Running a backtest
How to run a backtest, what scenarios are available, and how to read the results.
Running a backtest takes a few clicks after an agent is validated. This article covers how to launch one, what Your strategy, Conservative, and Aggressive mean, and how to read the result metrics.
Plan access
Backtesting is included from the Investor plan (5 lifetime runs) and is unlimited on Trader, Pro, and Enterprise. See Backtesting overview.
Running a backtest
- Open the agent after it has been validated.
- Open Test AI strategy on historical data.
- Choose the range and starting capital. Position size and max executions come from the agent.
- Run the backtest. Results appear inline.
Your strategy, Conservative, and Aggressive
Every run compares three profiles on the same candles. Only Your strategy is the agent you configured.
| Profile | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Your strategy | Nothing. Same position size, stops, and max executions as the agent. |
| Conservative | A backtest-only what-if: half the position, a wider stop, a lower target, a 3% trailing stop, new entries only in calmer markets, and 0.2% slippage instead of 0.1%. |
| Aggressive | A backtest-only what-if: 1.5× the position, a tighter stop, a higher target, and 0.05% slippage instead of 0.1%. |
These two profiles are not settings on the agent. Launching Your strategy keeps the agent's position size. Launching Conservative or Aggressive copies that what-if onto a new draft so you can deploy it on purpose.
Result metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total P&L (USD) | Sum of all realized P&L from closes |
| Win rate | Percentage of closed positions that were profitable |
| Max drawdown | Largest peak-to-trough decline in the equity curve |
| Total trades | Completed round-trips. Max executions limits how many new entries can open. |
| Average hold time | Average time between open and close |
Equity curve
The equity chart shows cumulative USD P&L over the backtest period. Each trade is a point on the curve.