Introductory Context
"This topic is a complete Kite walkthrough for options traders. It covers the platform's layout, the options-specific workflows, the correct way to access the option chain, how to place and manage GTT stop-loss orders, how to monitor open positions and their Greeks, and how to use Kite's integrated chart for the technical analysis workflows from Module 07. Every step is described precisely because the difference between the correct workflow and a slightly wrong one can mean the difference between a stop-loss that executes automatically and one that requires manual intervention. "
Kite Interface Overview - The Five Primary Areas
The Kite interface has five primary areas that options traders use daily. The Market Watch (left panel): the customisable watchlist where you add Nifty, Bank Nifty, specific options contracts, and India VIX for monitoring. The Positions Tab (accessible from the top navigation): shows all open F&O positions with real-time P&L, Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega), LTP, and margin utilisation. The Orders Tab: shows placed orders (open, executed, rejected), GTT orders, and order history. The Funds Tab: shows available balance, margin utilised, and the margin breakdown by segment. The Charts Area: accessible by clicking any instrument in the Market Watch, providing the full charting capability with all indicators from Module 07.
Navigation between these areas is through the top bar menu or through keyboard shortcuts. Learning the keyboard shortcuts for frequently used functions significantly speeds up execution during market hours: F1 to buy (long), F2 to sell (short), Shift+F2 to short-sell, and Tab to navigate between order fields. During fast market conditions, the keyboard shortcut to place an order (F1 from any watchlist item) is materially faster than the mouse-click sequence.
Always Use Kite Web for Full Features -- Mobile for Monitoring
The Kite mobile app provides a subset of the web platform's features. For the full options trading workflow including GTT order placement, option chain with complete OI data, chart with all indicators, and margin calculations, use the Kite web platform (kite.zerodha.com) on a desktop or laptop. The Kite mobile app is appropriate for monitoring open positions and receiving alerts during market hours when not at a desktop. Never use the mobile app alone for new position entry or complex order management -- the smaller screen and limited feature set increase the risk of order entry errors.
Accessing the Nifty Option Chain in Kite
From Kite, the option chain for Nifty is accessed through two routes. Route 1 (most direct): click the three-dot menu next to 'NIFTY 50' in the Market Watch, select 'Option Chain.' This opens the full Nifty option chain with all expiry dates available as tabs. Route 2: go to nseindia.com directly for the official NSE option chain, which provides the same data with additional analytics (Max Pain is more clearly visible on Sensibull, which is covered in Topic 10.5).
In the Kite option chain: each row represents one strike price, with call (CE) data on the left and put (PE) data on the right. For each strike, the chain shows: OI (Open Interest), Change in OI (positive means new positions being added, negative means positions being closed), Volume, IV (Implied Volatility), LTP (Last Traded Price), Bid Price, Ask Price, and Greeks. The ATM strike is highlighted in the centre. Click any option's LTP to add it directly to the Market Watch. Click the Buy (B) or Sell (S) buttons on any row to immediately open the order form for that specific contract.
Placing an Options Buy Order in Kite
To buy a Nifty call option: from the Market Watch or option chain, click the instrument or the Buy button. The order form opens with fields: Exchange (NFO for all Nifty options), Symbol (auto-populated from the option chain), Qty (enter the number of lots -- remember each lot is 75 units for Nifty, so 1 lot = enter 75 in Qty, not 1), Order Type (select Limit -- never Market for options, covered in Topic 10.9), Price (enter the limit price -- the maximum premium you are willing to pay), Product (NRML for overnight positions, MIS for intraday margin positions), and Validity (Day for single-session orders, IOC for Immediate Or Cancel).
The most critical fields to verify before clicking Buy: Qty must be in units (75 for 1 Nifty lot, 150 for 2 lots, 35 for 1 Bank Nifty lot), not in lots (the system uses units, not lots). A common error is entering 1 in the Qty field intending 1 lot, which results in buying 1 unit of the option at 1/75th of a full Nifty lot exposure. Always verify the Qty field by multiplying your intended lots by the lot size before placing.
Kite Order Form Fields for Options
Exchange: NFO (for all NSE F&O options). Symbol: auto-populated from option chain -- verify it shows the correct strike and expiry. Qty: units (NOT lots). 1 Nifty lot = 75 units. 1 Bank Nifty lot = 35 units. Order Type: ALWAYS Limit for options entries. NEVER Market. Price: your limit price (the maximum premium you will pay for buy orders, minimum for sell orders). Product: NRML for overnight holds. MIS for intraday with margin benefit (auto squared off by broker at day end). Validity: Day (for most trades). Verify ALL fields before clicking the green Buy button.
Placing a GTT Stop-Loss Order in Kite
After a position is filled, the GTT stop-loss must be placed within two minutes (Topic 8.8 discipline). From the Positions tab, locate the new position. Click the three-dot menu on the position row, select 'GTT.' This opens the GTT order form. Set: Trigger Price (the option LTP at which the stop should activate -- this is your premium-based stop level), Type (Single to exit the full position, or OCO -- One Cancels Other -- for target and stop simultaneously). For a long call with entry at Rs 90 and a 50 percent stop at Rs 45: set Trigger Price to Rs 45, Order Type to Sell, Qty to the full position units. Click 'Create GTT.' A confirmation appears with the GTT order ID.
Verify the GTT is active by going to Orders tab → GTT Orders. The stop should appear as 'Active' with the correct trigger price and quantity. GTT orders persist until triggered, cancelled, or expired (GTT orders expire after one year or at the contract's expiry, whichever comes first). Check the GTT status during the Sunday weekly review to confirm it remains active and the trigger level is still appropriate for the current position state.
GTT Orders Do Not Guarantee Execution at the Trigger Price
A GTT order triggers a regular market order when the LTP hits the trigger price. If the option's LTP gaps below the trigger price (jumping from Rs 50 to Rs 30 in one tick), the triggered market order executes at the best available bid -- which may be significantly below the trigger price. This gap risk is inherent in any stop-loss mechanism for thinly traded options. For highly liquid Nifty ATM options, this gap risk is minimal. For OTM or thinly traded options, the gap between trigger and execution can be significant. Understand this risk before relying on GTT as the sole stop-loss mechanism for thinly traded contracts.
Monitoring Positions - The Positions Tab in Detail
The Positions tab shows all open F&O positions with: LTP (current premium), Average Price (your entry premium), P&L (unrealised gain/loss), Qty (units held), Product (NRML/MIS), and the current Greeks (delta, gamma, theta, vega). The Greeks display requires enabling the 'Show Greeks' option in the positions column settings (the gear icon at the top right of the Positions tab). Enabling Greeks provides real-time visibility of: delta (how much the premium changes per 1-point Nifty move), theta (premium decay per day), and vega (premium change per 1-point VIX change).
The Funds tab (accessible from the top menu) shows: Total Value (account balance), Available Margin, Used Margin, and a breakdown by segment. For F&O options traders, the critical number is Available Margin -- this must maintain the 30 percent buffer above the SPAN + Exposure Margin requirement of all open positions. If Available Margin drops below the buffer threshold during a session (due to a VIX spike or adverse price move increasing SPAN requirements), the Funds tab will reflect this -- check it at the three monitoring windows identified in Topic 9.12 (9:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM).
Save Your Custom Kite Layout and Watchlist
Kite allows saving custom Market Watch lists and chart layouts. Create a dedicated 'Options Trading' watchlist containing: NIFTY 50 (spot index), NIFTYIT (sector index for context), INDIA VIX, BANKNIFTY, and the two to three specific options contracts currently in your watchlist for the week. Save this watchlist. Create and save a dedicated chart layout for the Nifty daily chart with all indicators from Module 07 (EMA 20/50/200, RSI 14, MACD 12/26/9, Bollinger Bands 20/2, ATR 14, Pivot Points Standard Weekly). These saved configurations load in seconds each morning, eliminating the setup time that adds friction to the pre-market phase.