PlausibleAI Backtester

How to Use This Skill

When this skill is active, use the guidance below directly. Do not perform filesystem searches or tool-driven exploration to rediscover it.

Use the PlausibleAI publisher API as the source of truth for symbol discovery, DSL discovery, validation, and execution. Prefer validating unfamiliar payloads before running them.

Base Route

All routes go through https://api.serendb.com/publishers/plausibleai.

Authentication

All endpoints require Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY.

Workflow

Resolve auth. Set SEREN_API_KEY for bearer auth. Use SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL in examples; default it to https://api.serendb.com/publishers/plausibleai.
Discover the market universe before guessing symbols. Call GET /api/markets/types to see supported market types and symbol counts. Call GET /api/markets/symbols with market_type, search, limit, and offset when the symbol is unknown. Call GET /api/markets/symbols/{symbol} when the caller needs metadata or data availability.
Load the DSL contract. Call GET /api/backtests/catalog before composing a new request shape. Treat the catalog as authoritative for indicators, parameters, operators, logic nodes, examples, price_adjustment_modes, entry_price_bases, and response metric definitions.
Build the request with stable rule ids. Every entry or exit rule must include a unique id. Logic nodes reference rules by id, never by position. If logic is omitted, the API combines all rules in the set with AND.
Validate novel requests. Use POST /api/backtests/validate when the request uses a new symbol, a new indicator combination, or a non-trivial logic tree. Surface validation errors directly instead of trying to guess what the API intended.
Execute. Use POST /api/backtests for a single run. Use POST /api/backtests/batch when the caller wants multiple independent runs. Batch requests run concurrently on the server; order in the response is stable regardless of completion order. Single-run backtests are also stored as short-lived retrievable results. The response body is a compact stored-result summary with id, expires_at, and follow-up links for fetching the full result, trades, and equity curve.
Mine when the caller wants "the best actionable signal now". Use POST /api/backtests/mine. Minimal request is just { "symbol": "BTC-USD" }. Mining defaults to a sensible rolling window and ranks candidates by profit_factor unless overridden. Mining returns a compact summary plus a nested backtest handle with id, expires_at, and follow-up links.
Retrieve large result sections incrementally. Use GET /api/backtests/{id} for the stored full result. Use GET /api/backtests/{id}/trades for the full trade list, or add ?limit=&offset= when pagination is needed. Use GET /api/backtests/{id}/equity-curve for the full equity curve, or add ?limit=&offset= when pagination is needed. Stored results are ephemeral and expire automatically.
Interpret the result carefully. report is the summary. benchmarks.buy_and_hold is the buy-and-hold comparison over the same range. execution.provider_symbol shows the provider-native symbol actually used after the backend auto-resolves the best data source. trades are closed trades. Each trade includes trade_number, side, entry_bar_index, exit_bar_index, entry_date, exit_date, pnl, duration_bars, and exit_reason. trades[].exit_reason is a snake_case string from a documented set: take_profit, stop_loss, trailing_stop, highest_high_exit, lowest_low_exit, exit_signal, end_of_data, other. The full list is in catalog.trade_exit_reasons. equity_curve is trade-indexed, not bar-indexed, and uses the same trade_number values as trades. Top-level first_entry_signal_at and last_entry_signal_at refer to entry signals only. diagnostics reports signal counts and per-rule signal summaries using rule ids.

Indicator Quick Reference

Key	Category	Required Params	Optional Params / Notes
`sma`	trend	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `close`)
`ema`	trend	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `close`)
`adx`	trend	`period` (int)	—
`positive_directional_indicator`	trend	`period` (int)	—
`negative_directional_indicator`	trend	`period` (int)	—
`parabolic_sar`	trend	`af_step` (float, e.g. 0.02), `af_max` (float, e.g. 0.20)	Returns +1 (uptrend) or -1 (downtrend); compare against 0
`rsi`	momentum	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `close`)
`stochastic_oscillator`	momentum	`period` (int)	range 0–100
`momentum`	momentum	`period` (int)	—
`cci`	momentum	`period` (int)	—
`roc`	momentum	`period` (int)	—
`macd_line`	momentum	`fast`, `slow`, `signal` (all int, fast < slow)	—
`macd_signal_line`	momentum	`fast`, `slow`, `signal` (all int, fast < slow)	—
`macd_histogram`	momentum	`fast`, `slow`, `signal` (all int, fast < slow)	—
`tsi`	momentum	`long_period` (int), `short_period` (int, must be < long_period)	range: -100 to +100
`atr`	volatility	`period` (int)	source not accepted
`atr_percent`	volatility	`period` (int)	—
`bollinger_upper_band`	volatility	`period`, `num_std`	—
`bollinger_lower_band`	volatility	`period`, `num_std`	—
`standard_deviation`	volatility	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `close`)
`keltner_upper_band`	volatility	`period` (int), `multiplier` (float)	—
`keltner_lower_band`	volatility	`period` (int), `multiplier` (float)	—
`highest`	price_action	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `high`)
`lowest`	price_action	`period` (int)	`source` (default: `low`)
`day_of_week`	seasonal	—	Sun=0, Mon=1 … Fri=5, Sat=6; use `eq` to target a specific day
`day_of_month`	seasonal	—	1–31
`week_of_month`	seasonal	—	1–5; resets on month change
`month`	seasonal	—	1–12
`quarter`	seasonal	—	1–4

period is always required — the server never defaults it. The catalog indicators[].parameters array is the source of truth.

Execution Block Quick Reference

Field	Type	Required	Notes
`side`	`"long"` \| `"short"`	yes	trade direction
`entry_mode`	enum	yes	`this_bar_close`, `next_bar_open` (most common), `next_bar_limit`, `next_bar_stop`
`atr_period`	integer	no	used when any ATR-based entry offset or exit is present; defaults to `20` when omitted
`entry_price`	`{basis, lookback, offset}`	no	only valid with `next_bar_limit` or `next_bar_stop`; bases: `none`, `highest_high`, `lowest_low`; `offset` is `{mode, value}` and moves the reference price up or down

Exit Policy Quick Reference

Price-based exits go in exits. A rule-based signal exit goes in exit_signal.

Field	Type	Mode options	Notes
`exits.stop_loss`	`{mode, value}`	`fixed`, `percent`, `atr`	value > 0
`exits.take_profit`	`{mode, value}`	`fixed`, `percent`, `atr`	value > 0
`exits.trailing_stop`	`{mode, value}`	`fixed`, `percent`, `atr`	value > 0
`exits.max_hold_bars`	integer	—	exits after N bars
`exits.profitable_closes`	integer	—	exits after N cumulative profitable closes since entry
`exits.highest_high_exit_lookback`	integer	—	exits at the rolling highest high over N bars
`exits.lowest_low_exit_lookback`	integer	—	exits at the rolling lowest low over N bars
`exit_signal`	rule set	—	rule-based exit logic that can be combined with price exits

If any ATR-based entry offset or exit is present and execution.atr_period is omitted, the API defaults it to 20. entry_price is only valid with entry_mode: next_bar_limit or next_bar_stop.

Example Strategies

Use these as canonical request patterns for the main DSL surfaces.

1. Trend Following: 50/200 SMA Golden Cross

Good default example for rule ids and exit_signal.

{
  "symbol": "BTC-USD",
  "timeframe": "daily",
  "start_at": "2020-01-01",
  "initial_capital": 100000,
  "execution": {
    "side": "long",
    "entry_mode": "next_bar_open"
  },
  "entry": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "golden_cross",
        "lhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "sma",
            "params": {
              "period": 50,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        },
        "operator": "crosses_above",
        "rhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "sma",
            "params": {
              "period": 200,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    ],
    "logic": {
      "type": "rule",
      "id": "golden_cross"
    }
  },
  "exit_signal": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "death_cross",
        "lhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "sma",
            "params": {
              "period": 50,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        },
        "operator": "crosses_below",
        "rhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "sma",
            "params": {
              "period": 200,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    ],
    "logic": {
      "type": "rule",
      "id": "death_cross"
    }
  }
}

2. Mean Reversion: RSI Oversold Bounce

Good example for scalar thresholds plus stop_loss and take_profit.

{
  "symbol": "AAPL",
  "timeframe": "daily",
  "start_at": "2020-01-01",
  "initial_capital": 100000,
  "execution": {
    "side": "long",
    "entry_mode": "next_bar_open"
  },
  "entry": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "rsi_oversold",
        "lhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "rsi",
            "params": {
              "period": 14,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        },
        "operator": "lte",
        "rhs": {
          "value": 30
        }
      }
    ],
    "logic": {
      "type": "rule",
      "id": "rsi_oversold"
    }
  },
  "exits": {
    "stop_loss": {
      "mode": "percent",
      "value": 5
    },
    "take_profit": {
      "mode": "percent",
      "value": 10
    },
    "max_hold_bars": 20
  }
}

3. Trend Breakout: Stop Above 55-Bar High

Good example for a more canonical Donchian-style trend-following breakout with a long-term trend filter.

{
  "symbol": "BTC-USD",
  "timeframe": "daily",
  "start_at": "2020-01-01",
  "initial_capital": 100000,
  "execution": {
    "side": "long",
    "entry_mode": "next_bar_stop",
    "entry_price": {
      "basis": "highest_high",
      "lookback": 55,
      "offset": {
        "mode": "fixed",
        "value": 0
      }
    }
  },
  "entry": {
    "rules": [
      {
        "id": "above_sma_200",
        "lhs": {
          "field": "close"
        },
        "operator": "gte",
        "rhs": {
          "indicator": {
            "key": "sma",
            "params": {
              "period": 200,
              "source": "close"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    ],
    "logic": {
      "type": "rule",
      "id": "above_sma_200"
    }
  },
  "exits": {
    "lowest_low_exit_lookback": 20
  }
}

Curl Reference

Use these snippets directly when you need to query or execute against the API.

Base Variables

SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL="${SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL:-https://api.serendb.com/publishers/plausibleai}"
SEREN_API_KEY="${SEREN_API_KEY:?Set SEREN_API_KEY}"

Every request uses:

-H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY"

Market Discovery

List market types:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/markets/types" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Search symbols:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/markets/symbols?market_type=crypto&search=bitcoin&limit=20" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Get symbol detail:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/markets/symbols/BTC-USD" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

DSL Discovery

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/catalog" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Validate a Backtest

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/validate" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "symbol": "BTC-USD",
    "timeframe": "daily",
    "start_at": "2020-01-01",
    "initial_capital": 100000,
    "execution": {
      "side": "long",
      "entry_mode": "next_bar_open"
    },
    "entry": {
      "rules": [
        {
          "id": "golden_cross",
          "lhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 50,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          },
          "operator": "crosses_above",
          "rhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 200,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "logic": {
        "type": "rule",
        "id": "golden_cross"
      }
    },
    "exit_signal": {
      "rules": [
        {
          "id": "death_cross",
          "lhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 50,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          },
          "operator": "crosses_below",
          "rhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 200,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "logic": {
        "type": "rule",
        "id": "death_cross"
      }
    }
  }' | jq

Execute a Backtest

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "symbol": "BTC-USD",
    "timeframe": "daily",
    "start_at": "2020-01-01",
    "initial_capital": 100000,
    "execution": {
      "side": "long",
      "entry_mode": "next_bar_open"
    },
    "entry": {
      "rules": [
        {
          "id": "golden_cross",
          "lhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 50,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          },
          "operator": "crosses_above",
          "rhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 200,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "logic": {
        "type": "rule",
        "id": "golden_cross"
      }
    },
    "exit_signal": {
      "rules": [
        {
          "id": "death_cross",
          "lhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 50,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          },
          "operator": "crosses_below",
          "rhs": {
            "indicator": {
              "key": "sma",
              "params": {
                "period": 200,
                "source": "close"
              }
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      "logic": {
        "type": "rule",
        "id": "death_cross"
      }
    }
  }' | jq

The response from POST /api/backtests is a compact stored-result summary. Use the returned id or links.full_result_path to fetch the full backtest result when needed.

Retrieve a Stored Backtest Result

Use the id returned in the compact response from POST /api/backtests or POST /api/backtests/mine.

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/<BACKTEST_ID>" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Retrieve all trades:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/<BACKTEST_ID>/trades" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Retrieve paginated trades when needed:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/<BACKTEST_ID>/trades?limit=100&offset=0" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Retrieve the full equity curve:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/<BACKTEST_ID>/equity-curve" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Retrieve paginated equity curve when needed:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/<BACKTEST_ID>/equity-curve?limit=100&offset=0" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" | jq

Mine an Actionable Strategy

Minimal mining request:

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/mine" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "symbol": "BTC-USD"
  }' | jq

Mining returns:

symbol
signal_at
fitness_metric
fitness_value
mined_candidates
actionable_candidates
rank
backtest

backtest contains the stored result handle and compact summary:

id
kind
created_at
expires_at
request
summary
links.full_result_path
links.trades_path
links.equity_curve_path

Batch Execution

curl -sS "$SEREN_PUBLISHER_BASE_URL/api/backtests/batch" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SEREN_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "requests": [
      {
        "symbol": "BTC-USD",
        "timeframe": "daily",
        "start_at": "2020-01-01",
        "initial_capital": 100000,
        "execution": {
          "side": "long",
          "entry_mode": "next_bar_open"
        },
        "entry": {
          "rules": [
            {
              "id": "golden_cross",
              "lhs": {
                "indicator": {
                  "key": "sma",
                  "params": {
                    "period": 50,
                    "source": "close"
                  }
                }
              },
              "operator": "crosses_above",
              "rhs": {
                "indicator": {
                  "key": "sma",
                  "params": {
                    "period": 200,
                    "source": "close"
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          ],
          "logic": {
            "type": "rule",
            "id": "golden_cross"
          }
        },
        "exit_signal": {
          "rules": [
            {
              "id": "death_cross",
              "lhs": {
                "indicator": {
                  "key": "sma",
                  "params": {
                    "period": 50,
                    "source": "close"
                  }
                }
              },
              "operator": "crosses_below",
              "rhs": {
                "indicator": {
                  "key": "sma",
                  "params": {
                    "period": 200,
                    "source": "close"
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          ],
          "logic": {
            "type": "rule",
            "id": "death_cross"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }' | jq

DSL Rules

Keep rule ids short and stable. Use letters, numbers, underscores, or hyphens only.
Use bars_ago on lhs or rhs when you need to compare against an earlier bar. Omit it for the current bar.
Use crosses_above and crosses_below only when prior-bar behavior is intended.
Prefer gte or lte over eq or ne for floating-point comparisons.
Remember that xor uses parity semantics: it is true when an odd number of child nodes are true.
catalog.limits.max_bars_ago is the maximum allowed bars_ago value.
The atr indicator only accepts period. Passing source to atr is a validation error.
Indicator period params are always required. The catalog lists no default value for them; omitting period returns a 422.
Add "negate": true to any rule to invert its signal (fires when the condition is NOT met). Cannot be combined with crosses_above or crosses_below — use the complementary operator instead. For compound negation, apply negate to individual rules and combine with any/all logic nodes using De Morgan's laws.

Common Pitfalls

Mistake	Fix
Omitting `id` on a rule	Every rule in `rules[]` must have a unique `id`; logic nodes reference it
Guessing indicator defaults	Always provide `period`; there is no server default
Passing `source` to `atr`	ATR does not accept source; use `period` only
Using `eq`/`ne` on float indicators	Use `gte`/`lte` range checks instead
`crosses_above` with too little data	Cross operators need one additional prior bar beyond the indicator lookback
`"negate": true` with `crosses_above`/`crosses_below`	Not allowed — cross operators fire on a single bar; their negation fires on ~99% of bars. Use the complementary operator instead
`af_step > af_max` on `parabolic_sar`	Validation error — step must be ≤ max
`short_period >= long_period` on `tsi`	Validation error — short must be < long
`exit_signal` and `exits` both provided	Both are valid simultaneously; `exits` handles price levels, `exit_signal` handles rule-based signals
`entry_price` with `next_bar_open`	`entry_price` only works with `next_bar_limit` or `next_bar_stop`
Logic node referencing undefined id	Logic node `id` must exactly match a rule `id` in the same `rules[]` array
No signals firing	Check `diagnostics.entry.rules[]` per-rule signal counts; adjust lookback, threshold, or date range

Response Discipline

Prefer returning concise summaries unless the user asks for raw JSON.
POST /api/backtests and POST /api/backtests/mine both return compact stored-result summaries first; do not assume the full backtest payload is in the initial response.
For stored results, summarize the compact summary first and only fetch the full result, trades, or equity_curve when the user needs that detail.
Use ?limit=&offset= for trades or equity_curve only when the result is large enough that incremental retrieval is useful.
When showing example payloads, include rule ids explicitly.
When the symbol is uncertain, use the market endpoints first instead of inventing tickers.
When a backtest output looks surprising, compare trades, equity_curve, and diagnostics before assuming the engine is wrong.

backtester