FAQ

Product#

Does it place trades for me? No. Verdict Strategy Builder is research and export only — no broker connection, no order routing. You trade the exported strategy in NinjaTrader 8, on your account.

Do I need NinjaTrader to use it? You need NinjaTrader 8 to export your own data and to trade exports. To try the app, no — the quickstart uses a bundled sample dataset.

Is the sample dataset real market data? No — it's six months of synthetic MES-like 5-minute bars (real market data can't be redistributed). Use it to learn the workflow, not to judge an edge.

Can I use my custom or third-party indicators as building blocks? Not in the current version — the palette is 88 stock NinjaTrader 8 indicators plus 9 structural primitives, all non-repainting.

Windows or Mac? Both: macOS universal (Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows x64. See Installation.

Privacy#

Is my market data uploaded anywhere? Never. Bars stay on your machine. Only small build/run/leaderboard metadata backs up privately to your account — see Account & sync.

Can other users see my strategies? No. There is no sharing, no public leaderboard, no cross-user visibility of any kind.

Running searches#

How long does a run take? Roughly population × generations × dataset size. The quickstart search (population 30, 10 generations, six months of 5-minute bars) finishes in minutes; a serious search over years of 1-minute data can take much longer. The run screen streams progress the whole way, and early generations are always the slowest.

Why is every strategy marked Kill? The quality gates rejecting weak candidates is the product working. Widen ranges, add blocks, or run longer — and if you optimized raw net profit, switch to Composite.

Why does the same build give different strategies on different runs? Different random seeds explore different paths. Fix the seed to reproduce a run exactly.

Can I edit a strategy the optimizer found? Yes — the Params tab lets you edit values and re-backtest; saving creates a new strategy. It won't carry a verdict until it's validated.

NinjaTrader#

The export compiles but never trades. Instrument or bar-size mismatch — attach it to the same market and timeframe it was built on. See Installing in NinjaTrader.

Is the exported code readable? Yes — one standalone .cs inheriting NinjaTrader's Strategy, plain NinjaScript you can audit line by line.

Licensing#

How many machines can I use? Two seats, platform-agnostic. Deactivate a device to free its seat — see Licensing & activation.

Does it work offline? Yes — after activation the app verifies locally and runs fully offline for roughly three weeks at a stretch; a background heartbeat renews the license when you're online.

What happens if my subscription lapses? The app keeps working until the current license token expires, then building and exporting lock while your data and results remain browsable. Reactivate and everything unlocks in place.

What does it cost? See the pricing page for current plans.