Backtest Charts Explained
Four statistical charts
Backtest results are visualised with an equity curve showing cumulative profit and loss, a win and loss distribution, a monthly profit and loss heatmap, and a drawdown chart.
No candlestick chart here, and that is intentional
Backtest reporting is statistical. Candlestick charts with entry and exit markers appear in SignBot virtual trading and in LiveBot, where you are watching live positions — not in the backtest view, where the question is how a rule behaved across hundreds of trades rather than what one trade looked like.
What to look at first
- The drawdown chart, because the worst stretch is what you would have had to sit through
- The monthly heatmap, to see whether results depend on one exceptional month
- The equity curve shape, not just its endpoint
- The win and loss distribution, to see whether a few outliers carry the result
Segment rules you should know
SignBot routes every strategy by segment, and the rules genuinely differ:
- NSE equity and F&O support 1min, 3min, 5min, 15min, 30min, 1hr, 4hr and 1day candles
- MCX futures support 1min, 5min, 30min and 1day only — the vendor rejects the others, so they are not offered
- On NSE options SignBot is buy-only. A bullish signal buys a CE, a bearish signal buys a PE, and there is no option writing anywhere in the platform
- Options entry and exit conditions are evaluated on the underlying spot candle, while the position itself is the option contract
- NSE history goes back up to 36 months for backtests; MCX history is limited to 3 months
Try it in SignBot
Put this into practice on your own strategy. Strategy creation and the AI Optimizer are free forever, so you can build and refine the rule before spending anything.
- Open the Strategy Builder and add the condition described above
- Run a backtest on real NSE or MCX history — Rs 10 per run
- Move it to SignBot virtual trading to watch it on live prices — Rs 15 entry and Rs 15 exit from wallet credits, no real money at risk
- Only when it has earned your confidence, run it on LiveBot through your own broker account — Rs 30 entry and Rs 30 exit
Everything described here is part of the platform you already have access to.
Related reading
Other articles in the SignBot knowledge base that pair well with this one:
- How the SignBot Strategy Builder turns plain English into a strategy
- How to read a SignBot backtest report
- SignBot virtual trading versus LiveBot real trading
- Wallet credits and virtual money explained
Important disclaimer
Educational content only. Not investment advice. SignBot is not a SEBI-registered investment adviser. Trading involves risk of loss.