Partial fills leave part of an order still waiting

A partial fill happens when only some of a crypto order’s quantity trades. The filled portion is complete; the rest may remain open until it matches with another order or the trader’s instructions end it.

• Order quantity: the total amount the trader wants to buy or sell.
• Filled quantity: the amount that has traded so far.
• Remaining quantity: the part still waiting, unless cancelled or expired.

Why does a crypto order fill only in part?

An order fills only as far as available matching orders allow at its price. A limit buy, for example, can trade against sell orders priced at or below its limit, but the book may not have enough quantity there to complete it.

The exchange records each matched portion as a fill, often at different prices if the order reaches several price levels. This is why the average execution price can differ from the first fill price. The same distinction between an initiated action and its later completion matters in cross-chain transfers; the manta bridge explainer covers that process in more detail.

What happens to the unfilled part?

The remaining quantity’s status depends on the order’s time-in-force instruction. A Good-Til-Cancelled order generally stays open until filled or cancelled; an Immediate-or-Cancel order trades what it can at once and cancels the remainder. A Fill-or-Kill order requires the full quantity immediately or cancels the order.

Confirmed: the filled quantity has executed, subject to the exchange’s trade record. Still open: the remaining quantity has not traded and can still change status. Check the order’s status and remaining amount rather than treating the original order size as completed.

How should traders handle a partial fill?

First, check whether the remaining quantity is still active. If it is, the trader can leave it in the book, cancel it, or replace it with a new order. Cancelling stops future matching but does not reverse fills that already occurred.

A market order may also fill in pieces as it consumes available liquidity, and its later portions can execute at different prices. A limit order gives a price boundary but does not guarantee completion. For most readers, the practical choice is to set an order size and time-in-force that fit the need, then verify both the executed amount and the remainder before placing another order.