Running Freqtrade with Configurations, Strategies, and Dry Runs

Summary

This documentation explains how to start Freqtrade and select the configuration, strategy, data directory, and database used by a bot run. It outlines command-line options for live or simulated trading, including dry-run balance and fee settings, and notes that the system clock should remain synchronized to avoid exchange communication problems. It also describes how to layer multiple configuration files, with later files overriding earlier values, which can keep exchange credentials separate from general settings.

The guide covers creating a user-data directory for strategies, historical data, optimization files, and plots; loading a strategy by class name; adding strategy search paths; and setting a custom database URL. These are operational instructions rather than a trading method or evidence about strategy performance. The page does not explain how to design or validate a strategy, and its extensive command reference is specific to Freqtrade. Users still need to configure their exchange, protect credentials, and assess strategies independently before deployment.

Key ideas

• The bot accepts command-line options to select configuration files, strategies, data directories, and databases.
• When multiple configuration files are supplied, later files override values defined earlier.
• Dry-run mode simulates trading and can use a specified starting balance and fee.
• A user-data directory organizes custom strategies, historical data, optimization files, and plots.
• The guide explains bot operation but does not teach or evaluate a trading strategy.

Tags

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.