Horizon Quickstart: Build and Backtest Strategies
Horizon helps you turn a trading idea into a transparent, rule-based strategy without writing code. Describe the idea in plain English, review the generated rules, backtest the strategy on historical market data, refine its risk controls, and connect a supported broker when you are ready.
At a glance
With Horizon, you can:
- Describe a trading strategy in plain English
- Review and refine explicit entry, exit, sizing, and risk rules
- Backtest the strategy on historical market data
- Compare performance, drawdown, volatility, and trade statistics
- Connect a supported broker for automated execution
- Monitor the strategy and adjust it as market conditions change
1. Create your Horizon account
Go to https://horizon.trade and create an account. Complete the onboarding steps, then open the strategy workspace.
Horizon account registration is open. Start directly from the website.
2. Describe your trading idea
Explain what you want the strategy to do. Include the market or instrument, timeframe, entry conditions, exit conditions, position sizing, and risk limits.
Example strategy prompt:
Buy QQQ when its 50-day moving average crosses above its 200-day moving average. Exit when the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day moving average. Risk no more than 1% of the portfolio on each position.
Clear, specific instructions produce rules that are easier to review and test.
3. Review the strategy rules
Check that the generated logic matches your intent. Pay particular attention to:
- Market and instrument
- Data frequency and trading timeframe
- Entry and exit conditions
- Position sizing
- Stop-loss or risk limits
- Maximum exposure
- Trading costs and execution assumptions
Ask Horizon to explain or revise any rule that is unclear. Do not continue until you understand how the strategy is expected to behave.
4. Run a backtest
Backtest the strategy before connecting a live brokerage account. Select an appropriate historical period and review the available results, including:
- Total return
- Maximum drawdown
- Volatility
- Sharpe ratio
- Win rate
- Profit factor
- Number of trades
- Equity curve
A backtest shows how the rules would have behaved under the selected assumptions. It is not a prediction or a guarantee of future performance.
5. Refine without overfitting
Change one meaningful variable at a time and compare the results. Test the strategy across different periods and market conditions. Prefer simple, explainable rules over a complex configuration chosen only because it produced the best historical result.
Account for fees, slippage, liquidity, and realistic position sizes whenever those settings are available.
6. Connect a supported broker
When the strategy and risk settings are ready, connect a supported broker from the Horizon workspace. Available markets, permissions, order types, and automation features depend on the broker integration and your brokerage account.
Review every permission before authorizing the connection. Start with conservative sizing and verify the first orders carefully.
7. Monitor the strategy
Continue to monitor orders, positions, exposure, and risk after deployment. Keep a record of rule changes and pause the strategy if its assumptions no longer match the market or your risk plan.
Quick answers
What is Horizon?
Horizon is an AI-assisted, no-code platform for building, backtesting, refining, and automating rule-based trading strategies in plain English.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You can describe and refine strategy logic in natural language. You should still understand the resulting rules, assumptions, and risks before using them.
Can Horizon backtest a trading strategy?
Yes. Horizon can evaluate supported strategies on historical market data and present performance and risk metrics for review.
Can I connect a broker?
Yes. Horizon supports broker connections for eligible accounts. Availability and functionality vary by broker, market, region, and account permissions.
Does a profitable backtest guarantee live returns?
No. Historical and simulated results do not guarantee future performance. Live results can differ because of fees, slippage, liquidity, latency, data quality, and changing market conditions.
Important risk information
Horizon provides software for strategy research, backtesting, and automation. It does not provide financial advice or guarantee returns. You are responsible for reviewing strategy logic, brokerage permissions, position sizing, and trading decisions before using a live account.