# Start the bot This page explains the different parameters of the bot and how to run it. !Note: If you've used `setup.sh`, don't forget to activate your virtual environment (`source .env/bin/activate`) before running freqtrade commands. ## Bot commands ``` usage: freqtrade [-h] [-v] [--logfile FILE] [--version] [-c PATH] [-d PATH] [-s NAME] [--strategy-path PATH] [--db-url PATH] [--sd-notify] {backtesting,edge,hyperopt} ... Free, open source crypto trading bot positional arguments: {backtesting,edge,hyperopt} backtesting Backtesting module. edge Edge module. hyperopt Hyperopt module. optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -v, --verbose Verbose mode (-vv for more, -vvv to get all messages). --logfile FILE Log to the file specified -V, --version show program's version number and exit -c PATH, --config PATH Specify configuration file (default: None). Multiple --config options may be used. Can be set to '-' to read config from stdin. -d PATH, --datadir PATH Path to backtest data. -s NAME, --strategy NAME Specify strategy class name (default: DefaultStrategy). --strategy-path PATH Specify additional strategy lookup path. --db-url PATH Override trades database URL, this is useful if dry_run is enabled or in custom deployments (default: None). --sd-notify Notify systemd service manager. ``` ### How to use a different configuration file? The bot allows you to select which configuration file you want to use. Per default, the bot will load the file `./config.json` ```bash freqtrade -c path/far/far/away/config.json ``` ### How to use multiple configuration files? The bot allows you to use multiple configuration files by specifying multiple `-c/--config` configuration options in the command line. Configuration parameters defined in the last configuration file override parameters with the same name defined in the previous configuration file specified in the command line. For example, you can make a separate configuration file with your key and secrete for the Exchange you use for trading, specify default configuration file with empty key and secrete values while running in the Dry Mode (which does not actually require them): ```bash freqtrade -c ./config.json ``` and specify both configuration files when running in the normal Live Trade Mode: ```bash freqtrade -c ./config.json -c path/to/secrets/keys.config.json ``` This could help you hide your private Exchange key and Exchange secrete on you local machine by setting appropriate file permissions for the file which contains actual secrets and, additionally, prevent unintended disclosure of sensitive private data when you publish examples of your configuration in the project issues or in the Internet. See more details on this technique with examples in the documentation page on [configuration](configuration.md). ### How to use **--strategy**? This parameter will allow you to load your custom strategy class. Per default without `--strategy` or `-s` the bot will load the `DefaultStrategy` included with the bot (`freqtrade/strategy/default_strategy.py`). The bot will search your strategy file within `user_data/strategies` and `freqtrade/strategy`. To load a strategy, simply pass the class name (e.g.: `CustomStrategy`) in this parameter. **Example:** In `user_data/strategies` you have a file `my_awesome_strategy.py` which has a strategy class called `AwesomeStrategy` to load it: ```bash freqtrade --strategy AwesomeStrategy ``` If the bot does not find your strategy file, it will display in an error message the reason (File not found, or errors in your code). Learn more about strategy file in [Strategy Customization](strategy-customization.md). ### How to use **--strategy-path**? This parameter allows you to add an additional strategy lookup path, which gets checked before the default locations (The passed path must be a directory!): ```bash freqtrade --strategy AwesomeStrategy --strategy-path /some/directory ``` #### How to install a strategy? This is very simple. Copy paste your strategy file into the directory `user_data/strategies` or use `--strategy-path`. And voila, the bot is ready to use it. ### How to use **--db-url**? When you run the bot in Dry-run mode, per default no transactions are stored in a database. If you want to store your bot actions in a DB using `--db-url`. This can also be used to specify a custom database in production mode. Example command: ```bash freqtrade -c config.json --db-url sqlite:///tradesv3.dry_run.sqlite ``` ## Backtesting commands Backtesting also uses the config specified via `-c/--config`. ``` usage: freqtrade backtesting [-h] [-i TICKER_INTERVAL] [--timerange TIMERANGE] [--max_open_trades MAX_OPEN_TRADES] [--stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT] [-r] [--eps] [--dmmp] [-l] [--strategy-list STRATEGY_LIST [STRATEGY_LIST ...]] [--export EXPORT] [--export-filename PATH] optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -i TICKER_INTERVAL, --ticker-interval TICKER_INTERVAL Specify ticker interval (1m, 5m, 30m, 1h, 1d). --timerange TIMERANGE Specify what timerange of data to use. --max_open_trades MAX_OPEN_TRADES Specify max_open_trades to use. --stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT Specify stake_amount. -r, --refresh-pairs-cached Refresh the pairs files in tests/testdata with the latest data from the exchange. Use it if you want to run your optimization commands with up-to-date data. --eps, --enable-position-stacking Allow buying the same pair multiple times (position stacking). --dmmp, --disable-max-market-positions Disable applying `max_open_trades` during backtest (same as setting `max_open_trades` to a very high number). -l, --live Use live data. --strategy-list STRATEGY_LIST [STRATEGY_LIST ...] Provide a commaseparated list of strategies to backtest Please note that ticker-interval needs to be set either in config or via command line. When using this together with --export trades, the strategy-name is injected into the filename (so backtest-data.json becomes backtest-data-DefaultStrategy.json --export EXPORT Export backtest results, argument are: trades. Example --export=trades --export-filename PATH Save backtest results to this filename requires --export to be set as well Example --export- filename=user_data/backtest_data/backtest_today.json (default: user_data/backtest_data/backtest- result.json) ``` ### How to use **--refresh-pairs-cached** parameter? The first time your run Backtesting, it will take the pairs you have set in your config file and download data from the Exchange. If for any reason you want to update your data set, you use `--refresh-pairs-cached` to force Backtesting to update the data it has. !!! Note Use it only if you want to update your data set. You will not be able to come back to the previous version. To test your strategy with latest data, we recommend continuing using the parameter `-l` or `--live`. ## Hyperopt commands To optimize your strategy, you can use hyperopt parameter hyperoptimization to find optimal parameter values for your stategy. ``` usage: freqtrade hyperopt [-h] [-i TICKER_INTERVAL] [--timerange TIMERANGE] [--max_open_trades INT] [--stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT] [-r] [--customhyperopt NAME] [--hyperopt-path PATH] [--eps] [-e INT] [-s {all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} [{all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} ...]] [--dmmp] [--print-all] [--no-color] [-j JOBS] [--random-state INT] [--min-trades INT] [--continue] [--hyperopt-loss NAME] optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -i TICKER_INTERVAL, --ticker-interval TICKER_INTERVAL Specify ticker interval (`1m`, `5m`, `30m`, `1h`, `1d`). --timerange TIMERANGE Specify what timerange of data to use. --max_open_trades INT Specify max_open_trades to use. --stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT Specify stake_amount. -r, --refresh-pairs-cached Refresh the pairs files in tests/testdata with the latest data from the exchange. Use it if you want to run your optimization commands with up-to-date data. --customhyperopt NAME Specify hyperopt class name (default: `DefaultHyperOpts`). --hyperopt-path PATH Specify additional lookup path for Hyperopts and Hyperopt Loss functions. --eps, --enable-position-stacking Allow buying the same pair multiple times (position stacking). -e INT, --epochs INT Specify number of epochs (default: 100). -s {all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} [{all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} ...], --spaces {all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} [{all,buy,sell,roi,stoploss} ...] Specify which parameters to hyperopt. Space-separated list. Default: `all`. --dmmp, --disable-max-market-positions Disable applying `max_open_trades` during backtest (same as setting `max_open_trades` to a very high number). --print-all Print all results, not only the best ones. --no-color Disable colorization of hyperopt results. May be useful if you are redirecting output to a file. -j JOBS, --job-workers JOBS The number of concurrently running jobs for hyperoptimization (hyperopt worker processes). If -1 (default), all CPUs are used, for -2, all CPUs but one are used, etc. If 1 is given, no parallel computing code is used at all. --random-state INT Set random state to some positive integer for reproducible hyperopt results. --min-trades INT Set minimal desired number of trades for evaluations in the hyperopt optimization path (default: 1). --continue Continue hyperopt from previous runs. By default, temporary files will be removed and hyperopt will start from scratch. --hyperopt-loss NAME Specify the class name of the hyperopt loss function class (IHyperOptLoss). Different functions can generate completely different results, since the target for optimization is different. (default: `DefaultHyperOptLoss`). ``` ## Edge commands To know your trade expectacny and winrate against historical data, you can use Edge. ``` usage: freqtrade edge [-h] [-i TICKER_INTERVAL] [--timerange TIMERANGE] [--max_open_trades MAX_OPEN_TRADES] [--stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT] [-r] [--stoplosses STOPLOSS_RANGE] optional arguments: -h, --help show this help message and exit -i TICKER_INTERVAL, --ticker-interval TICKER_INTERVAL Specify ticker interval (1m, 5m, 30m, 1h, 1d). --timerange TIMERANGE Specify what timerange of data to use. --max_open_trades MAX_OPEN_TRADES Specify max_open_trades to use. --stake_amount STAKE_AMOUNT Specify stake_amount. -r, --refresh-pairs-cached Refresh the pairs files in tests/testdata with the latest data from the exchange. Use it if you want to run your optimization commands with up-to-date data. --stoplosses STOPLOSS_RANGE Defines a range of stoploss against which edge will assess the strategy the format is "min,max,step" (without any space).example: --stoplosses=-0.01,-0.1,-0.001 ``` To understand edge and how to read the results, please read the [edge documentation](edge.md). ## Next step The optimal strategy of the bot will change with time depending of the market trends. The next step is to [Strategy Customization](strategy-customization.md).