Freqtrade Strategy Not Running, Running Wrong, or Going Haywire? These Parameters Might Not Be Confi

This article was produced by the Quantitative Trading Lab at https://www.itrade.icu. Visit for more benefits. Before writing and running a Freqtrade strategy, there are several basic parameters you must understand. These parameters control the strategy’s data timeframe, preloading behavior, concurrent trades, safety checks, etc., and directly affect execution and stability.

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⏱️ timeframe — Main Timeframe

Sets the K-line interval used by the strategy. For example, '5m' means using 5-minute candles as the basis for signals and indicators.

timeframe = '5m'  # Each candle represents 5 minutes

⚠️ Notes:

• Common values: 1m, 5m, 15m, 1h, 4h, 1d

• Determines the frequency of calculations and signal resolution

• Backtesting or live data must match this timeframe

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🕐 startup_candle_count — Initial Loaded Candles

Specifies the minimum number of candles to preload when the strategy starts. Ensures indicators can be calculated fully and avoids distorted signals in the first few candles.

startup_candle_count = 50  # Preload 50 candles at startup

⚠️ Notes:

• Usually set to the largest indicator period × 3~5

• For example, RSI(14) typically requires at least 50 candles

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📊 max_open_trades — Maximum Open Trades

Controls how many pairs the strategy can hold simultaneously. Helps prevent over-diversification, liquidation, or uncontrolled leverage.

max_open_trades = 3  # Max 3 positions

⚠️ Notes:

• Set to 1 to test single-pair strategy performance

• Multi-pair strategies need careful capital allocation and risk management

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🕛 process_only_new_candles — Execute Logic Only on New Candle

Controls whether the strategy logic triggers only when a candle closes. Default is True, which prevents repeated execution and improves stability.

process_only_new_candles = True

Value	Behavior
True	Trigger only at candle close
False	Could trigger every second (high-frequency fluctuations)

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🧱 disable_dataframe_checks — Disable DataFrame Checks

Disables pandas DataFrame consistency checks to improve performance. Not recommended during early development.

disable_dataframe_checks = False  # Enable checks (recommended)

⚠️ Notes:

• Disabling may hide hidden indicator errors

• Suitable for performance optimization stages

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📉 can_short — Allow Shorting (Contracts Only)

Controls whether the strategy can open short positions. Only applicable to exchanges supporting contract trading, not spot.

can_short = True

⚠️ Notes:

• If enabled, also configure minimal_roi, stoploss, populate_exit_trend for short logic

• Only valid in contract mode; using spot will cause errors

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✅ Summary Table

Parameter	Meaning	Recommended Default
timeframe	Main strategy candle interval	'5m'
startup_candle_count	Number of candles to load at startup	50+
max_open_trades	Maximum concurrent trades	3~5
process_only_new_candles	Trigger logic only at candle close	True
disable_dataframe_checks	Disable DataFrame checks	False
can_short	Allow short positions (contracts)	False