Copying algorithmic and EA-driven strategies

A smooth curve is a question, not an answer

The most reliable warning sign in an automated track record is an unusually smooth equity curve with occasional sharp losses. That shape is characteristic of martingale and grid recovery systems, which average into losing positions and therefore win almost every time until one position does not come back. The historical record of such a system looks better than a sound strategy's right up to the moment it fails.

Backtests and live results are different claims

A backtest is a hypothesis about the past; a live record is evidence. They are frequently presented side by side with equal weight. When evaluating an automated strategy, the only figures that mean anything are the ones from live execution — and the length of that live period matters more than the length of the backtest.

Automation does not fix the copying gap

An EA still sends orders that must reach your broker, at your spread, in your account's conditions. Everything in the guide on why copied P&L diverges applies unchanged. If anything it applies more, because automated strategies tend to trade more frequently and are therefore more sensitive to per-trade costs.

Before you copy one of these

• Look at how position size behaves after a loss — increasing size is the signature of recovery systems.
• Weight live results far above backtests, and check how long the live period actually is.
• High-frequency automation amplifies spread differences between your account and the trader's.

Browse traders

Every profile shows its equity curve, drawdown and individual closed positions, so a record can be checked rather than taken on trust.