The Basics
TopstepX™ automatically updates your contract to the front month — you don't need to manually roll or switch. That said, understanding what the front month is and how it's identified makes you a sharper trader.
What Is the Front Month?
The front month is the futures contract with the highest trading volume at any given time. At Topstep, this is the contract you're required to trade. When volume shifts to the next expiration, that becomes the new front month.
How to Identify It
If you ever want to verify which contract is the front month, check the CME product page for your instrument. The front month is whichever expiration has the highest volume.
Quick links to common products:
Reading a Contract Symbol
Each futures contract symbol is built from 3 parts: Product + Month Code + Year
Month | Code | Month | Code | Month | Code |
January | F | May | K | September | U |
February | G | June | M | October | V |
March | H | July | N | November | X |
April | J | August | Q | December | Z |
Example: Crude Oil (CL), front month is December 2024 → CLZ24
Note: Some platforms use a single digit for the year (CLZ4), others use 2 (CLZ24). Check your platform's format.