Getting Started with TradeFollow: A Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to TradeFollow! This guide walks you through everything you need to know to set up your account, connect your exchange, and start turning social media signals into automated trades.

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure you have:

• An email address for your TradeFollow account
• A supported exchange account (Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, etc.)
• Funds in your exchange account for trading
• Basic understanding of trading concepts

Step 1: Create Your TradeFollow Account

Sign Up

1. Visit tradefollow.io
2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign Up"
3. Enter your email address
4. Create a secure password
5. Verify your email address

Complete Your Profile

After email verification:

1. Set up two-factor authentication (recommended)
2. Choose your preferred notification channels
3. Set your timezone for accurate alert timing

Step 2: Connect Your Exchange

Supported Exchanges

TradeFollow supports major exchanges including:

Creating API Keys

Each exchange requires API keys for TradeFollow to execute trades on your behalf.

General Steps (varies by exchange):

1. Log into your exchange account
2. Navigate to API Management (usually in Settings or Security)
3. Create a new API key
4. Label it (e.g., "TradeFollow")
5. Set permissions (see below)
6. Complete security verification
7. Save your API Key and Secret securely

Recommended API Permissions

Enable: - Read account balance - Spot trading (or Futures if needed) - Read open orders

Disable: - Withdrawals (never needed, keeps funds secure) - Transfer between accounts - Any other unnecessary permissions

Adding API Keys to TradeFollow

1. In TradeFollow, go to Settings → Exchange Connections
2. Select your exchange
3. Enter your API Key
4. Enter your API Secret
5. Click "Connect"
6. Verify connection with a balance check

Step 3: Set Up Signal Sources

Adding Accounts to Monitor

TradeFollow monitors social media accounts for trading signals.

To add accounts:

1. Go to Signal Sources
2. Click "Add Account"
3. Enter the Twitter/X handle (e.g., @elonmusk)
4. Configure monitoring settings
5. Save

Choosing What to Monitor

Account Types to Consider:

• High-impact accounts: Celebrities, major figures (fast reaction needed)
• Crypto influencers: Traders with track records
• Exchange accounts: Official listing announcements
• News accounts: Breaking crypto news
• Project accounts: Tokens you trade

Monitoring Settings

For each account, configure:

Signal Detection: - Keywords to watch for (e.g., "buy," "bullish," specific token names) - Keywords to ignore (reduces false positives) - Sentiment analysis sensitivity

Priority Level: - High: Immediate alert + potential auto-trade - Medium: Immediate alert - Low: Batched alerts

Step 4: Configure Trading Rules

Creating Your First Rule

Trading rules define what happens when a signal is detected.

Rule Components:

1. Trigger: What signal activates the rule
2. Conditions: Additional requirements to execute
3. Action: What trade to make
4. Risk Management: Stops, takes, position size

Example Rule: Exchange Listing Alert

Trigger: @binance posts containing "will list"

Conditions:
- Token mentioned is available on connected exchange
- Position doesn't already exist
- Within daily trade limit

Action:
- Buy mentioned token
- Position size: 1% of portfolio
- Order type: Market

Risk Management:
- Stop loss: 10% below entry
- Take profit: 30% above entry
- Maximum hold time: 24 hours

Position Sizing Options

Risk Management Settings

Always Configure:

• Stop Loss: Maximum loss per trade (5-15% recommended)
• Take Profit: Target exit (optional but recommended)
• Maximum Position: Largest single position allowed
• Daily Limits: Maximum trades or exposure per day

Step 5: Test Your Setup

Paper Trading Mode

Before using real funds:

1. Enable Paper Trading in settings
2. Run your rules with simulated money
3. Review performance over 1-2 weeks
4. Adjust rules based on results

Test Alert

Verify alerts are working:

1. Go to Settings → Test Alert
2. Send a test notification
3. Confirm you receive it on your device
4. Check latency (how fast it arrived)

Small Live Test

When ready for real trading:

1. Set position sizes very small (0.1-0.5%)
2. Run for 3-5 real trades
3. Verify execution matches expectations
4. Gradually increase size if working well

Step 6: Monitor and Optimize

Dashboard Overview

Your TradeFollow dashboard shows:

• Active Rules: Currently running automations
• Recent Signals: Detected signals and actions taken
• Open Positions: Current holdings from automated trades
• Performance: Historical results and statistics

Key Metrics to Watch

Signal Quality: - Hit rate (signals that were profitable) - Average return per signal - False positive rate

Execution Quality: - Slippage (difference from expected price) - Fill rate (orders successfully executed) - Latency (time from signal to execution)

Ongoing Optimization

Weekly: - Review trades and outcomes - Check for false positives - Adjust keyword filters if needed

Monthly: - Analyze overall performance - Add/remove signal sources - Update position sizing based on results

Common Setup Questions

How much money do I need to start?

There's no minimum, but consider: - Small positions (1% of portfolio) need enough capital to be meaningful - Exchange minimums (some require minimum order sizes) - Recommendation: Start with amount you're comfortable losing while learning

What if I want alerts only, no auto-trading?

TradeFollow supports alert-only mode: 1. Don't connect an exchange, OR 2. Set rules to "Alert Only" instead of "Auto-Execute" 3. Receive notifications and trade manually

Can I use multiple exchanges?

Yes, connect multiple exchanges and: - Route different rules to different exchanges - Take advantage of different token availability - Compare execution quality

What happens if my internet goes down?

TradeFollow runs in the cloud, so: - Signal detection continues regardless of your connection - Trades execute based on your rules - You'll see results when you reconnect - Set conservative risk limits for peace of mind

Next Steps

Once you're set up:

1. Start with paper trading - Test your rules without risk
2. Begin with alerts - Get comfortable with signal quality
3. Add automation gradually - One rule at a time
4. Review and refine - Continuous improvement

Getting Help

If you need assistance:

• Documentation: Detailed guides in Help Center
• Community: Join our Discord for user discussions
• Support: Contact support@tradefollow.io

Welcome to TradeFollow! You're now ready to turn social signals into trading opportunities.