# Backtesting This page explains how to validate your strategy performance by using Backtesting. ## Table of Contents - [Test your strategy with Backtesting](#test-your-strategy-with-backtesting) - [Understand the backtesting result](#understand-the-backtesting-result) ## Test your strategy with Backtesting Now you have good Buy and Sell strategies, you want to test it against real data. This is what we call [backtesting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backtesting). Backtesting will use the crypto-currencies (pair) from your config file and load static tickers located in [/freqtrade/tests/testdata](https://github.com/gcarq/freqtrade/tree/develop/freqtrade/tests/testdata). If the 5 min and 1 min ticker for the crypto-currencies to test is not already in the `testdata` folder, backtesting will download them automatically. Testdata files will not be updated until you specify it. The result of backtesting will confirm you if your bot as more chance to make a profit than a loss. The backtesting is very easy with freqtrade. ### Run a backtesting against the currencies listed in your config file **With 5 min tickers (Per default)** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --realistic-simulation ``` **With 1 min tickers** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --realistic-simulation --ticker-interval 1m ``` **Update cached pairs with the latest data** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --realistic-simulation --refresh-pairs-cached ``` **With live data (do not alter your testdata files)** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --realistic-simulation --live ``` **Using a different on-disk ticker-data source** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --datadir freqtrade/tests/testdata-20180101 ``` **With a (custom) strategy file** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py -s TestStrategy backtesting ``` Where `-s TestStrategy` refers to the class name within the strategy file `test_strategy.py` found in the `freqtrade/user_data/strategies` directory **Exporting trades to file** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --export trades ``` **Exporting trades to file specifying a custom filename** ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --export trades --export-filename=backtest_teststrategy.json ``` **Running backtest with smaller testset** Use the `--timerange` argument to change how much of the testset you want to use. The last N ticks/timeframes will be used. Example: ```bash python3 ./freqtrade/main.py backtesting --timerange=-200 ``` ***Advanced use of timerange*** Doing `--timerange=-200` will get the last 200 timeframes from your inputdata. You can also specify specific dates, or a range span indexed by start and stop. The full timerange specification: - Use last 123 tickframes of data: `--timerange=-123` - Use first 123 tickframes of data: `--timerange=123-` - Use tickframes from line 123 through 456: `--timerange=123-456` - Use tickframes till 2018/01/31: `--timerange=-20180131` - Use tickframes since 2018/01/31: `--timerange=20180131-` - Use tickframes since 2018/01/31 till 2018/03/01 : `--timerange=20180131-20180301` - Use tickframes between POSIX timestamps 1527595200 1527618600: `--timerange=1527595200-1527618600` **Update testdata directory** To update your testdata directory, or download into another testdata directory: ```bash mkdir -p user_data/data/testdata-20180113 cp freqtrade/tests/testdata/pairs.json user_data/data-20180113 cd user_data/data-20180113 ``` Possibly edit pairs.json file to include/exclude pairs ```bash python3 freqtrade/tests/testdata/download_backtest_data.py -p pairs.json ``` The script will read your pairs.json file, and download ticker data into the current working directory. For help about backtesting usage, please refer to [Backtesting commands](#backtesting-commands). ## Understand the backtesting result The most important in the backtesting is to understand the result. A backtesting result will look like that: ``` ====================== BACKTESTING REPORT ================================ pair buy count avg profit % total profit BTC avg duration -------- ----------- -------------- ------------------ -------------- ETH/BTC 56 -0.67 -0.00075455 62.3 LTC/BTC 38 -0.48 -0.00036315 57.9 ETC/BTC 42 -1.15 -0.00096469 67.0 DASH/BTC 72 -0.62 -0.00089368 39.9 ZEC/BTC 45 -0.46 -0.00041387 63.2 XLM/BTC 24 -0.88 -0.00041846 47.7 NXT/BTC 24 0.68 0.00031833 40.2 POWR/BTC 35 0.98 0.00064887 45.3 ADA/BTC 43 -0.39 -0.00032292 55.0 XMR/BTC 40 -0.40 -0.00032181 47.4 TOTAL 419 -0.41 -0.00348593 52.9 ``` The last line will give you the overall performance of your strategy, here: ``` TOTAL 419 -0.41 -0.00348593 52.9 ``` We understand the bot has made `419` trades for an average duration of `52.9` min, with a performance of `-0.41%` (loss), that means it has lost a total of `-0.00348593 BTC`. As you will see your strategy performance will be influenced by your buy strategy, your sell strategy, and also by the `minimal_roi` and `stop_loss` you have set. As for an example if your minimal_roi is only `"0": 0.01`. You cannot expect the bot to make more profit than 1% (because it will sell every time a trade will reach 1%). ```json "minimal_roi": { "0": 0.01 }, ``` On the other hand, if you set a too high `minimal_roi` like `"0": 0.55` (55%), there is a lot of chance that the bot will never reach this profit. Hence, keep in mind that your performance is a mix of your strategies, your configuration, and the crypto-currency you have set up. ## Next step Great, your strategy is profitable. What if the bot can give your the optimal parameters to use for your strategy? Your next step is to learn [how to find optimal parameters with Hyperopt](https://github.com/gcarq/freqtrade/blob/develop/docs/hyperopt.md)