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Getting Started with Backtesting

Welcome to the Tradavity Backtesting platform! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started with backtesting your trading strategies.

What is Backtesting?

Backtesting allows you to practice trading on historical market data. You can replay past price action, take trades, and analyze your results - all without risking real money.

Quick Start

  1. Create a Session - Click "New Session", select a Profile (and optionally a Layout)
  2. Enter the Session - You'll see the TradingView chart
  3. Choose a Symbol - Use the symbol search in the chart toolbar, or open the Watchlist to browse available symbols
  4. Navigate to a Date - Use chart navigation or the "Go To" feature
  5. Start Replay - Click the Replay button to select your starting point
  6. Take Trades - Use the Order Panel in the bottom bar or the Trading tab in the right panel to place orders and manage positions

Understanding the Interface

Chart Area

The main chart displays historical price data using TradingView charting technology. You can:

  • Zoom in/out with mouse wheel
  • Pan by clicking and dragging
  • Change timeframes using the toolbar
  • Draw on charts (Pro feature)
  • Take chart screenshots using the snapshot button in the toolbar
  • Open the Watchlist using the list icon in the toolbar to browse and switch symbols
Watchlist

The Watchlist panel slides open to the right of the chart, showing organized symbol groups (Micro Futures, E-mini, Crypto, Metals, Forex Majors, Forex Crosses) with live prices and percentage changes. Click any symbol to switch the chart. Use the search bar to filter symbols. The Watchlist is hidden on mobile devices.

Right Panel

The right panel contains 8 tabs accessible via the navigation icons. Your selected tab is remembered across sessions.

  1. Trading - View your account balance, open position, pending orders, trade history, and performance statistics
  2. Calendar - PnL calendar with your layout's components for recording trade data (P&L, result, direction, notes, and any custom fields)
  3. Layout Editor - Build and customize your trade entry form using a grid of configurable components
  4. Journal Entry - Add notes and observations to individual trade entries
  5. Screenshots - Capture and review chart screenshots attached to entries
  6. Go To - Jump to specific times on the chart
  7. Drawing Tools - Automatic chart line drawing (Pro feature)
  8. Goals - Track your backtesting performance goals

Bottom Panel

The bottom panel is split into two halves:

Left side - Replay Controls:

  • Replay - Select a point on the chart to start replaying from
  • Play/Pause - Control playback of price bars
  • Step - Advance one bar at a time
  • Stop - End replay mode
  • Speed - Adjust replay speed (0.1x to 20x)
  • Timeframe - Change replay bar granularity

Right side - Order Panel:

  • Buy/Long - Place a long order
  • Quantity - Adjust position size with stepper controls
  • Order Type - Select Market, Limit, or Stop order
  • Price - Set the order price (for Limit and Stop orders)
  • Sell/Short - Place a short order
  • Flatten - Close all open positions
  • Cancel All - Cancel all pending orders
  • Reverse - Reverse your current position direction

See the Trading Guide for full details on the trading system.

Sessions

Sessions organize your backtesting practice. Each session tracks:

  • Which symbol and date range you're practicing on
  • Your profile and layout preferences
  • All trades entered during the session
  • Notes, screenshots, and chart state
  • Chart drawings, colors, and indicators
  • Open positions and pending orders
  • Time spent practicing
Auto-Save

Sessions auto-save your progress. When you return to a session, everything is restored exactly where you left off - chart position, replay state, drawings, open positions, pending orders, and all.

Profiles

Profiles store your trading account simulation settings:

  • Account size - Starting balance for the simulation
  • Commission - Fee per trade
  • Tick value - Dollar value per tick movement
  • Point value - Dollar value per point movement

Create different profiles for different instruments or account types. Manage profiles via the Profiles button in the top bar, which opens the Profiles modal where you can create, rename, set default, archive, and delete profiles.

Layouts

Layouts control your trade entry form using a grid of configurable components. There are 10 component types available:

  • Date Picker - Date selection for trade entries
  • Net P&L - Profit/loss input with currency and color coding
  • Trade Result - Win/Loss/No Trade/BreakEven outcome buttons
  • Button Toggle - Customizable button groups (e.g., Long/Short direction)
  • Custom Input - Flexible numeric inputs (label as entry price, stop loss, fees, or anything)
  • Quick Input Buttons - Preset value buttons for fast data entry (e.g., ratings)
  • Slider - Step-based slider for ranged values
  • Dropdowns - Dual dropdown selectors
  • Toggle Switches - On/off switches for binary options
  • Checkboxes - Multi-select checkbox groups

Each component can be fully customized with labels, colors, and behavior settings. New users automatically receive a starter layout to get going immediately. Manage layouts via the Layouts button in the top bar.

Next Steps