Live Monitoring

Basic & Pro Plans

The Live Monitoring feature enables real-time tracking of your execution quality. Enable auto-refresh to keep your analysis window current as new trades execute.

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Overview

Live monitoring provides:

• Auto-refresh — Automatically update data at set intervals
• Follow Current Time — Keep the analysis window moving forward
• Streaming Quotes — Real-time price updates (with SIP subscription)
• Instant Visibility — See new fills appear on the chart

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Auto-Refresh Controls

Enable Auto-Refresh

Toggle the Auto-Refresh switch to enable periodic data updates.

When enabled:

• Data refreshes at your specified interval
• New alerts and fills appear automatically
• Metrics update in real-time
• Chart markers populate as trades execute

Refresh Interval

Choose how frequently to fetch new data:

Interval	Best For
10 seconds	Active scalping, high-frequency
30 seconds	Day trading, moderate activity
1 minute	Standard monitoring
5 minutes	Low-frequency, position trading

Tip

Balance freshness with performance. Shorter intervals mean more API calls and browser activity. Use the shortest interval only when actively monitoring.

Follow Current Time

When enabled, the analysis window End Time automatically advances to “now”:

Benefits:

• Always shows the most recent data
• No manual date range adjustment needed
• Seamlessly captures new trades

Behavior:

• Start time remains fixed
• End time = current time
• Window grows as time passes

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Data Toggle Options

Control which data types refresh to optimize performance:

Toggle	What It Fetches	When to Enable
Market Data	Price candlesticks	When monitoring chart
Trade History	Broker fill data	Always (core data)
Portfolio	Current positions	For position tracking
Webhooks	Alert signals	Always (core data)

Note

Performance tip: Disable Market Data if you’re only interested in the comparison metrics, not the chart visualization.

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Live Data Feed

Standard Data

Available to all Alpaca users:

• Trade history from broker
• Alert signals from webhooks
• 15-minute delayed market data

Premium Data (SIP)

With Alpaca SIP subscription:

• Real-time quotes — Tick-by-tick price updates
• Streaming charts — Candles update live
• Instant fill display — See executions immediately

Note

SIP Subscription: Alpaca’s Securities Information Processor feed provides real-time market data. Check your Alpaca account for subscription options.

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Monitoring Workflow

1. Set Your Scope

   Configure symbol and start time for your monitoring session.

2. Enable Live Features

   • Turn on Auto-Refresh
   • Enable Follow Current Time
   • Select appropriate refresh interval

3. Start Trading

   Execute your strategy as normal. New alerts and fills will appear automatically.

4. Monitor in Real-Time

   Watch the dashboard:

   • Metrics update as trades execute
   • Chart markers appear for new trades
   • Comparison grid populates with pairs

5. Investigate Issues

   If you see problems:

   • Click on specific trades for details
   • Check latency spikes
   • Review slippage patterns

6. End Session

   When done:

   • Disable auto-refresh to save resources
   • Save a snapshot if needed
   • Review session summary

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Key Metrics to Watch

During live monitoring, focus on these real-time indicators:

Latency Spike Detection

Watch for sudden increases in average latency:

• Normal: under 500ms
• Warning: 500ms-2s
• Alert: over 2s

If latency spikes:

1. Check internet connectivity
2. Verify Alpaca API status
3. Review TradingView alert health

Match Rate Tracking

Monitor your match percentage:

• Target: above 95%
• Warning: below 95%
• Critical: below 90%

If match rate drops:

1. Check for missed fills
2. Review order rejections
3. Verify buying power

Slippage Accumulation

Track cumulative slippage:

• Acceptable: Within expected range
• Concerning: Consistently negative
• Action: Growing rapidly

If slippage increases:

1. Check market volatility
2. Review order types
3. Consider execution timing

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Alerts & Notifications

Visual Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
🟢 Green pulse	New matched trade
🟡 Yellow flash	Latency warning
🔴 Red indicator	Match or slippage issue

Threshold Alerts

Configure alerts in Account Settings for:

• Match rate below threshold
• Average latency above threshold
• Slippage exceeding percentage

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Performance Optimization

Browser Performance

For smooth live monitoring:

1. Close unused tabs — Free up memory
2. Use Chrome/Edge — Best performance
3. Disable extensions — Reduce overhead

Data Optimization

Reduce load during monitoring:

1. Single symbol — Don’t monitor ALL symbols live
2. Shorter history — Keep date range minimal
3. Disable unused toggles — Only fetch needed data

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Session Best Practices

Active Trading Sessions

• Enable all data toggles
• Use 10-30 second refresh
• Keep Follow Current Time on
• Monitor the chart actively

Passive Monitoring

• Enable Trade History and Webhooks only
• Use 1-5 minute refresh
• Review periodically
• Set up threshold alerts

Post-Session Review

• Disable auto-refresh
• Expand date range to full session
• Analyze patterns
• Save snapshot for records

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Troubleshooting Live Mode

Data Not Updating

Causes:

• Auto-refresh disabled
• API rate limits
• Network issues

Solutions:

1. Verify auto-refresh is on
2. Increase refresh interval
3. Check internet connection

High Browser Memory

Causes:

• Long monitoring session
• Too much data loaded
• Memory leak

Solutions:

1. Refresh the page periodically
2. Reduce date range
3. Close other applications

Delayed Fills Appearing

Causes:

• Broker API latency
• Standard (non-SIP) data
• Network congestion

Solutions:

1. Wait for next refresh cycle
2. Upgrade to SIP subscription
3. Manually refresh

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Related Sections

• Scope & Matching — Configuration options
• Visual Audit — Chart analysis
• Metrics & Analysis — Understanding results