When a strategy is ready to copy
A backtest and copying trades are different stages. XTester first, then CopyTrader once your trades are running.
A backtest shows how the code behaved on history. Copying shows how your live trades are repeated for other people. Those are different stages. If there are no trades, there is nothing to copy.
If the strategy is still being written, it belongs in XTester. If trades are already running and you want to offer them to your audience, that is CopyTrader.
Check the code first
Treat the strategy as a project: code, a historical test, trades on the chart. It helps to know which market phases it even enters. One lucky stretch of history does not mean the code is ready for other accounts.
What has to appear on the account
Copying starts from your trades, not from a backtest report. You need clear entries, exits and a market mode. If execution is still manual and uneven, it is too early for an audience.
Do not mix the stages
| Stage | Where | Question |
|---|---|---|
| Development | XTester | the code does what you wrote |
| History | XTester | how it did on the chosen stretch |
| Your trades | your account | there is something to copy |
| Copying | CopyTrader | the signal reaches the copy |
Mismatch
The copy can diverge on size, fees and the exit. That is a normal boundary, not a site bug. Look at reconciliation before you invite people.
A practical order
Write and check the strategy in XTester. When trades already come from your account, connect copying in CopyTrader. Do not publish a ranking of other traders, and do not promise the same result as the backtest.