Choose Backtest vs Alerts Data Scope
The first workflow step defines the records that can enter the comparison. A valid date range and one alert source are required before continuing.
Choose an overlapping window
Section titled “Choose an overlapping window”Set Start Date, Start Time, End Date, and End Time so the window overlaps both the TradingView backtest events and the alert records.
For a first investigation, use the smallest window that contains a known event pair. Expand it only after you have verified timestamps, symbol, direction, and entry/exit classification. A fixed number of days is not universally meaningful; the useful window depends on event frequency and the question you are testing.
Select the alert source
Section titled “Select the alert source”Choose Webhook Events when Algo Trade Analytics captured the TradingView payloads for the selected window. The page fetches matching event history from the backend when the analysis runs.
Before continuing:
- verify the endpoint is active in Webhook Management;
- confirm the selected range covers stored events; and
- inspect at least one payload for symbol, position direction, price, and timestamp.
Choose CSV Import to upload a file or paste CSV text. The parser accepts:
- the documented standard alert shape with a timestamp, price, entry/exit type,
and enough side or direction information to derive
entryLong,exitLong,entryShort, orexitShort; or - a TradingView Alerts Log export whose Description field contains the JSON webhook payload.
Invalid timestamps, non-positive prices, and rows without a recognizable position direction are skipped. Confirm the loaded signal, entry, exit, and timestamp-range summary before continuing.
Standard CSV fields
Section titled “Standard CSV fields”Header matching is case-insensitive. The standard parser recognizes these fields:
| Purpose | Recognized fields | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Timestamp | Date/Time, datetime, date, or timestamp | Required and parseable |
| Price | price | Required and greater than zero |
| Entry or exit | type or signal | Must contain entry or exit |
| Direction | direction, or a derivable side | Must resolve to long or short |
| Symbol | symbol | Optional; missing values become UNKNOWN until strategy scope supplies context |
| Context | strategy, quantity | Optional |
Use the parser-tested sample alert CSV to inspect the supported shape.
Complete the step
Section titled “Complete the step”- Set both ends of the date range.
- Select Webhook Events or CSV Import.
- For CSV, upload or paste data and confirm at least one signal loaded.
- For webhooks, verify the range; records are fetched on demand.
- Continue to Strategy Properties when the step shows complete.
The optional chart uses historical bars from a connected Alpaca account or the platform IEX stock-bar fallback when that fallback is enabled. Chart availability does not change whether the two event datasets can be compared.
If no signals load
Section titled “If no signals load”- Confirm the selected time window and timezone interpretation.
- Check that the source contains a positive price and recognizable entry/exit plus long/short direction.
- For a TradingView Alerts Log, verify Description contains valid JSON with
positionIntentorpositionDirection. - For webhooks, inspect stored events in Webhook Management.
- Use the sample workflow to separate a parser problem from a problem in your own export.