Can't Even Draw Charts but Claim to Know Strategies? Full Freqtrade plot_config Guide

This article was produced by the Quantitative Trading Lab at https://www.itrade.icu. Visit for more benefits. In Freqtrade strategy development, visualizing charts is one of the most intuitive ways to understand signals and debug strategies. With the plot_config parameter, you can clearly display indicators, buy/sell signals, stop-loss points, exit reasons, etc., greatly improving strategy debugging efficiency.

This article provides a detailed guide on using plot_config and common configuration scenarios, helping you master chart-based strategy debugging quickly!

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🧩 What is plot_config?

plot_config is a dictionary in your strategy class. When used with CLI tools such as:

freqtrade backtesting --plot
freqtrade plot-dataframe

It automatically generates charts showing your buy/sell signals, technical indicators, take-profit/stop-loss points, etc.

✅ Common fields:

Field Name	Type	Description
main_plot	list	Indicators to plot on the main chart (e.g., EMA, MA)
subplots	dict	Subplots like RSI, MACD, displayed below main chart
plot_signals	bool	Whether to show buy/sell arrows on the chart
plot_trades	bool	Whether to show connecting lines between trades
plot_exit_reason	bool	Whether to mark exit reasons (take profit, stop-loss, signal, etc.)

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🔧 Example Configuration

plot_config = {
    'main_plot': ['ema_20', 'ema_50'],  # Draw two EMAs on the main chart
    'subplots': {
        "rsi": {
            'rsi': {'color': 'blue'}   # Display RSI in the RSI subplot
        },
        "macd": {
            'macd': {'color': 'green'},
            'macdsignal': {'color': 'orange'}
        }
    },
    'plot_signals': True,         # Show buy/sell arrows
    'plot_trades': True,          # Show trade connecting lines
    'plot_exit_reason': True      # Mark exit reasons
}

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📈 Example Chart Explanation

Assume your strategy uses the following indicators:

• EMA20 and EMA50 to determine trends

• RSI for overbought/oversold conditions

• MACD for momentum

• Buy when RSI < 30, sell when RSI > 70

With plot_config:

• The main chart shows EMA20 and EMA50

• RSI curve is displayed in a subplot with color

• MACD and its signal line are plotted below

• Buy/sell arrows are shown on the chart

• Trade connecting lines and exit reasons are displayed

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🔍 Debugging Recommendations

Goal	Recommended Configuration
Check trend indicators	Add MA, EMA, Bollinger Bands to main_plot
Adjust buy/sell logic	Enable plot_signals and plot_trades to view entries/exits
Verify exit reason validity	Enable plot_exit_reason to see stop-loss/profit triggers
Validate multiple indicators	Use subplots for RSI, MACD, CCI intersection analysis

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🚀 How to Generate Charts

To make plot_config effective, run commands with the --plot parameter:

✅ 1. Plot during backtesting

freqtrade backtesting --strategy YourStrategy --plot

• Automatically opens interactive charts after backtest (or generates charts in Jupyter)

• Shows candles, indicators, signals, and trade paths

✅ 2. Plot indicators for a specific pair (no trades)

freqtrade plot-dataframe --strategy YourStrategy --pair BTC/USDT --timerange=20220101-20220131

• Shows only content from populate_indicators()

• Does not rely on entries/exits, ideal for indicator debugging

✅ 3. Export charts as interactive HTML

freqtrade backtesting --strategy YourStrategy --plot --export-html

• Generates interactive HTML files for local viewing or sharing

💡 Tips

Scenario	Recommended Command
Quickly review strategy execution	freqtrade backtesting --plot
View indicators for a specific pair and time	plot-dataframe with --pair and --timerange
Save charts for review or sharing	Add --export-html to generate interactive HTML

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⚠️ Notes

• Field names in main_plot and subplots must match those defined in populate_indicators()

• Chart commands do not automatically save charts; use --export or --plot

• Too many indicators may clutter the chart; choose selectively

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🧠 Summary

Parameter	Controls	Required	Recommended
main_plot	Main chart indicators	✅	EMA, Bollinger Bands
subplots	Subplot indicators	✅	RSI, MACD
plot_signals	Show buy/sell arrows	✅	True
plot_trades	Show trade lines	✅	True
plot_exit_reason	Show exit reason tags	✅	True

With plot_config, you can visualize your strategy’s behavior, making post-development debugging and optimization much easier. Your strategy logic becomes transparent, turning “blind coding” into informed strategy development.