Create an options trading strategy

Follow the example

Choose a step to follow the example. Opening a request lets you review it; it does not submit a job or change your account.

Step 1 of 3

Write rules the builder can test

A strategy needs more than a name such as long call. Specify when to open, which contracts qualify, how much capital to use and when to close. The long call and bull call spread walkthroughs use SPY, a price above its 50-day average, a $1,000 premium budget and two exit rules. Other strategies declare their own signals and sizing. These choices define an educational test, not a recommendation.

Entry: Example rule: SPY price > SMA(50, Day) and zero matching long calls · What to verify: An existing matching position prevents another opening.
Contracts: Example rule: ATM call; nearest expiry between 30 and 45 DTE · What to verify: Actual symbol, strike and expiry chosen on each signal.
Allocation: Example rule: $1,000 dollars from $10,000 starting capital · What to verify: Whole-contract quantity, debit, commissions and buying power.
Trend exit: Example rule: SPY price <= SMA(50, Day) · What to verify: Close all matching SPY spreads, not just one leg.

What you should see

A named field or event to inspect, rather than a generic options preset.

Step 2 of 3

Build a reviewable draft with Aurora

Review the saved draft in Aurora. Confirm all three rules, spread type, contract selectors and allocation. The $1,000 budget determines how many whole contracts fit; ratio 1 specifies the leg proportions. After running the test, follow contract-resolution and Filled-order events to inspect the actual contracts and quantities.

What you should see

An explained difference between intended selector, resolved contract, sent size and simulated fill.

Step 3 of 3

Inspect or preview deliberately

Open the contextual request with your actual returned backtest identifier when required. Review the request before sending; do not rerun simply because a result is disappointing.

What you should see

A bounded review of the requested task, without automatic deployment or broker orders.

Write rules the builder can test

Filter rows

Scroll sideways to compare all columns. Select a heading to sort.


Entry	SPY price > SMA(50, Day) and zero matching long calls	An existing matching position prevents another opening.
Contracts	ATM call; nearest expiry between 30 and 45 DTE	Actual symbol, strike and expiry chosen on each signal.
Allocation	$1,000 dollars from $10,000 starting capital	Whole-contract quantity, debit, commissions and buying power.
Trend exit	SPY price <= SMA(50, Day)	Close all matching SPY spreads, not just one leg.
Time exit	14 or fewer days to expiration	A separate close rule with maxDte 14.

Build a reviewable draft with Aurora

Prompt

Create an undeployed research draft named SPY long call with $10,000 initial value. Underlying SPY. Open a custom long call only when Price(SPY) > SMA(SPY,50,Day) AND matching long call custom OptionPositionCount equals zero. Allocate $1,000 dollars. Buy an at-the-money (ATM) call, ratio 1, nearest expiration 30 to 45 days away. Close all matching SPY custom spreads when Price(SPY) <= SMA(SPY,50,Day). Add a separate close-all matching-spread rule with maxDte 14. Review the draft, correct any validation issues, save it and show its exact saved rules and identifier. Keep automated trading off. Stop after saving.

Check the same inputs in the native editor

For a paper portfolio, open Strategies, choose Open Options Position and the Long Call or Bull Call Spread preset. Set Underlying Asset, each leg's strike distance, Min DTE, Max DTE, expiration preference and Allocation. Add conditions and both Close Options Position rules separately. The preset supplies legs; it does not supply the whole strategy.

A chat draft and a native paper portfolio use different routes. In Portfolio, choose Drafts to inspect a chat draft or open it in Aurora. The native Strategies editor belongs to a paper or live portfolio. Keep the authoring example inactive and separate from other matching SPY positions, since close-all rules may close those too.

Compare your draft with tested examples

The strategy guides include exact authoring configurations, saved rule inputs and completed historical backtests. The long call and bull call spread also show the Python authoring example. Use those records to compare your own draft before submitting a test.

Create, test and iterate in Aurora

Start this worked example in the NexusTrade app. Review the filled-in request, open it in Aurora, then send it when ready. Continue in the same conversation through these steps.

Create the exact strategy
Ask: "Review Long call. Entry: SPY price > SMA(50, Day) AND zero matching long-call positions; $1,000 premium budget. Exit: Close all matching spreads when SPY price <= SMA50 or at 14 or fewer DTE. Show the resolved rules and selectors before saving." The request includes this example's complete draft.
Run the 2024 development comparison
Ask: "Backtest the saved rules from January 1 through December 31, 2024, daily, starting with $10,000. Keep the displayed fees and capture detailed events." Compare the completed curve with SPY buy and hold.
Explain what happened
Ask: "Explain one entry signal and its Filled orders using the recorded indicator values, comparisons, allocation, prices, quantity and fees. Then follow the largest drawdown through trades, cash and holdings."
Create one variant, then test unseen dates
Ask: "Change only the timed close trigger from 14 DTE to 10 DTE. Show the rule diff and compare both candidates on the 2024 development period with every other setting fixed." After choosing, freeze the rules and select another test period you have not inspected. The displayed 2024 results already make 2024 a viewed development period. Keep any later revisions in a new research cycle.

Plan development and unseen tests ↗

Create and backtest with Python

Python SDK 1.42.0. Save the runner below as run_long_call.py.

Install and download

Shell

python3 -m pip install nexustrade==1.42.0
export NEXUSTRADE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
curl --fail --output long_call.py https://nexustrade.io/seo/strategy-examples/long-call.py

Create, test and inspect

Python

from long_call import create_long_call, backtest_long_call

book = create_long_call()
completed = backtest_long_call()
print(completed["result"])

Run

Shell

python3 run_long_call.py

Download Python example ↗Python SDK setup and backtesting ↗

Python strategy and backtest functions

View complete Python SDK functions

The backtest function submits the 2024 test with SPY as its benchmark, records events and waits for the result. Use a new request key when changing rules, dates or fees.

Python

import nexustrade as nt


def create_long_call():
    asset = nt.stock_asset("SPY")
    return nt.portfolio(
        "Public SEO example - Long call",
        [
            nt.strategy(
                "Open Long call",
                ((nt.Price(asset) > nt.SMA(asset, 50, "Day")) & (nt.OptionPositionCount("SPY", "call", "long", "custom") == nt.Value(0))),
                nt.open_option(
                    builder=nt.options_builder(
                        legs=[nt.leg(option_type="call", direction="long", min_days_to_expiration=30, max_days_to_expiration=45, preference="nearest", distance=0, ratio=1)],
                        underlying_symbol="SPY",
                        spread_type="custom"
                    ),
                    allocation={'type': 'dollars', 'amount': 1000}
                )
            ),
            nt.strategy(
                "Close when trend breaks",
                (nt.Price(asset) <= nt.SMA(asset, 50, "Day")),
                nt.close_option(
                    underlyings=['SPY'],
                    spread_type="custom",
                    close_scope="spread",
                    quantity={'type': 'all'}
                )
            ),
            nt.strategy(
                "Close at 14 DTE",
                (nt.Value(1) > nt.Value(0)),
                nt.close_option(
                    underlyings=['SPY'],
                    spread_type="custom",
                    close_scope="spread",
                    quantity={'type': 'all'},
                    triggers=[nt.dte_trigger(max_dte=14)]
                )
            ),
        ],
        initial_value=10000,
        alerts_enabled=False,
    )


def backtest_long_call(client=None):
    client = client or nt.NexusTradeClient.from_environment()
    operation = client.create_backtest(
        nt.backtest(
            create_long_call(),
            start_date="2024-01-01", end_date="2024-12-31",
            interval="Day", baseline_symbol="SPY",
            initial_value=10000, generate_events=True,
            dividend_policy="cash",
            fee_config={"Stock": {"type": "percent", "amount": 0.1},
                        "Cryptocurrency": {"type": "percent", "amount": 0.7},
                        "Option": {"type": "dollars", "amount": 0.65}},
        ),
        idempotency_key="explore-long-call-2024-spy-v1",
    )
    return client.wait_for_backtest(operation["id"])


# Build locally: book = create_long_call()
# Run and inspect: completed = backtest_long_call(); print(completed["result"])

Create and backtest with TypeScript

TypeScript SDK 1.42.0. Save the runner below as run-long-call.ts.

Install and download

Shell

npm install nexustrade@1.42.0
npm install --save-dev tsx
export NEXUSTRADE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
curl --fail --output long-call.ts https://nexustrade.io/seo/strategy-examples/long-call.ts

Create, test and inspect

TypeScript

import { createLongCall, backtestLongCall } from "./long-call";

async function main() {
  const book = createLongCall();
  const completed = await backtestLongCall();
  console.log(completed.result);
}

main().catch((error: unknown) => {
  console.error(error);
  process.exitCode = 1;
});

Run

Shell

npx tsx run-long-call.ts

Download TypeScript example ↗TypeScript SDK setup and backtesting ↗

TypeScript strategy and backtest functions

View complete TypeScript SDK functions

The same rules, dates and fees are used in both SDKs. The backtest function keeps its request key across retries.

TypeScript

import * as nt from "nexustrade";

export function createLongCall() {
  const asset = nt.stockAsset("SPY");
  return nt.portfolio(
    "Public SEO example - Long call",
    [
      nt.strategy(
          "Open Long call",
          nt.and(
              nt.gt(nt.Price(asset), nt.SMA(asset, 50, "Day")),
              nt.eq(nt.OptionPositionCount("SPY", "call", "long", "custom"), nt.Value(0))
          ),
          nt.openOption({ builder: nt.optionsBuilder({ legs: [nt.leg({ optionType: "call", direction: "long", minDaysToExpiration: 30, maxDaysToExpiration: 45, preference: "nearest", distance: 0, ratio: 1 })], underlyingSymbol: "SPY", spreadType: "custom" }), allocation: {"type": "dollars", "amount": 1000} })
      ),
      nt.strategy(
          "Close when trend breaks",
          nt.lte(nt.Price(asset), nt.SMA(asset, 50, "Day")),
          nt.closeOption({ underlyings: ["SPY"], spreadType: "custom", closeScope: "spread", quantity: {"type": "all"} })
      ),
      nt.strategy(
          "Close at 14 DTE",
          nt.gt(nt.Value(1), nt.Value(0)),
          nt.closeOption({ underlyings: ["SPY"], spreadType: "custom", closeScope: "spread", quantity: {"type": "all"}, triggers: [nt.dteTrigger({ maxDte: 14 })] })
      ),
    ],
    { initialValue: 10000, alertsEnabled: false }
  );
}

export async function backtestLongCall(client = new nt.NexusTradeClient()) {
  const operation = await client.createBacktest(
    nt.backtest(createLongCall(), {
      startDate: "2024-01-01", endDate: "2024-12-31",
      interval: "Day", baselineSymbol: "SPY",
      initialValue: 10000, generateEvents: true,
      dividendPolicy: "cash",
      feeConfig: {
        Stock: { type: "percent", amount: 0.1 },
        Cryptocurrency: { type: "percent", amount: 0.7 },
        Option: { type: "dollars", amount: 0.65 },
      },
    }),
    { idempotencyKey: "explore-long-call-2024-spy-v1" }
  );
  if (typeof operation.id !== "string") throw new Error("Missing backtest ID");
  return client.waitForBacktest(operation.id);
}

// Build locally: const book = createLongCall();
// Run and inspect: const completed = await backtestLongCall(); console.log(completed.result);

Next: run a fixed historical test

Backtest an options strategy ↗Set position size and exits ↗

Continue exploring

All options resources ↗Backtest an options strategy ↗Inspect an options backtest ↗Observed quotes and synthetic pricing ↗Choose strikes and expiration ↗Set position size and exits ↗

Create an options trading strategy

Follow the example

Write rules the builder can test

Build a reviewable draft with Aurora

Inspect or preview deliberately

Write rules the builder can test

Build a reviewable draft with Aurora

Check the same inputs in the native editor

Compare your draft with tested examples

Create, test and iterate in Aurora

Create the exact strategy

Run the 2024 development comparison

Explain what happened

Create one variant, then test unseen dates

Create and backtest with Python

Install and download

Create, test and inspect

Run

Python strategy and backtest functions

Create and backtest with TypeScript

Install and download

Create, test and inspect

Run

TypeScript strategy and backtest functions

Next: run a fixed historical test

Continue exploring