Using Altrady's Signal Bot with Futures exchanges
Altrady's Signal Bot can be used with Futures exchanges, both for Webhook signals and CBS signals.
This article covers aspects of the Signal bot that are specific to Futures accounts.
More general details can be found in the articles linked below.
For the basics of setting up a Signal bot, see the following:
Signal Bot Settings
Signal Bot: Quick Start Guide
Altrady's Crypto Base Scanner
Webhook and Trading View Signals: Overview
In one-way mode, if there is already a position open on the market the bot will not open another position on that market. This applies whether or not the existing position was created by the current Signal Bot, another Signal Bot, or on the exchange.
This is usually set to one . For hedge mode is can be set to 2, and one position is allowed in each direction.
The Signal Bot does not allow for a second position to be opened on a market, whether or not the original position was created by the signal bot.
Notes.
A second position in the same direction would effectively increase the position size on the exchange:
As an alternative, the Position size can be increased in The Trading widget.
For webhook bots, an Increase signal can be used to increase the position size.
Choose Isolated or Crossed margin for the positions started by this signal bot
Enter the required leverage value. Note that the Signal Bot is not able to validate the leverage amount since it will vary by market for each exchange.
The leveraged order sizes are shown for the entry orders, underneath the entry fields.
Using 100% balance for the order size will not work on some exchanges due to price fluctuations. This can result in the error: No Entry Orders to Create. Try a smaller order size.
Enter the leverage amount before the entry order size.
To invest a percentage of the available funds:
Select % of Total Balance
Enter the percentage for the order size for the initial entry order.
Check the Est. initial order size, below the initial order size. This is based on the current available balance including leverage, so will vary depending on the size of any other positions open at the time.
Note that Altrady does not have access to details of your cross-margin account or risk.
Once a position has opened, the actual liquidation price is shown on the Trading Terminal in My Positions and the Position Info widget.
To invest a fixed amount as the position entry order:
Select Fixed Amount
Enter the size (leveraged amount) for the initial order
Check the Est. initial order size, below the initial order size.
Note that Altrady does not have access to detail of your cross-margin account or risk.
Once a position has opened, the actual liquidation price is shown on the Trading Terminal in My Positions and the Position Info widget.
The size will be the initial entry size x Target quantity.
The Estimated order size is shown immediately below.
After the last DCA, the total position size is also shown, based on the current available amount (leveraged).
The Crypto Base Scanner signals can be used to open positions using the signal bot.
This functions in the same way as using CBS signals for Spot markets. The only difference is that leverage is applied.
Many traders choose not to use a Stop Loss with CBS-style signals, and instead use deep DCAs, and potentially take over positions manually if they do not recover quickly.
For Futures markets, this decision should be carefully considered so as to avoid liquidation of your positions which is more expensive than reaching a Stop Loss.
The liquidation price is not known when the signal arrives. However, for Isolated Margin positions, it is possible to estimate where the Liquidation price will be relative to the entry price depending on the chosen leverage, using the formula 100/leverage - fee. e.g. for leverage of 20x, the liquidation price will be a bit less than 5% from the average entry price.
Due to the risk of liquidation, it is recommended that conservative settings are used for a CBS signal bot. For example:
one TP at half median drop
and possibly, TSL: Follow Price to move the SL up as soon as the position moves into profit
low leverage. If higher leverage is used, more monitoring will be needed and/or a tighter Stop Loss.
The use of webhook signals for Futures markets is mostly the same as for Spot markets.
Both Long and Short signals can be sent, to open a position.
For Futures:
the entry amount is calculated from the amount of quote currency available, and the position size it can fund.
this can be a percentage of the available balance or a fixed amount
two additional signal types are available: Increase and Reverse.
Error messages might arrive after a signal is received.
Most error messages are shown in the Signal Bot Error Log.
You can check the contents of the signal by clicking the 'i' next to the market name.
These are some error messages that might appear in the log, specific to Futures markets.
See also:
Signal Bot Processing, FAQ and Error Log messages
Webhook Signals: Testing and Errors
This article covers aspects of the Signal bot that are specific to Futures accounts.
More general details can be found in the articles linked below.
For the basics of setting up a Signal bot, see the following:
Signal Bot Settings
Signal Bot: Quick Start Guide
Altrady's Crypto Base Scanner
Webhook and Trading View Signals: Overview
In one-way mode, if there is already a position open on the market the bot will not open another position on that market. This applies whether or not the existing position was created by the current Signal Bot, another Signal Bot, or on the exchange.
Bot Settings Specific to Futures accounts
Maximum Positions per Market
This is usually set to one . For hedge mode is can be set to 2, and one position is allowed in each direction.
The Signal Bot does not allow for a second position to be opened on a market, whether or not the original position was created by the signal bot.
Notes.
A second position in the same direction would effectively increase the position size on the exchange:
As an alternative, the Position size can be increased in The Trading widget.
For webhook bots, an Increase signal can be used to increase the position size.
Margin Type
Choose Isolated or Crossed margin for the positions started by this signal bot
Leverage Amount
Enter the required leverage value. Note that the Signal Bot is not able to validate the leverage amount since it will vary by market for each exchange.
Order Sizes
The leveraged order sizes are shown for the entry orders, underneath the entry fields.
Using 100% balance for the order size will not work on some exchanges due to price fluctuations. This can result in the error: No Entry Orders to Create. Try a smaller order size.
Enter the leverage amount before the entry order size.
To invest a percentage of the available funds:
Select % of Total Balance
Enter the percentage for the order size for the initial entry order.
Check the Est. initial order size, below the initial order size. This is based on the current available balance including leverage, so will vary depending on the size of any other positions open at the time.
Note that Altrady does not have access to details of your cross-margin account or risk.
Once a position has opened, the actual liquidation price is shown on the Trading Terminal in My Positions and the Position Info widget.
To invest a fixed amount as the position entry order:
Select Fixed Amount
Enter the size (leveraged amount) for the initial order
Check the Est. initial order size, below the initial order size.
Note that Altrady does not have access to detail of your cross-margin account or risk.
Once a position has opened, the actual liquidation price is shown on the Trading Terminal in My Positions and the Position Info widget.
DCA (extra entry) orders
The size will be the initial entry size x Target quantity.
The Estimated order size is shown immediately below.
After the last DCA, the total position size is also shown, based on the current available amount (leveraged).
CBS Signal Bots
The Crypto Base Scanner signals can be used to open positions using the signal bot.
This functions in the same way as using CBS signals for Spot markets. The only difference is that leverage is applied.
Stop Losses for Futures markets
Many traders choose not to use a Stop Loss with CBS-style signals, and instead use deep DCAs, and potentially take over positions manually if they do not recover quickly.
For Futures markets, this decision should be carefully considered so as to avoid liquidation of your positions which is more expensive than reaching a Stop Loss.
The liquidation price is not known when the signal arrives. However, for Isolated Margin positions, it is possible to estimate where the Liquidation price will be relative to the entry price depending on the chosen leverage, using the formula 100/leverage - fee. e.g. for leverage of 20x, the liquidation price will be a bit less than 5% from the average entry price.
Due to the risk of liquidation, it is recommended that conservative settings are used for a CBS signal bot. For example:
one TP at half median drop
and possibly, TSL: Follow Price to move the SL up as soon as the position moves into profit
low leverage. If higher leverage is used, more monitoring will be needed and/or a tighter Stop Loss.
Webhook Signal Bots
The use of webhook signals for Futures markets is mostly the same as for Spot markets.
Both Long and Short signals can be sent, to open a position.
For Futures:
the entry amount is calculated from the amount of quote currency available, and the position size it can fund.
this can be a percentage of the available balance or a fixed amount
two additional signal types are available: Increase and Reverse.
Signal Bot Error Messages
Error messages might arrive after a signal is received.
Most error messages are shown in the Signal Bot Error Log.
You can check the contents of the signal by clicking the 'i' next to the market name.
These are some error messages that might appear in the log, specific to Futures markets.
| Example message | Issue |
|---|---|
| BYBIF code: 130051 message: cannot set leverage [10000] gt maxLeverage [2500] by risk limit -- KUCNF code: 300016 message: The leverage cannot be greater than 20 | Leverage too high |
| Max per market | A position is already open on this market (see above) |
| Too many positions opened | More positions cannot opened as the limit specified in Max concurrent positions has been reached |
| BIFU code: -4003 message: Quantity less than or equal to zero. -- No orders could be placed: exchange: BYBIF code: 35015 message: Qty not in range | Order size is less than the minimum size for the exchange. Note that order minimums are often higher than those for Spot trading. |
| No entry orders to create | There is a problem with the size of the entry order. Either too small for the exchange or too large for the account. As above, use < 100% order size. For minimum order sizes, test an order in the Trading widget, or check the exchange support documentation |
See also:
Signal Bot Processing, FAQ and Error Log messages
Webhook Signals: Testing and Errors
Updated on: 18/09/2024
Thank you!