Strategy Management

Strategies in CandleLog are structured trading plans with specific rules. They help you trade with discipline by defining exactly what conditions must be met before entering, and how you'll manage and exit positions. By tracking rule compliance on each trade, you can identify what's working and refine your approach.

What is a Strategy?

A strategy consists of:

• Name - A clear identifier (e.g., "ICT Silver Bullet", "Gap & Go")
• Description - What the strategy does and when to use it
• Icon - Visual identifier for quick recognition
• Color - Theme color for the strategy
• Rules - Specific criteria organized by type

Creating a Strategy

From Scratch

1. Navigate to the Strategies page
2. Click "Create Strategy"
3. Enter the strategy name and description
4. Choose an icon and color
5. Click "Create"
6. Add rules in the Rules tab

From Template

1. Navigate to the Strategies page
2. Click "Example Templates"
3. Browse or search for a template
4. Click to preview the template and its rules
5. Click "Import Strategy"
6. Customize rules as needed

Strategy Rules

Every strategy should have rules in three categories:

Market Criteria

Conditions that must exist before looking for trades:

• Market trend direction
• Volatility levels
• Session timing (e.g., London open, NY session)
• News/economic calendar considerations
• Overall market health

Entry Criteria

Specific triggers for entering a trade:

• Technical patterns (e.g., FVG, Order Block)
• Indicator signals (e.g., RSI oversold)
• Price action (e.g., break of structure)
• Confirmation requirements
• Position sizing rules

Exit Criteria

Rules for managing and closing positions:

• Stop loss placement
• Profit targets (TP1, TP2, TP3)
• Trailing stop rules
• Time-based exits
• Invalidation conditions

Learn more about strategy rules

Assigning Trades to Strategies

After logging a trade, assign it to a strategy:

1. Open the trade detail page
2. Click "Assign Strategy" or use the strategy selector
3. Choose the relevant strategy
4. Mark which rules you followed
5. Save the assignment

This creates a StrategyTrade record linking the trade to the strategy with compliance data.

Strategy Performance

Each strategy tracks comprehensive performance metrics:

View performance in the strategy detail page Summary tab.

Strategy Tabs

Each strategy has multiple tabs:

Summary

Overview of strategy performance with key metrics, recent trade history, and strategy information.

Rules

View and manage strategy rules. Add, edit, or delete rules. Organize by type (Market, Entry, Exit).

Trades

List of all trades assigned to this strategy. Shows symbol, direction, P&L, compliance score, and date.

Missed Trades

Opportunities you identified but didn't execute. Track potential P&L and reasons for missing.

Notes

Free-form notes about the strategy. Document refinements, market observations, or lessons learned.

Sharing Strategies

Share your strategies with other traders:

Make Public

1. Open strategy settings
2. Enable "Public" visibility
3. Optionally enable "Allow Copy" to let others import it

Share Link

1. Open the strategy share modal
2. Generate a unique share link
3. Send the link to other traders
4. They can view and optionally import your strategy

Importing Shared Strategies

1. Open a shared strategy link
2. Review the strategy rules
3. Click "Import to My Strategies"
4. A copy is created in your account
5. Customize as needed

Strategy Status

Strategies can be marked as:

• Active - Currently trading this strategy
• Inactive - Not currently using (for historical reference)

Inactive strategies are hidden from the main list but retain all data.

Deleting a Strategy

Warning: Deleting a strategy removes all associated rules, trades assignments, missed trades, and notes. This action cannot be undone.

1. Open strategy settings
2. Click "Delete Strategy"
3. Confirm the deletion

Consider marking strategies as inactive instead of deleting if you want to preserve historical data.

Best Practices

Start with Templates

Browse the 24+ strategy templates for proven setups. Import one that matches your style and customize it rather than starting from scratch.

Define Clear Rules

Vague rules lead to inconsistent execution. Be specific:

• Bad: "Enter on support"
• Good: "Enter when price touches VWAP with RSI below 30 and bullish candle formation"

Track Every Trade

Assign all trades to their respective strategy. Consistent tracking reveals patterns you'd otherwise miss.

Review Rule Compliance

Regularly check which rules correlate with winning trades. If a rule consistently appears on losers, reconsider it.

Document Changes

Use strategy notes to record when and why you changed rules. This creates a history of your strategy evolution.

One Strategy at a Time

When learning, focus on mastering one strategy before adding others. This prevents confusion and allows proper evaluation.