Entry Conditions Overview

Entry Conditions (also called Trigger Rules) define the precise market conditions that must be met before your strategy enters a trade. Think of them as the “sniper’s nest” — they ensure you only pull the trigger when the setup is perfect.

How Entry Conditions Work

When you create entry rules, the engine evaluates them on every candle close. Only when all required conditions are satisfied does the engine generate an execution signal.

Market Data (Candles)
        │
        ▼
┌─────────────────┐         ┌────────────────┐
│  Evaluate Rules  │  ───→  │  Signal Filter  │  ───→  ENTRY SIGNAL
│  (per candle)    │         │  (Lookback)     │         (fires trade)
└─────────────────┘         └────────────────┘

Rule Types

The Strategy Builder offers four distinct rule types to build your entry logic:

1. Comparison Rules

Compare an indicator’s value against a fixed number or live market data.

Example: RSI(14) >= 70 or VWAP > Close

→ Learn more: Comparison Rules

2. Crossover Rules

Trigger a signal at the exact moment one indicator crosses above or below another.

Example: SMA(10) crosses above EMA(20)

→ Learn more: Crossover Rules

3. Trend Detection (Rising/Falling)

Validate that an indicator has been consecutively rising or falling over a specified number of bars.

Example: SMA(20) has been Rising for 3 consecutive bars

→ Learn more: Trend Detection

4. Time Window

Restrict trade entries to specific hours of the trading session.

Example: Only enter between 09:30 and 14:30

→ Learn more: Time Window

Logic Groups (AND/OR)

Rules don’t exist in isolation. You can combine them into powerful Logic Groups using:

• Require All (AND) — Every condition in the group must be true
• Require Any (OR) — At least one condition must be true

Groups can be nested infinitely, letting you build institutional-grade decision trees.

Example:

Require ALL of:
  ├── RSI(14) > 60
  ├── MACD Crossover Above Signal
  └── Require ANY of:
      ├── Volume > SMA(20) of Volume
      └── Time is between 09:30 – 14:30

→ Learn more: Logic Groups (AND/OR)

Signal Lookback

The Signal Lookback is a powerful filter that bridges the gap between a raw condition being true and actually executing a trade. It requires the condition to be true for a specified number of consecutive candles before firing.

Example: If Lookback = 3, the engine demands 3 consecutive back-to-back raw signals before it trusts the setup enough to generate the final execution signal.

→ Learn more: Signal Lookback

Directional Branches

In Directional mode, entry conditions are split into two independent branches:

In Neutral mode, there’s a single unified branch since direction is irrelevant.

Available Indicators

The Strategy Builder includes a comprehensive suite of 20+ technical indicators across four categories:

→ Full reference: Indicator Reference

Next Steps

Learn about each rule type in detail:

→ Next: Comparison Rules