> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nexttick.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Backtesting Lab

> Replay any historical trading day bar-by-bar in NextTick, mark hypothetical fills, and build execution muscle on your hardest setups.

The Backtesting Lab lets you step back into any trading day and work through it as if you were live. You advance the chart one bar at a time, mark hypothetical entries, stops, and exits directly on the chart, and see your P\&L calculate instantly — all without a single dollar at risk. Sessions are saveable and shareable as interactive replays, so you can revisit your reasoning or send a session to a peer for review.

<Note>
  Backtesting Lab is a **Pro** tier feature. Upgrade your plan to unlock access.
</Note>

## What you can do in Backtesting Lab

* Replay any historical trading day bar-by-bar from market open
* Choose any timeframe: `1min`, `5min`, `15min`, `1hr`, `4hr`, or `daily`
* Mark hypothetical entries, stop losses, and exits directly on the chart
* See instant P\&L calculations for every hypothetical fill
* Add journal-style notes at any point during the replay
* Save sessions and share them as interactive replays

<Tip>
  Use your Analytics heatmap and setup performance data to identify the setups you struggle with most, then build dedicated Backtesting Lab sessions around exactly those patterns. Targeted repetition is the fastest way to convert a weak setup into a reliable one.
</Tip>

## Run a backtesting session

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Backtesting Lab">
    Navigate to **Backtesting** in the Advanced section of the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select an instrument and date">
    Choose the symbol you want to replay and pick the historical date you want to work through.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your timeframe">
    Select the chart timeframe that matches how you trade that instrument — `1min`, `5min`, `15min`, `1hr`, `4hr`, or `daily`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Advance bar-by-bar">
    The chart loads at market open with all future bars hidden. Use the advance control to reveal one bar at a time, exactly as price would have unfolded live.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mark a hypothetical entry">
    When you see your setup, click on the chart to drop a hypothetical fill at that price. The entry is pinned to the bar you're on.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a stop loss and target">
    Set your stop loss price and profit target. The lab calculates your risk-to-reward ratio and tracks both levels as you advance bars.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Advance to the outcome">
    Keep advancing bars to see how the trade would have played out. Your P\&L updates in real time as price moves through your levels.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add notes">
    At any point during the replay — before entry, at the exit, or anywhere in between — add notes just as you would in a live journal entry. These notes are attached to the session, not to a real trade.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the session">
    When you're done, save the session. You can return to review it later or share it as an interactive replay with other NextTick users.
  </Step>
</Steps>