---
title: 'How do I backtest a strategy?'
description: 'Open a strategy in the script editor, for example a starter under Templates > Strategies, and press Backtest. The Strategy Tester under your charts shows profit, win rate, drawdown and every trade. Not on CME futures yet.'
category: scripting
kind: faq
keywords:
  [
    backtest,
    backtesting,
    backtester,
    strategy,
    strategy tester,
    test a strategy,
    trading strategy,
    profit factor,
    sharpe,
    drawdown,
    win rate,
    equity curve,
    deep backtest,
    trade list,
    pine strategy,
    simulate,
  ]
updatedAt: '2026-10-28'
---

# How do I backtest a strategy?

**Run a strategy script on your chart, and the Strategy Tester shows how it would have traded.** The chart marks every entry and exit, and the tester under your charts adds up the results.

## Run a strategy

1. Open the [script editor](/learn/faq/scripting/where-is-the-script-editor).
2. In the editor's file list, press the templates button beside **New indicator** (**Browse starter templates**) and pick a starter under **Strategies**, such as **Moving-Average Cross** or **Risk-Sized Reversion**. To bring a strategy from TradingView, [convert the Pine Script](/learn/faq/scripting/convert-pine-script).
3. Press **Backtest**. On a strategy it takes the place of **Run**.

A strip under your charts shows the result: **Net**, **Win**, **DD** and **Trades**. Click it to open the full **Strategy Tester**.

## Read the results

- **Overview**: the equity curve with its drawdown and a buy-and-hold line, plus **Net profit**, **Win rate**, **Profit factor**, **Max drawdown**, **Sharpe** and **Trades**.
- **Performance**: returns, risk and trade figures, such as **Sharpe / Sortino**, **Max runup**, **Avg trade / payoff** and **Fees paid**.
- **Trades**: every trade with its entry, exit and result. Hover a row to highlight the trade on the chart.
- With two or more strategies on the chart, **Compare** shows them side by side.

## How much history it tests

The tester follows your chart: it tests the bars around your view and runs again as you pan.

A strategy that runs in OpenMarket's cloud also has a **Chart** and **Deep** switch. **Deep** tests the full 20,000-bar history up to the latest bar in one run, and the result stays the same while you pan. **Deep** needs [Plus](/learn/faq/account-billing/what-does-plus-add); **Chart** is free.

## CME futures

Custom scripts, strategies included, do not run on CME futures yet, so **Backtest** is paused on a CME chart. Switch the chart to another market to backtest. [Can I run my own scripts on CME futures?](/learn/faq/scripting/scripts-on-cme-futures) explains why. To practice CME futures trades by hand, use [paper trading](/learn/faq/trading-brokers/paper-trading).