EA Trust Checklist Before You Size Real
Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2026 10:16 am
Expert advisors / algos earn trust in stages. Skip a stage, pay tuition. I've paid tuition. Prefer you don't copy that part.
### Checklist I actually walk before size
### Trust levels
| Level | Allowed size |
|-------|----------------|
| L0 rules only | flat |
| L1 paper OK | micro |
| L2 live micro stable | small |
| L3 multi-week stable | normal (still capped by daily DD) |
Post EAs with the checklist filled. Equity curves alone get ignored here on purpose. That's not hostility — it's scar tissue.
What trust level is your current EA on, honestly?
Kill switch: have you tested flatten *while* the EA was still trying to work?
Anyone find hidden grid/martingale behavior after the marketing said "no"?
How do you pin versions so Monday-you can't silently run Friday-night's experiment?
### Checklist I actually walk before size
Code: Select all
[ ] Rules written in plain English (entry, exit, flatten, do-not-trade)
[ ] Markets + sessions defined
[ ] Cost model stress (+2¢ / side beyond normal)
[ ] Paper / sim: 20+ sessions including ugly opens
[ ] Kill switch tested (manual flatten while EA running)
[ ] Max orders / max position enforced in code AND broker if possible
[ ] Logging: every intent + every fill
[ ] No hidden martingale / grid "recovery"
[ ] Version pinned; changelog exists
[ ] Owner knows how to disable in <30s
| Level | Allowed size |
|-------|----------------|
| L0 rules only | flat |
| L1 paper OK | micro |
| L2 live micro stable | small |
| L3 multi-week stable | normal (still capped by daily DD) |
Post EAs with the checklist filled. Equity curves alone get ignored here on purpose. That's not hostility — it's scar tissue.
What trust level is your current EA on, honestly?
Kill switch: have you tested flatten *while* the EA was still trying to work?
Anyone find hidden grid/martingale behavior after the marketing said "no"?
How do you pin versions so Monday-you can't silently run Friday-night's experiment?