AutoTrading
The AutoTrading page is the monitoring hub for forward runs on your local workstation — algorithms and agents running forward in time against live or paper market data. It lists the single global bulk (batch) job (if any), optional agent bulk job, plus every chart-attached forward run (including charts in popped-out Trade windows), with timers that update every second. A How the bulk cycle timer works note at the top explains the cycle timing and status badges.
Forward runs continue only while the app is running on your machine. To keep runs going while your workstation is off, use QuantCloud.
Toolbar
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| New Bulk Run | Opens the New Run modal to configure an algorithm batch job. Shown only when no algo bulk job is currently listed. |
| New Agent Bulk Run | Opens the agent bulk modal. Shown whenever no agent bulk job is listed. |
| Refresh | Reloads the chart-attached runs from disk. |
Chart-attached Agents live runs are also started from the Trade chart Agents menu; their chips and cards appear alongside algo chart runs.
The New Run modal (algorithm bulk)
Configure a batch run across three tabs. (The same modal is used for cloud runs on the QuantCloud page.) A Load / Save row above the tabs lets you reuse settings — see Run presets (.qcs).
Algorithm
- Pick an algorithm bundle — a chart-attached algo or a workspace
.qcraftartifact. - Review and edit the script input parameters discovered in the bundle (name, type, value), with per-parameter validation. See Input parameters.
Targets
Choose the scope:
| Scope | What it trades |
|---|---|
| All Stocks | Every tradable US equity on your account. |
| All Crypto | Every tradable crypto pair. |
| Selected Stocks & Crypto | Only what you pick from the multi-select lists. You can also type or paste a list into Paste tickers (comma-separated) and click Add to selection (pasted tickers are included even if you forget to click it). |
| Screener | Whatever a saved screen matches, re-screened on a schedule while the run is live. |
Screener scope
When Screener is selected, the symbol lists are replaced by the screen's settings:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Screener source | Screener preset (a saved no-code screen) or Python script (a workspace Screener Script). |
| Preset / Screener script | Which one to run. |
| Sort column (optional) / Direction | How preset matches are ranked before the limit applies. |
| Rank direction | For scripts — which end of the script's rank() score to take first. |
| Limit | How many symbols to trade. 0 takes every match. |
| Refresh interval (days) | How often the screen re-runs while the run is live. Minimum and default is 1 day. |
| Refresh time (ET) | Time of day each re-screen happens. Defaults to 16:30 (half an hour after the US market closes). |
| Include tickers with open positions | Adds symbols you already hold a position in even when they no longer match, so a live run never silently drops a holding. |
Why 16:30 ET is the default. Picking up a new universe restarts the run, so a re-screen that lands at 11:00 would interrupt live trading. Anchoring it to a time after the close means the refresh happens while nothing is trading and the new symbol list is ready before the next session opens.
- The time is always market time (ET), whatever timezone you are in. The helper text under the field shows your own local equivalent, so
16:30 ET · 21:30 your timeis the same instant, not two settings. - Changing it is allowed at any time. If you pick a time inside the 09:30–16:00 ET session you get a warning under the field explaining that the restart will interrupt trading, but the run still starts — the choice is yours.
- The interval and the time work together.
1day at16:30re-screens every day after the close;3days at16:30re-screens after the close every third day. - Leaving the field empty or entering something that is not
HH:MMblocks the run with an inline error.
Screener targets are equity-only — fundamentals data does not cover crypto. See Screener for building the screens themselves.
Schedule & data
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Execution trigger | Timer cycle (runs a cycle every N minutes) or Live tick stream (streams live). With Live tick stream, a Rate limit warning link explains that live streams compete for your broker connection limits, so Timer cycle is safer. |
| Period (minutes) | Minutes per cycle (periodMinutes) for Timer cycle mode. |
| OHLCV timeframe | Primary bar size. |
| Additional timeframes (optional) | Extra bar sizes for rt.get_bar, with Select all / Clear. |
| Timer interval ms (optional) | Milliseconds between strategy on_timer calls (timerIntervalMs) — independent of the cycle period. |
| Use fundamentals (optional) | Premium / free-data gated. With a Screener target, every screened symbol gets its fundamentals automatically. |
| Include Fama-French factors (global) | Premium / free-data gated; on by default. |
Paper vs live is decided by your active trading account (chosen in Settings) — there is no account picker or paper/live toggle in the modal. Submitting requires a trading account with broker API keys or broker account sign-in. The footer has Cancel and Run (or Save & restart when editing).
The agent bulk modal
New Agent Bulk Run runs one Trading agent across many symbols. All fields are required:
- Agent — Test and Optimization agents aren't offered.
- Targets — selected symbols, or a Screener.
- Run interval and Interval unit — how often each cycle runs (default every 5 minutes).
Run cards
Per-chart run card — shows the symbol (or "Chart (no symbol)"), timeframe, and a RUNNING badge, plus the tab id, any fundamentals-symbol override, and an Open chart button. Expand it for algo details: the algo label, forward run id, bundle path, time on chart, timer interval, input parameters, fundamentals files, and any error.
Bulk run card — titled "Bulk forward (batch)" with a status badge (STARTING until the first cycle begins, then RUNNING, STOPPED, or PENDING RESUME). A summary grid shows Scope, Symbols (how many are in rotation), Period, Paper (Yes/No), Algorithm, and Mode. Expand for Details and Logs tabs; the Logs tab streams output and cycle events with Download logs (CSV) and Clear logs.
Agent bulk card — shows Interval, Symbols, Paper, Last cycle, Run id and any Last error, with Stop, Resume, Edit and Delete buttons.
Monitoring and stopping
- Bulk status is checked roughly every 1.5 seconds app-wide (not only while this page is open), so runs keep their broker sign-in fresh while you work elsewhere in the app. Timers update every second.
- Stop bulk run asks for confirmation (work already in flight may finish; progress is saved).
- Edit run reopens the modal; Save & restart stops the current job and restarts it with your changes.
- Delete run (available only when stopped) clears the saved state on your machine and removes the job from the list.
- A pending-resume algo bulk job stays listed until you act on it. The card has no Resume button — use Edit run → Save & restart to start it again, or Delete run and then New Bulk Run (which is hidden while any bulk job is listed).
See also
- Screener — build the screens used by the Screener target scope
- Agents — building agents and forward execution notes
- QuantCloud — run algorithm batch jobs on cloud runners
- Run presets (.qcs) — save and load run configurations