If my backtest passes, will the strategy make money?

Not necessarily. No red flags doesn't mean a strategy will make money; it means these checks didn't find the common errors. The checks also miss problems, and a backtest without these errors can still fail live.

Details

  • Every report ends with one of three verdicts: Major red flags, Some red flags, or No red flags found, followed by that same caveat.
  • The code check misses leaks: on code it hadn't seen before, it caught roughly half to two thirds of the serious ones (47% and 67% in two internal tests). Treat a clean result as weak evidence.
  • A backtest, audited or not, is hypothetical: a simulation on past data.
  • The auditor doesn't tell you whether to trade a strategy, and it isn't tailored to your finances or goals.
  • Reports are produced by software and can contain errors. Past results, live or backtested, don't guarantee future results.

Whether to trade a strategy is a decision we can't advise on. See Is this investment advice?

Last verified 2026-10-16.

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