Testing period
Start and end dates bound the historical sample. A long period is helpful context, but does not remove data, settings or regime sensitivity.
cTrader evidence guide
Store backtest stats
are not live-account performance
Profit factor, ROI and drawdown can be useful—but only after you identify whether they came from a historical test or an actual account observation. Read the evidence layer before reading the headline number.
Start with the source
Historical test and live observation answer different questions
| Evidence | What it can show | What it cannot establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| Store backtesting report | How a selected cBot package and configuration behaved over a specified historical period under configured data, capital, leverage and cost assumptions. | Current execution, future returns, a live account, or results on another broker, symbol or setting set. |
| Visual backtest video | Chart behaviour, entries, exits, panels and logs while historical data is replayed. | A completed report unless the run reaches its end and the final statistics are retained; it is not live trading. |
| Demo forward observation | Order handling and ongoing behaviour on a demo account under current broker conditions. | Real-money execution, long-term robustness or guaranteed future behaviour. |
| Live-account record | Observed account activity when the account, dates, balance/equity, deposits, withdrawals, open exposure, trades and costs are identifiable. | Future performance or results on a different account. A live label alone does not prove which bot caused every account action. |
Before sharing a number
Verify the evidence chain
- Match the product. Record the cTrader Store product ID, title, package version and installed cBot.
- Classify the result. Label it as historical backtest, completed visual backtest, demo forward observation or live-account evidence.
- Capture the test context. Keep symbol, timeframe, broker, start and end dates, capital, leverage, data source, spread, commission and parameters.
- Inspect the complete curve. Review balance and equity, maximum drawdown, profit factor, trade count, losing sequences, open positions and concentration.
- Check completion. A configured screen, enabled Play button or running progress bar is not a finished backtest.
- Preserve the report. Save the completed HTML report, parameter file and logs so another person can reproduce the review.
- Check freshness and connection. Note the last-updated timestamp. If refresh failed or account authorization expired, label the numbers as a stale snapshot and recheck only after the account owner reconnects the data feed.
Reading live stats
A live-stats page can still show stale data
“Live stats” describes the account-statistics feature; it does not guarantee that the page has just refreshed or that a cBot is currently running. Check the selected account, last-updated time and any connection or authorization error before treating its figures as current.
If the connection has expired or refresh fails, report the last successful snapshot with its timestamp and mark current performance unknown. The account owner should reconnect the authorized cTrader account through the provider's consent flow, then verify a newer timestamp before relying on the data. Never share passwords, access tokens or recovery codes to fix a stats connection.
Even a fresh account feed can include activity beyond the named cBot. Confirm the account mode, date range, open positions and trade attribution, and check runtime status separately; an account history alone does not prove the bot is executing now.
Reading a product page
Store fields describe a configured test—not universal behaviour
Broker and timeframe
The displayed broker, symbol and chart resolution shape the data and execution assumptions. Another account can behave differently.
ROI and profit factor
Read these beside drawdown, costs, trade count and curve shape. A value above break-even can still have little margin for execution differences.
Maximum drawdown
Confirm whether it is balance or equity drawdown, the capital basis, and whether open exposure remains at the test end.
Leverage and capital
These affect margin availability and position sizing. Do not compare results across different assumptions as if they were equivalent.
Live ROI chart
cTrader documents this separately: it uses a selected live account and reflects all activity on that account, not necessarily only one algorithm.
Want help comparing win rate, profit factor and drawdown? Read the EA and cBot performance-metrics guide.
Official references: Backtest a cBot, Customise algos and performance statistics and cTrader account authentication.
Common questions
cTrader Store statistics FAQ
Do Store backtest statistics prove live profitability?
No. cTrader defines backtesting as running a cBot on historical market data without real funds. Treat those figures as simulation evidence.
What proves a result is from a live account?
Look for an identified live account and observation period, balance and equity history, deposits and withdrawals, open exposure, trade count, costs, broker conditions and attribution to the stated cBot.
How can I tell whether cTrader live stats are stale?
Check the last-updated time and any refresh or authorization error. If the connection has expired, treat the displayed values as a past snapshot—not current performance—until the account owner reconnects it and a fresh update is confirmed.
Which backtest details should I retain?
Keep the exact version, parameters, symbol, timeframe, dates, capital, leverage, data source, spread, commission, completed report and logs.
Risk disclosure
Historical simulations, Store statistics, demo observations and live-account histories do not guarantee future performance. Broker pricing, spreads, commissions, swaps, slippage, leverage, execution, symbol specifications, settings and market conditions can materially alter outcomes.