Skip to main content

paper trading edgeful algos

how to paper trade edgeful algos before going live — what works, what doesn't, and the recommended workflow for testing your strategy safely.

Written by Brad
Updated over a week ago

why paper trade first

before you connect a live account and let your algo execute real trades, you want to verify 3 things:

  1. your TradingView alert is set up correctly

  2. the webhook chain is working (TradingView → edgeful → broker)

  3. your algo settings produce the entries and exits you expect

paper trading lets you confirm all of this without risking real money. it's the step between backtesting and live trading — and skipping it is where most issues come from.

the recommended workflow

step 1: connect a SIM or demo account

in the algo dashboard (step 1), connect your broker using a SIM or demo account — not your live account.

  • Tradovate — you can create a SIM account inside your Tradovate dashboard

  • NinjaTrader — use your SIM account credentials when connecting

  • ProjectX — use your demo/evaluation account

make sure the connection shows connected (green) in the dashboard before moving on.

step 2: create a strategy

in step 2 of the dashboard, create a new strategy. select your algo (ORB, IB, gap fill, or engulfing) and the SIM account you just connected.

this generates your unique webhook URL. copy it — you'll need it for the TradingView alert.

step 3: set up your TradingView alert

go to your TradingView chart with the edgeful algo indicator applied. create an alert using the indicator's conditions, and paste your webhook URL into the webhook URL field.

make sure the alert message contains the correct JSON format — the algo setup article for your specific strategy covers the exact format.

step 4: let it run

now wait for a trade to trigger. when it does:

  1. check the notification log in edgeful — you should see the entry appear with a "filled" status

  2. check your SIM account at your broker — the trade should be there

  3. wait for the exit (TP or SL) — confirm it appears in both the notification log and your SIM account

if all 3 check out, your webhook chain is working correctly.

step 5: switch to live

once you're confident everything works:

  1. go back to the algo dashboard

  2. create a new strategy — this time, select your LIVE broker account

  3. copy the new webhook URL

  4. delete your old TradingView alert (the one pointing to the SIM webhook)

  5. create a new alert with the same indicator settings, but paste the LIVE webhook URL

that's it. you can't reuse the SIM webhook for live trading — each account gets its own strategy and webhook.

what works

  • SIM/demo account automation — the full webhook chain works with SIM accounts the same way it works with live accounts. TradingView doesn't know the difference.

  • all 4 algos — ORB, IB, gap fill, and engulfing all support paper trading through SIM accounts.

  • notification log — SIM trades show up in your notification log just like live trades. you can verify every step of the execution chain.

  • multiple SIM strategies — you can create multiple SIM strategies to test different algos or settings side by side.

what doesn't work

  • TradingView's built-in paper trading — TradingView has its own paper trading mode, but it doesn't support webhook execution. your alert will fire, but TradingView won't send the webhook to edgeful. you need a real SIM account at a supported broker. you can of course execute these trades manually if you like.

  • sharing a webhook between SIM and LIVE — each account (SIM or LIVE) needs its own strategy and webhook. you can't point one webhook at two accounts.

  • TradingView free or Basic plans — webhooks require TradingView Essential or higher. if you're on the free or Basic plan, alerts will fire visually on your chart but won't send webhooks.

how long should you paper trade?

there's no magic number, but here's a practical framework:

  • minimum: run it through at least 5-10 trades on SIM. enough to see entries, exits, and at least one losing trade.

  • ideal: run it for a full week of trading sessions. this gives you exposure to different market conditions and day-of-week variations.

  • what to watch for: are entries happening at the levels you expect? are exits (TP and SL) firing when they should? do the notification log statuses all show "filled"?

if everything looks clean after a week, you're ready to switch to live. if you're seeing failed or rejected trades, check the notification log article for troubleshooting.

common paper trading issues

"my SIM trade shows failed in the notification log"

your broker's SIM session may have expired. reconnect your SIM account in step 1 of the dashboard. SIM sessions expire just like live sessions.

"the alert fires on my TradingView chart but nothing shows up in edgeful"

the webhook isn't reaching edgeful. double-check: webhook URL is in the correct field (not the message field), your TradingView plan supports webhooks (Essential+), and the alert hasn't expired.

"I want to test with a different contract"

if you switch contracts (e.g., from ESM2026 to NQM2026), you need to update your TradingView chart and create a new alert. the old alert is locked to the old contract. your strategy and webhook stay the same — only the alert changes.

Did this answer your question?