Educational only, not financial advice. Broker features, options-approval requirements, 0DTE availability, and fees change and vary by account — verify current details on the broker’s own site. NoVo is independent and not affiliated with the brokers named.

Webull is a commission-free broker popular with active traders for its charting and mobile tools. This guide walks the process of trading a 0DTE (same-day expiration) SPY option there. The mechanics are broadly the same on any broker; what matters more than the platform is the discipline around the trade.

Step 1: options approval

To buy SPY calls or puts you need options trading approval on your account — typically the level that permits buying long options (often called Level 2, though names vary). Apply for it in your Webull account settings if you haven’t already; approval depends on the broker’s assessment of your experience. Confirm your account’s approval level and whether same-day (0DTE) expirations are available to you — see does my broker offer 0DTE SPY.

Steps 2–3: find the 0DTE chain and pick a strike

Search SPY, open the options chain, and select today’s expiration (SPY has a 0DTE every weekday). Then pick a strike — for a scalp, favor a responsive near-the-money strike, not a far-OTM lottery ticket. Learn to read the quote (bid/ask, volume) so you trade a liquid strike.

Steps 4–5: place the order and manage the exit

Place the order (start with one contract), then — the part most beginners skip — set your stop and know your exit before you’re in. On 0DTE, decay is fast, so have a plan and don’t drift into the close. A hard stop beats a mental one.

The broker is just where the buttons are. Getting approval and finding the chain is the easy 10%; the strike, the stop, and the discipline are the 90% that decides your P&L.

The part no broker gives you

Any broker can place the order — but none map the dealer structure or enforce the discipline for you. That’s where a cockpit like NoVo fits: it maps the dealer levels and executes with sizing, stop, and exit built in. Note NoVo executes through your own Tradier or Alpaca account (non-custodial), not Webull — so think of this guide as how to trade 0DTE on Webull manually, and NoVo as the disciplined-execution layer if you want it. Either way: start small, and remember levels are structure, not signals.