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Once a strategy exists, you refine it the same way you built it: by chatting. Ask for one change at a time and AskFutures applies it, creating a new version while leaving the previous one untouched. Nothing you tried is ever lost.
Every refinement is non-destructive. Each edit branches a fresh version off the latest one, so you can always step back and compare what a change actually did.

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Refine by chatting

Each step below is one edit. The phrasing in the chat boxes is verbatim — say it plainly and AskFutures reads the intent.
1

Add a filter

Thin out signals without changing the entry. A time-of-day gate is the most common one:
Chat
Only enter between 9:30 and 11:00.
The entry rule is unchanged — trades just stop firing outside that window. See trade filters.
2

Change the exit

Swap how you get out. Replace a stop, add a trailing stop, or move to a conditional exit:
Chat
Use a 2× ATR trailing stop instead of the fixed stop.
AskFutures replaces the old exit rather than stacking a second one. More on exits in risk & trade management.
3

Switch the symbol

Run the same logic on a different market:
Chat
Switch the symbol to MES.
The rules carry over to the new instrument; parameters and indicators stay the same unless you also change them.
4

Make it two-sided

Turn a long-only idea into one that trades both ways:
Chat
Also sell short on the opposite signal.
Say sell short (not a bare sell) so the short side opens a position rather than just closing the long. See direction phrasing.
5

Change the test period

Adjust the backtest window in plain English — no date format required:
Chat
Test it since 2020 instead of the last year.
AskFutures resolves “since 2020” into a concrete date window and reports the exact range it covered.

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After an edit: re-run the backtest

When you change the rules, the new version is defined but not yet tested — its old numbers no longer apply. AskFutures shows a banner that reads “Strategy updated but not backtested,” with a Run Backtest button.
1

Spot the prompt

After any rule change you’ll see “Strategy updated but not backtested — run a backtest when you are ready to evaluate the latest rules.”
2

Run it

Click Run Backtest (or just say “run the backtest” in chat). The deterministic engine replays the new rules over real prices and pins the fresh results to this version.
3

Compare

Because each version keeps its own numbers, you can line the new version up against the previous one to see exactly what the change did — see version & compare.
Change one thing at a time. If you stack five edits before re-running, you won’t know which one moved the numbers. One edit → re-run → read → next edit.
Backtest results are hypothetical and simulated — net of modeled slippage (default 1 tick) and commission. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always test before you trade.

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Next steps

Version & compare

Run & read a backtest

Optimize a strategy

Sessions, versions & artifacts