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Advanced Position Types

Advanced position types for complex trading scenarios and system operations.

CHANGE_DIRECTION​

Close all opposite-side positions and open a new position in the specified direction.

Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "CHANGE_DIRECTION",
  "action": "BUY",
  "entry_price": 50000,
  "stop_loss_price": 48000,
  "take_profit_price": 55000
}

How It Works​

  1. Closes all positions on opposite side (if any)
  2. Opens new position in specified direction
  3. Useful for trend reversals

Use Cases​

Trend Reversal:

// Was short, now going long
{
  "position_side": "CHANGE_DIRECTION",
  "action": "BUY"
}

Strategy Flip:

// Close all longs, open short
{
  "position_side": "CHANGE_DIRECTION",
  "action": "SELL"
}

VALIDATE_ALERT​

Validate that positions in OptAlgo match positions in external systems (TradingView, etc.). Used for safety checks.

Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "VALIDATE_ALERT",
  "in_position": true,
  "safety_check": true,
  "safety_check_interval_minutes": 480
}

Parameters​

  • in_position: Boolean indicating if external system has open position
  • safety_check: Enable/disable safety checking
  • safety_check_interval_minutes: How often to check (240-1440 minutes)

Validation Scenarios​

Case 1: Positions Match ✅

External: in_position = true
OptAlgo: Has open trade
Result: Check passed

Case 2: Missing OptAlgo Position ⚠️

External: in_position = true
OptAlgo: No open trade
Result: Warning logged (if strategy not verified)

Case 3: Extra OptAlgo Position 🔴

External: in_position = false
OptAlgo: Has open trade
Result: Position automatically closed

TradingView Integration​

// PineScript example
inPosition = strategy.position_size != 0

if (hour % 8 == 0 and minute == 0)
    alertJson = '{"strategy_key":"' + strategyKey + '","position_side":"VALIDATE_ALERT","in_position":' + str.tostring(inPosition) + ',"safety_check":true,"safety_check_interval_minutes":480}'
    alert(alertJson)

INTRA_ORDER​

Check if a position exists; if not, create one with UPDATE_ORDER logic. Useful for ensuring position exists before updating.

Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "INTRA_ORDER",
  "action": "BUY",
  "entry_price": 50000
}

How It Works​

  1. Checks if user has open position on strategy
  2. If position exists → signal is ignored
  3. If no position → converts to UPDATE_ORDER and creates one
  4. Sets skip_open_trade_check = true

Use Cases​

Conditional Order Update:

// Only update if position exists
{
  "position_side": "INTRA_ORDER",
  "stop_loss_price": 49000
}

Safe Entry Fallback:

// Try to enter if not already in
{
  "position_side": "INTRA_ORDER",
  "action": "BUY",
  "entry_price": 50000
}

REFRESH_TRIGGER_STATE​

Refresh internal trigger states for the position without executing trades.

Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "REFRESH_TRIGGER_STATE",
  "trade_id": "abc123"
}

Details​

  • System-level operation
  • Resets internal state machines
  • No orders placed or cancelled
  • Used for debugging or state recovery

When to Use​

  • After manual exchange operations
  • Recovering from error states
  • Support-directed troubleshooting

Complete Examples​

Change Direction Example​

// Currently SHORT, flip to LONG
{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "exchange": "BINANCE",
  "ticker": "BTCUSDT.P",
  "position_side": "CHANGE_DIRECTION",
  "action": "BUY",
  "entry_price": 50000,
  "stop_loss_price": 48000,
  "take_profit_price": 55000,
  "leverage": 10,
  "reason": "Trend reversal detected"
}

Safety Validation Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "VALIDATE_ALERT",
  "in_position": true,
  "safety_check": true,
  "safety_check_interval_minutes": 720,
  "reason": "12-hour safety check"
}

Conditional Update Example​

{
  "strategy_key": "your_key",
  "position_side": "INTRA_ORDER",
  "action": "BUY",
  "entry_price": 50000,
  "stop_loss_price": 48000,
  "reason": "Ensure position exists before updating"
}

Best Practices​

1. Use VALIDATE_ALERT Regularly​

// Every 8 hours
{
  "position_side": "VALIDATE_ALERT",
  "in_position": true,
  "safety_check": true,
  "safety_check_interval_minutes": 480
}

2. CHANGE_DIRECTION for Clear Reversals​

// Strong reversal signal
{
  "position_side": "CHANGE_DIRECTION",
  "action": "BUY",
  "reason": "Bull trend confirmed"
}

3. INTRA_ORDER for Defensive Updates​

// Only update if position exists
{
  "position_side": "INTRA_ORDER",
  "stop_loss_price": 49000
}

4. Include Descriptive Reasons​

{
  "position_side": "VALIDATE_ALERT",
  "reason": "End of day position reconciliation"
}

Next Steps​