Grid Entry (DCA) — Setup

Grid Entry (Dollar-Cost Averaging) allows your strategy to build a position gradually by placing multiple orders at different price levels below (for long) or above (for short) the initial entry.

Instead of entering the full position at one price, Grid Entry splits it across multiple levels:

1. Signal triggers → first order fills at market price
2. Price moves against you → additional grid orders fill at lower levels (long) or higher levels (short)
3. Average entry price improves with each fill
4. TP/SL recalculate from the new average entry

StratBase.ai offers 4 pre-built templates:

| Template | Orders | Spread | Price Distribution | Volume Distribution | |----------|--------|--------|-------------------|-------------------| | Conservative | 5 | 3% | Linear | Equal | | Moderate | 4 | 2% | Linear | Linear | | Aggressive | 3 | 1.5% | Linear | Equal | | Martingale | 5 | 2.5% | Linear | Martingale ×1.5 |

Conservative (5 orders, 3% spread)

Each order takes 20% of the position, spread evenly across a 3% price range. Best for volatile markets where you expect price to recover.

Moderate (4 orders, 2% spread)

Balanced approach with slightly increasing sizes at lower levels. Good all-around choice.

Aggressive (3 orders, 1.5% spread)

Fewer levels in a tighter range. Fills quickly but less averaging effect.

Martingale (5 orders, 2.5% spread, ×1.5 multiplier)

Each subsequent order is 1.5× the previous. Concentrates capital at lower prices for faster recovery. Higher risk — if all levels fill, the position is very large.

Create your own grid by adjusting:

| Parameter | Description | Range | |-----------|-------------|-------| | Order Count | Number of grid orders | 2 – 10 | | Total Spread % | Price range from first to last order | 0.5% – 20% | | Price Distribution | How orders are spaced | Linear / Logarithmic | | Volume Distribution | How position is split | Equal / Linear / Martingale | | Offset % | Distance from signal price to first order | 0% (market) or custom | | Martingale Multiplier | Size increase factor (Martingale mode) | 1.1 – 3.0 |

Price Distribution

• Linear — equal spacing between orders (e.g., every 0.5%)
• Logarithmic — wider spacing at further levels

Volume Distribution

• Equal — same size for each order
• Linear — each order slightly larger than the previous
• Martingale — each order multiplied by the martingale factor

Offset Modes

• Market (0%) — first order fills at the signal candle close price
• Limit (custom %) — first order placed at a specific offset from signal price

When grid levels fill, TP and SL are recalculated from the average entry:

| Event | Average Entry | TP (4%) | SL (3%) | |-------|--------------|---------|---------| | Order 1: $100 | $100.00 | $104.00 | $97.00 | | Order 2: $98 | $99.00 | $102.96 | $96.03 | | Order 3: $96 | $98.00 | $101.92 | $95.06 |

This is crucial — TP targets become more achievable as your average improves.

On the results chart, filled grid levels are displayed as horizontal lines with markers showing each fill price and the evolving average entry.

Tip: Start with a template, run the backtest, then customize based on results. The Conservative template is the safest starting point.

Q: What if price doesn't reach all grid levels? A: Only filled orders count. Unfilled grid levels are ignored. The position size is the sum of filled orders only.

Q: Can I use grid entry with trailing stop? A: Yes, but the trailing stop activates based on the average entry price, not individual fills.

Q: Is grid entry the same as DCA? A: Essentially yes. Grid entry is the mechanism; DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) is the strategy concept of buying at regular intervals or price levels.

• Recovery Mode
• Position Sizing — 7 Modes
• Take Profit Configuration
• Stop Loss Configuration