Trade · Guide

Autonomous Trading System

A short guide to using the algorithmic trading bot in Plutus Trader — what it does, how to run a session safely, and how to read the status on the page.

Overview

The Autonomous Trading System (ATS) follows rules you set — symbol, timeframe, risk, and strategy choices — and evaluates the market on an ongoing schedule while a session is active.

Open it from Trade → Autonomous Trading System. In the same workspace you can also use Strategy Lab, Backtest, and broker Connections.

Simulation and live

Simulation — paper trading with virtual equity. Use this to learn the workflow and test settings. No broker orders are sent.
Live — uses your connected broker. Real capital is at risk. Only switch to live after you are comfortable with the setup in simulation.

Strategies

You can run the bot in two ways:

Fixed strategies — you choose which strategy legs are active and how they combine (for example vote or weighted).
Autonomous mode — the system may switch among strategies during the session when conditions favor a change. The session itself keeps running; a quieter stretch after a switch does not always mean the bot stopped.

Risk settings such as risk per trade and minimum confidence still apply. They are there to limit over-trading and oversized positions — not to guarantee profits.

Getting started

Sign in and open the Autonomous Trading System page.
Choose a liquid symbol, a timeframe, and conservative risk settings. Prefer simulation first.
Optionally set a maximum run time or maximum number of trades so the session ends on its own.
Confirm the trading service shows as online, then press Start.
For live trading later: connect a broker under Connections, select live mode, and review risk limits again before Start.

Strategy ideas and historical checks belong in Strategy Lab and Backtest before you rely on a live session.

While it is running

Watch these areas on the page:

Equity and position— open trade, size, and estimated P&L.
Trade log — opens, closes, rejects, and informational notes (including strategy changes in autonomous mode).
Trading Service panel — whether the service is available. If it is offline, Start stays unavailable until it returns.

Press Stop when you are finished so the session ends cleanly. If the service shows offline, use Recover once, then wait — repeated clicks are limited so the platform can recover.

Status messages

What you see	What it usually means
Service online	The trading service is available. You can Start when your settings are ready.
Service offline	Start is disabled. Try Recover once, wait a minute, then refresh. If it stays offline, try again later or contact support.
Busy / high demand	The platform is under temporary load. Wait and retry — this is not the same as service offline.
At capacity	Too many bots are already running. Stop an older session if you have one, or try again later.
Quiet after a strategy change	In autonomous mode the bot may hold without new trades for a while. Check the trade log and last update time before assuming it stopped.

Practical tips

Validate ideas in simulation (and backtests) before live capital.
Keep risk per trade small; prefer clear stop and take-profit behavior over aggressive size.
Do not spam Start or Recover when something fails — wait and retry.
Stop sessions you no longer need.
For a conceptual overview of systematic trading and risk framing, see Learn · Autonomous Trading Systems.

Important notice

Plutus Trader is a software interface for market data, analytics, and trading workflows. It is not a registered broker-dealer, investment adviser, or tax adviser. Automated systems can lose money quickly, especially in live mode. Past simulation or backtest results do not guarantee future performance. You are solely responsible for your settings, risk limits, and trading decisions.

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