Keep candidate and control in separate files
Save the original strategy definition before asking for a change. Review the candidate diff in Cursor, then record the test assumptions and returned operation IDs beside both definitions. A change to the exit rule should not silently change the universe or starting capital.
Research beside the strategy files
Use Cursor to work on the source-controlled research brief and portfolio definition while the NexusTrade connection provides data, historical operations and account reads. Keep the candidate’s changes visible in the editor before running it.
A useful review pairs the code change with its test period and assumptions. A generated explanation alone is not a complete strategy definition.
Add NexusTrade in Cursor
Open the NexusTrade developer page and select Add to Cursor. Confirm installation in Cursor, then complete NexusTrade browser OAuth. Cursor also manages servers from Customize. For manual setup, put the configuration below in .cursor/mcp.json for this project or ~/.cursor/mcp.json for your user. Ask Cursor to list NexusTrade tools and read an existing portfolio before changing it.
{
"mcpServers": {
"nexustrade": {
"url": "https://nexustrade.io/api/mcp"
}
}
}Review a focused diff before compute
Ask Cursor to make one concrete rule change, show the exact difference and explain what historical comparison would assess it. Preserve the original strategy and its result so the candidate does not overwrite the control.
Draft one change to this paper strategy and show the rule diff. Keep the original configuration as the control. After I approve the candidate, backtest both over the same dates with the same capital and benchmark, then explain risk, trade activity and warnings. Do not activate a live portfolio.Use the result to decide the next experiment
Compare candidate and control on the same conditions. Inspect whether a headline return came from only a few trades or concentrated exposure. Advance to an unseen period and then a separate paper deployment when the research plan calls for it.
Account actions run through the authenticated connection. Confirm the portfolio ID in each proposed change before approving it.
Check a missing tool or failed account read
If the server is missing, check that the configuration was saved in the project or user file you intended to use. If tools appear but a read fails, complete pending OAuth and inspect the returned error. Compare the returned portfolio name and ID with NexusTrade before changing it. An empty list can be valid for a new account.