Matched is not the same as settled

The order screen says matched, and the brain marks the position complete. Polymarket's order lifecycle has another step: the trade still has to move through on-chain settlement and confirmation.

Treating those states as one can make a journal show exposure that is not final, or hide a failed trade behind a successful-looking order message.

Keep the two status tracks separate

Record order status such as live, matched, delayed, or unmatched in one column. Record trade status such as MATCHED, MINED, CONFIRMED, RETRYING, or FAILED in another.

The first track tells you what happened to the order on the book. The second tells you how the resulting trade progressed toward finality.

Account for delay windows

Some configured markets hold a marketable order in a short delay before matching. During that window the order is pending and cannot be cancelled; if the market, balance, allowance, or risk checks fail when the delay ends, the order can be rejected instead.

A screenshot taken during the delay is not the same evidence as a confirmed fill. Save the timestamp and check the final state after the window closes.

Reconcile after confirmation

Use the confirmed trade and the updated position balance to set final exposure. Keep a matched or mined trade marked provisional until the settlement path reaches a terminal result.

If the result is retrying or failed, do not silently carry the intended size into the next decision. Note what remained unfilled and what action, if any, is still possible.

Give partial fills their own line

A partial fill changes the position before the original order is finished. Update filled quantity, average price, reserved balance, and the cancellation state for the remainder. Only the unfilled portion can be cancelled.

The useful question is not whether the order ever said matched. It is whether the trade reached a confirmed state and how much exposure actually survived the full lifecycle.

Further reading: Negative risk markets · Order lifecycle · Resolution rules.

Explore the markets: Open Polymarket (referral link).