
backtest
Quick backtest a strategy on a symbol. Creates a complete .py script with data fetch, signals, backtest, stats, and plots.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills --skill backtest- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads backtest automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Create a complete VectorBT backtest script for the user.
Arguments
Parse $ARGUMENTS as: strategy symbol exchange interval
$0= strategy name (e.g., ema-crossover, rsi, donchian, supertrend, macd, sda2, momentum)$1= symbol (e.g., SBIN, RELIANCE, NIFTY). Default: SBIN$2= exchange (e.g., NSE, NFO). Default: NSE$3= interval (e.g., D, 1h, 5m). Default: D
If no arguments, ask the user which strategy they want.
Instructions
- Read the vectorbt-expert skill rules for reference patterns
- Create
backtesting/{strategy_name}/directory if it doesn't exist (on-demand) - Create a
.pyfile inbacktesting/{strategy_name}/named{symbol}_{strategy}_backtest.py - Use the matching template from
rules/assets/{strategy}/backtest.pyas the starting point - The script must:
- Load
.envfrom the project root usingfind_dotenv()(walks up from script dir automatically) - Fetch data via
client.history()from OpenAlgo - If user provides a DuckDB path, load data directly via
duckdb.connect(path, read_only=True)instead of OpenAlgo API. Auto-detect format: Historify (market_datatable, epoch timestamps) vs custom (ohlcvtable, date+time). See vectorbt-expertrules/duckdb-data.md. - If
openalgo.tais not importable (standalone DuckDB), use inlineexrem()fallback. - Use OpenAlgo ta for ALL indicators by default (EMA, SMA, RSI, MACD, BBands, ATR, ADX, STDDEV, MOM, and 90+ more) -
from openalgo import ta - Only use TA-Lib if the user explicitly says "talib"/"TA-Lib" in their request; specialty indicators (Supertrend, Donchian, Ichimoku, HMA, KAMA, ALMA, ZLEMA, VWMA) always come from OpenAlgo ta regardless, since TA-Lib has no equivalent
- Use
ta.exrem()to clean duplicate signals (always.fillna(False)before exrem) - Run
vbt.Portfolio.from_signals()withmin_size=1, size_granularity=1 - Indian delivery fees:
fees=0.00111, fixed_fees=20for delivery equity - Fetch NIFTY benchmark via OpenAlgo (
symbol="NIFTY", exchange="NSE_INDEX") - Print full
pf.stats() - Print Strategy vs Benchmark comparison table (Total Return, Sharpe, Sortino, Max DD, Win Rate, Trades, Profit Factor)
- Explain the backtest report in plain language for normal traders
- Generate the OpenStatz interactive dashboard tearsheet via
ostz.dashboard(...)ifopenstatzis available - a self-contained offline HTML file, no server needed (always use OpenStatz, never QuantStats; never the legacyostz.reports.htmlstatic report). Setstrategy_returns.name(e.g."EMA 20/50 Crossover - SBIN") andbenchmark.namebefore callingdashboard()- that name, not thetitle=argument, is what the tearsheet shows as the strategy header/column/legend (see the openstatz-tearsheet rule) - Plot equity curve + drawdown using Plotly (
template="plotly_dark") - Export trades to CSV
- Load
- Never use icons/emojis in code or logger output
- For futures symbols (NIFTY, BANKNIFTY), use lot-size-aware sizing:
- NIFTY:
min_size=65, size_granularity=65(effective 31 Dec 2025) - BANKNIFTY:
min_size=30, size_granularity=30 - Use
fees=0.00018, fixed_fees=20for F&O futures
- NIFTY:
Available Strategies
| Strategy | Keyword | Template |
|---|---|---|
| EMA Crossover | ema-crossover | assets/ema_crossover/backtest.py |
| RSI | rsi | assets/rsi/backtest.py |
| Donchian Channel | donchian | assets/donchian/backtest.py |
| Supertrend | supertrend | assets/supertrend/backtest.py |
| MACD Breakout | macd | assets/macd/backtest.py |
| SDA2 | sda2 | assets/sda2/backtest.py |
| Momentum | momentum | assets/momentum/backtest.py |
| Dual Momentum | dual-momentum | assets/dual_momentum/backtest.py |
| Buy & Hold | buy-hold | assets/buy_hold/backtest.py |
| RSI Accumulation | rsi-accumulation | assets/rsi_accumulation/backtest.py |
Benchmark Rules
- Default: NIFTY 50 via OpenAlgo (
symbol="NIFTY", exchange="NSE_INDEX") - If user specifies a different benchmark, use that instead
- For yfinance: use
^NSEIfor India,^GSPC(S&P 500) for US markets - Always compare: Total Return, Sharpe, Sortino, Max Drawdown
Example Usage
/backtest ema-crossover RELIANCE NSE D
/backtest rsi SBIN
/backtest supertrend NIFTY NFO 5m
FAQ
What does the backtest skill do?
Quick backtest a strategy on a symbol. Creates a complete .py script with data fetch, signals, backtest, stats, and plots.
How do I install backtest?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills --skill backtest in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/backtest/ (personal) or .claude/skills/backtest/ (project).
Which AI agents can use backtest?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is backtest safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains backtest?
It is published by marketcalls in marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills. It has 3,379 recorded installs.
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