Docs
Getting started
Sign up, connect the demo broker, place a blocked order on purpose.
1. Create an account
Sign up with an e-mail address or Google. The trial starts at once: 14 days, every feature, no card.
2. Connect the demo broker
Open the terminal and go to Connect. Choose the demo broker, pick cash or margin and a starting balance. It fills orders instantly with a $1 commission and behaves like a real account for every rule.
3. Look at your starter rules
Go to Rules. Five rules are already there, in warn mode: position size 10% of equity, gross exposure 150%, daily loss 2% with a 120-minute cooldown, re-entry lock 30 minutes, order sanity $25,000 or 5% away from the market. Each one is a sentence. Click a number to change it.
4. Place an order that passes
In Terminal, type a symbol, choose buy, enter a quantity. As you type, the rule check on the right runs every rule on the order you are about to place. Place it. The guard bar says "Placed" and the position appears.
5. Place one that fails
Enter a quantity that would take one symbol above 10% of your equity. The rule check turns amber on max position size and tells you the exact percentage. In warn mode the order still goes through, with a warning recorded. Flip the rule to block mode and try again: it does not go.
6. Connect a real broker when you are ready
Alpaca connects directly with your own API keys; paper first is a good idea. Other brokers connect through SnapTrade as they become available. Live trading needs one more switch in Settings, after you acknowledge the risk disclosure.