> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.askfutures.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Iterate and refine
> Refine a strategy by chatting — add a filter, change the exit, switch the symbol, make it two-sided, or change the test period in plain English.
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](/concepts/sessions-versions-artifacts)** 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](/guides/version-and-compare) what a change actually did.
## 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.
Thin out signals without changing the entry. A time-of-day gate is the most
common one:
```text Chat theme={null}
Only enter between 9:30 and 11:00.
```
The entry rule is unchanged — trades just stop firing outside that window.
See [trade filters](/concepts/strategies).
Swap how you get out. Replace a stop, add a trailing stop, or move to a
conditional exit:
```text Chat theme={null}
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](/concepts/risk-and-trade-management).
Run the same logic on a different market:
```text Chat theme={null}
Switch the symbol to MES.
```
The rules carry over to the new instrument; parameters and indicators stay
the same unless you also change them.
Turn a long-only idea into one that trades both ways:
```text Chat theme={null}
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](/guides/build-a-strategy).
Adjust the backtest window in plain English — no date format required:
```text Chat theme={null}
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.
## 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.
After any rule change you'll see *"Strategy updated but not backtested — run
a backtest when you are ready to evaluate the latest rules."*
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.
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](/guides/version-and-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.
## Next steps