polymarket's API	Check the full error text. If it mentions "signature" or "key", verify your Private Key in Settings.
`SELL FAIL …`	Sell order was rejected by Polymarket	Usually a temporary API issue. Position remains open — you can sell manually on Polymarket.com.
`CLOB init error: …`	Bot couldn't connect to Polymarket's order system at startup	Check your Private Key and Wallet Address in Settings. Ensure they match.
`BC error: …`	Blockchain WebSocket connection dropped	Bot reconnects automatically. If it keeps happening, check your Alchemy API key.
Red connection status (Disconnected)	Lost connection to the Polygon blockchain	Check internet connection and Alchemy API key. Bot will reconnect automatically when connection is restored.
`Order too small (0.0012 sh). Increase Ratio or Min Bet.`	The number of tokens to buy is too tiny to be valid	Raise your Ratio (e.g. from 0.5% to 2%) or lower Min Orig Bet to only copy larger trader positions.

💡

Most errors are temporary and resolve automatically. The bot is designed to skip failed orders gracefully and continue monitoring. If you see the same error repeatedly, that usually points to a configuration issue (wrong key, insufficient funds).

FAQ #

Why are my trades showing as SKIP?

Most common reasons: the trader's bet is below your Min Bet setting, the token price is outside the 3¢–97¢ range, or you've hit the hourly spend limit. Check the log message — it always says the exact reason.

What is DRY-RUN?

A simulation mode. The bot runs exactly as in LIVE — it monitors traders, evaluates bets, logs everything — but no real transactions are submitted. USDC is never spent. Use it to test your settings before going live.

The connection status shows red. What do I do?

Go to Settings and check your Alchemy API Key. Make sure the app you created in Alchemy uses Polygon Mainnet, not Ethereum. After saving, the bot restarts and reconnects.

Can I use Shadower on two computers?

No. One account = one active device. Logging in on a second device will invalidate the first device's session. It won't show an error immediately, but on the next startup the first device will see a session conflict warning.

How do I find a trader's wallet address?

Go to Polymarket.com → open the trader's profile → the wallet address is in the URL or displayed on their page. It starts with 0x.

How do I cancel my subscription?

Click the subscription badge (top-right) → "Manage Subscription" → follow the LemonSqueezy cancellation flow. Your subscription stays active until the end of the current billing period.

How many traders can I follow at once?

Up to 5 wallets simultaneously.

What happens when the trader wins and the token goes to $1.00?

Polymarket resolves the market and winning tokens become redeemable for $1 USDC each. If Auto-Sell is enabled at 99¢, the bot sells just before resolution. Otherwise, the bot performs a REDEEM action to claim the USDC.

I see "Account active on another device" — what now?

Simply log out and log back in on the device you want to use. The session transfers to the current device.

System Requirements #

Component	Requirement
OS	Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) · macOS 12+
RAM	100 MB or more available
Disk space	~50 MB
Internet	Required, must stay connected while bot is running
USDC balance	Recommended $100+ for LIVE mode (depends on your Ratio × trader bets)
Alchemy account	Free tier is sufficient

ℹ️

The app is lightweight and can run in the background. Just keep the internet connection active — if it drops, the bot will auto-reconnect when it comes back.

Still have questions? Contact us via Discord or email from the main site.

Shadower — User Guide