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optimize

marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills

Optimize trading strategy parameters using VectorBT with heatmap visualization and benchmark comparison.

What is optimize?

This skill creates parameter optimization scripts for VectorBT trading strategies. It tests multiple parameter combinations against historical data, generates performance heatmaps, and compares results against NIFTY benchmark—useful for traders refining strategy rules before live deployment.

  • Tests parameter combinations and tracks total return, Sharpe ratio, max drawdown, and trade count for each
  • Generates Plotly heatmaps visualizing performance across parameter grids
  • Compares optimized strategy results against NIFTY benchmark with side-by-side metrics
  • Loads data from OpenAlgo API or DuckDB, with OpenAlgo ta indicators by default
  • Applies Indian delivery fees (0.00111 + ₹20 fixed) and futures lot-size awareness (NIFTY/BANKNIFTY)
  • Saves optimization results to CSV and prints top 10 parameter sets by return and Sharpe ratio

How to install optimize

npx skills add https://github.com/marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills --skill optimize
Prerequisites
  • VectorBT and OpenAlgo installed in your Python environment
  • Access to OpenAlgo API credentials in `.env` file, or a DuckDB file with historical data
  • Historical price data available for the chosen symbol and interval
Claude Code
Cursor
Windsurf
Cline

How to use optimize

  1. 1.Run the skill with strategy name, symbol, exchange, and interval: `/optimize ema-crossover RELIANCE NSE D`
  2. 2.Review the generated Python script in `backtesting/{strategy_name}/{symbol}_{strategy}_optimize.py`
  3. 3.Execute the script to test parameter combinations and generate heatmaps
  4. 4.Examine the CSV results file and Plotly heatmaps to identify best parameter sets
  5. 5.Compare your optimized strategy performance against NIFTY benchmark in the printed table
  6. 6.Use top-performing parameters for paper trading or live deployment

Use cases

Good for
  • Find optimal EMA crossover periods (fast/slow) for a stock before trading live
  • Test RSI window and oversold threshold combinations to maximize Sharpe ratio
  • Optimize Donchian channel period for mean-reversion strategies
  • Compare Supertrend multiplier and period settings across different symbols
  • Validate strategy robustness by checking performance consistency across parameter ranges
Who it's for
  • Quantitative traders building systematic strategies
  • Retail traders backtesting rule-based entry/exit logic
  • Strategy developers optimizing parameters before paper trading
  • Traders working with Indian equities (NSE) and derivatives (NFO)

optimize FAQ

What data source does the script use?

By default it fetches data via OpenAlgo API using credentials from `.env`. You can also provide a DuckDB file path to load data directly from a local database.

Which indicators are used?

OpenAlgo ta indicators are used by default for all strategies (EMA, RSI, Donchian, Supertrend). TA-Lib is only used if you explicitly request it.

How are fees handled?

Indian delivery equity fees are applied as 0.00111 (0.111%) plus ₹20 fixed per trade. Futures use lot-size-aware sizing (NIFTY: 65 shares, BANKNIFTY: 30 shares).

What metrics are optimized?

The script tracks total return, Sharpe ratio, max drawdown, and trade count for each parameter combination, then ranks results by both total return and Sharpe ratio separately.

Can I optimize multiple strategies?

Yes, you can run the skill multiple times with different strategy names (ema-crossover, rsi, donchian, supertrend) to compare optimization results across strategies.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from marketcalls/vectorbt-backtesting-skills.


name: optimize description: Optimize strategy parameters using VectorBT. Tests parameter combinations and generates heatmaps. argument-hint: "[strategy] [symbol] [exchange] [interval]" allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep

Create a parameter optimization script for a VectorBT strategy.

Arguments

Parse $ARGUMENTS as: strategy symbol exchange interval

  • $0 = strategy name (e.g., ema-crossover, rsi, donchian). Default: ema-crossover
  • $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 to optimize.

Instructions

  1. Read the vectorbt-expert skill rules for reference patterns
  2. Create backtesting/{strategy_name}/ directory if it doesn't exist (on-demand)
  3. Create a .py file in backtesting/{strategy_name}/ named {symbol}_{strategy}_optimize.py
  4. The script must:
    • Load .env from project root using find_dotenv() and fetch data via OpenAlgo client.history()
    • If user provides a DuckDB path, load data directly via duckdb.connect(path, read_only=True). See vectorbt-expert rules/duckdb-data.md.
    • If openalgo.ta is not importable (standalone DuckDB), use inline exrem() fallback.
    • Use OpenAlgo ta for ALL indicators by default (never VectorBT built-in). Only switch to TA-Lib if the user explicitly says "talib"/"TA-Lib"
    • Always use OpenAlgo ta for specialty indicators (Supertrend, Donchian, etc.) - no TA-Lib equivalent exists
    • Use ta.exrem() to clean signals (always .fillna(False) before exrem)
    • Define sensible parameter ranges for the chosen strategy
    • Use loop-based optimization to collect multiple metrics per combo
    • Track: total_return, sharpe_ratio, max_drawdown, trade_count for each combination
    • Use tqdm for progress bars
    • Indian delivery fees: fees=0.00111, fixed_fees=20 for delivery equity
    • Find best parameters by total return AND by Sharpe ratio
    • Print top 10 results for both criteria
    • Generate Plotly heatmap of total return across parameter grid (template="plotly_dark")
    • Generate Plotly heatmap of Sharpe ratio across parameter grid
    • Fetch NIFTY benchmark and compare best parameters vs benchmark
    • Print Strategy vs Benchmark comparison table
    • Explain results in plain language for normal traders
    • Save results to CSV
  5. Never use icons/emojis in code or logger output
  6. For futures symbols, use lot-size-aware sizing:
    • NIFTY: min_size=65, size_granularity=65
    • BANKNIFTY: min_size=30, size_granularity=30

Default Parameter Ranges

StrategyParameter 1Parameter 2
ema-crossoverfast EMA: 5-50slow EMA: 10-60
rsiwindow: 5-30oversold: 20-40
donchianperiod: 5-50-
supertrendperiod: 5-30multiplier: 1.0-5.0

Example Usage

/optimize ema-crossover RELIANCE NSE D /optimize rsi SBIN