Getting started

To safely test detectors, strategies, and trading ideas, Moonbot provides an Emulation Mode. This mode allows you to analyze detector behavior and practice trading without risking real funds.

When Emulation Mode is enabled, the terminal displays a separate warning indicating that it has switched to training mode. In this mode, no real orders are sent to the exchange, and your actual account balance remains unchanged. All trades — both profitable and unprofitable — are simulated inside the terminal only.

Once confirmed, a red label == EMULATOR ==appears to the right of the Menu button, and a checkmark appears next to Emulation Mode in the terminal menu, signaling that the mode is active.

In Emulation Mode, you can:

• Test detectors and strategies

• Practice both manual and automated trading

• Experiment with strategy, trigger, and session settings

• Use simulated orders as visual "beacons" for future automation.Use simulated orders as visual "beacons" for future automation.

Emulation can be enabled globally via Menu → Emulation Mode, or locallyperstrategy — if the terminal is in real trading mode but the Emulator checkbox is enabled in the Main tab of a strategy, then orders from that strategy will be executed in emulation mode only.

It’s important to understand the limitations of Emulation Mode. Simulated orders are executed faster than real ones because there is no network delay between the terminal and the exchange. Also, emulation ignores order book liquidity, slippage, and other market factors. As a result, emulation trade reports may appear more favorable than actual trading results.

We recommend using Emulation Mode during early stages of learning and testing detectors. However, to get an accurate sense of how a strategy behaves in real market conditions, it’s important to gradually move to real trading with minimal order sizes.

Practical Tips for Beginners

When starting out with detectors in Moonbot, it's more important to focus on understanding and interpreting signals than on generating large volumes of them. Detectors are a market observation tool designed to help you study market behavior and develop a systematic approach.

Recommended steps for beginners:

• Use detectors without auto-buy to avoid risk and focus on understanding the signals

• Run detectors in Emulation Mode, especially when testing new ideas or parameter sets

• Start with simple detectors and gradually add complexity as you gain experience

• Modify detector parameters one at a time to understand their individual impact

• Watch how often the detector triggers and under what market conditions signals appear

Detectors are not meant to instantly generate profit without analysis. Their core value lies in helping you understand market dynamics and prepare for automated trading. A calm, methodical approach to setting up detectors reduces common mistakes and builds a strong foundation for future terminal use.