Shadower → How to Copy Traders on Polymarket
⏱ Setup time: ~5 minutes

How to Copy Top Traders
on Polymarket

Every trade on Polymarket is public on the blockchain. This guide shows you how to find the best wallets to follow, evaluate their track record, and automate the copy process so you never miss a trade — even at 3am.

Contents

  1. Find a trader worth copying
  2. Get a free Alchemy API key
  3. Install Shadower
  4. Configure your wallet and limits
  5. Start copying
  6. Common mistakes to avoid

Step 1 — Find a Trader Worth Copying

1

Open the Polymarket leaderboard

Go to polymarket.com/leaderboard or browse Shadower's leaderboard which shows win rate, ROI, and P&L side by side for 300+ wallets.

Sort by ROI or P&L over the last 30 days. Ignore the all-time view — you want active traders who are profitable right now.

What to look for: Win rate above 60%, at least 50 total trades, positive ROI over the last month.
2

Copy the wallet address

Click on a trader's profile. You will see their full wallet address (starts with 0x…). Copy it — you will need it in step 4.

Avoid: 100% win rate on fewer than 20 trades. This usually means the trader only bets on near-certain outcomes (99¢ contracts) — technically profitable but negligible returns to copy.

Step 2 — Get a Free Alchemy API Key

3

Create a free Alchemy account

Shadower connects to the Polygon blockchain via WebSocket to detect trades in real time. Alchemy provides free WebSocket access with no payment required.

  • Go to alchemy.com and sign up for free
  • Create a new app — select Polygon PoS as the network
  • Copy your WebSocket URL (starts with wss://)
Free tier is enough: Shadower uses roughly 3–5 million compute units per month, well within Alchemy's free 300M CU/month limit.

Step 3 — Install Shadower

4

Download and run the installer

Download Shadower from shadower.trade — available for Windows 10/11 and macOS. Run the installer and launch the app.

The 3-day free trial activates automatically on first launch. No credit card required.

Step 4 — Configure Your Wallet and Risk Limits

5

Enter your Polymarket private key

In Shadower, paste your Polymarket private key. This is the key associated with the wallet you want to trade from — not the wallet you are copying.

Security: Your private key is encrypted with AES-256 and stored only on your local machine. Shadower never transmits it to any server. We have zero access.
6

Paste the trader's wallet address

Add the wallet address you copied in Step 1. You can add multiple wallets to copy several traders at once.

7

Set your risk limits

This is the most important configuration step. Always set:

  • Max single bet — the maximum USDC amount per copied trade (e.g. $50)
  • Daily loss cap — Shadower stops trading for the day if this is hit (e.g. $200)
  • Min bet filter — ignore small positions below a threshold
Do not skip this. Without limits, Shadower will copy every trade including large unusual positions. Always set a max bet before starting.

Step 5 — Start Copying

8

Press Start and monitor the live feed

Once started, Shadower listens to every new Polygon block via WebSocket. When a tracked wallet places a bet, Shadower detects it in ~1.8 seconds and places a matching order on your account automatically.

The live activity feed shows every detected and copied trade in real time. You can pause or stop at any point.

First copy trade: It may take minutes or hours for the tracked wallet to make a move. This is normal — you are waiting for their next real trade, not a historical replay.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Frequently Asked Questions

How much USDC do I need to start?
There is no minimum. Most users start with $100–$500 to test. Shadower's proportional sizing automatically scales copied bets to your balance.
What happens to open positions when I stop Shadower?
Open positions remain open on Polymarket. Shadower stopping does not close them. You can manage them manually from polymarket.com or set the auto-sell feature to close at 99¢.
Can I use Shadower on multiple computers?
Yes, but run it on only one at a time to avoid duplicate trades. Your subscription covers a single active instance.
Does Shadower work on macOS?
Yes. Shadower is available for both Windows 10/11 and macOS. Download the correct version for your platform from shadower.trade.
What if the tracked trader makes no trades for days?
Shadower simply waits. There is nothing to copy if the wallet is inactive. Consider adding more active wallets to your tracking list.

Ready to Start Copying?

Download Shadower and follow these steps today. 3-day free trial, no credit card required.

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Past performance does not guarantee future results. Only trade what you can afford to lose.