Get started with Fincanva in five steps

Q: How do I make my first strategy?

From the sidebar, open Single (IT: Singole) and select New strategy (IT: Nuova strategia). Choose a strategy type under "How do you want to build this strategy?" (IT: "Come vuoi costruire questa strategia?"). Pick the shape that matches what you're building: Single instrument — trade a single instrument. Multiple instruments — a basket of instruments you choose. Screener — let a screener pick the instruments. Full setup — every setting, built from scratch. You can change this later — the type only shapes which chapters are required next. The first time, the popup also asks "How do you prefer to work?" (IT: "Come preferisci lavorare?"): Step by step (one chapter at a time, with explanations) or All at once (every setting on one page), with Step by step preselected. Your answer is kept, and you can change it in Profile › Preferences under How you build strategies. Set the strategy up. In Step by step, the walk opens on Asset selection (IT: Selezione asset): add the instruments or the screener the strategy trades. Then, depending on the type, work through Allocation (how capital is divided), Rebalance (how often), and Risk and exits (conditions that switch the strategy to its Risk-Off allocation, and take-profit and stop-loss rules). With All at once, All at once shows all of these on one page. On Summary (Step by step), name the strategy, check the benchmark and starting year, then select Save, and once the strategy is saved select Run the backtest to start its first backtest. Any strategy alerts that need a decision show on the chapter that resolves them. In All at once, select Save and then Backtest in the strategy's header. Read the first result: an equity curve with headline figures including CAGR and max drawdown.

Q: What should I see after my first backtest?

Your new strategy appears in the Single library, and the backtest shows an equity curve with headline figures such as CAGR and max drawdown. From the next sign-in on, that strategy is summarised for you on Home, the page Fincanva opens first. See Strategy for what those parts mean, Create a strategy for a closer look at building one, Strategy type for how the four types differ, and Backtest for what the equity curve and metrics actually compute.

What do I need to start using Fincanva?

You need a Fincanva account and to be signed in. No instruments or strategies need to exist yet — you create the first one here.

How do I make my first strategy?

From the sidebar, open Single (IT: Singole) and select New strategy (IT: Nuova strategia).
Choose a strategy type under "How do you want to build this strategy?" (IT: "Come vuoi costruire questa strategia?"). Pick the shape that matches what you're building:
- Single instrument — trade a single instrument.
- Multiple instruments — a basket of instruments you choose.
- Screener — let a screener pick the instruments.
- Full setup — every setting, built from scratch.
You can change this later — the type only shapes which chapters are required next. The first time, the popup also asks "How do you prefer to work?" (IT: "Come preferisci lavorare?"): Step by step (one chapter at a time, with explanations) or All at once (every setting on one page), with Step by step preselected. Your answer is kept, and you can change it in Profile › Preferences under How you build strategies.
Set the strategy up. In Step by step, the walk opens on Asset selection (IT: Selezione asset): add the instruments or the screener the strategy trades. Then, depending on the type, work through Allocation (how capital is divided), Rebalance (how often), and Risk and exits (conditions that switch the strategy to its Risk-Off allocation, and take-profit and stop-loss rules). With All at once, All at once shows all of these on one page.
On Summary (Step by step), name the strategy, check the benchmark and starting year, then select Save, and once the strategy is saved select Run the backtest to start its first backtest. Any strategy alerts that need a decision show on the chapter that resolves them. In All at once, select Save and then Backtest in the strategy's header.
Read the first result: an equity curve with headline figures including CAGR and max drawdown.

What should I see after my first backtest?

Your new strategy appears in the Single library, and the backtest shows an equity curve with headline figures such as CAGR and max drawdown. From the next sign-in on, that strategy is summarised for you on Home, the page Fincanva opens first. See Strategy for what those parts mean, Create a strategy for a closer look at building one, Strategy type for how the four types differ, and Backtest for what the equity curve and metrics actually compute.

Which chapters will I actually see?

Step by step requires only the chapters your strategy type needs:

Single instrument requires just Asset selection and Summary.
Multiple instruments and Screener require Asset selection, Allocation, Rebalance, and Summary.
Full setup requires every chapter, including Risk and exits.

A chapter a type doesn't require is optional: you can open it or skip it with Skip this chapter. If you'd rather see every setting at once, choose All at once when the popup asks how you prefer to work, or press See all at once (IT: Vedi tutto insieme) in Step by step. See Step by step.

The sign-in screen offers passwordless sign-in first: you type your email and Fincanva sends one message carrying both a link and a 6-digit code. A password and Continue with Google stay available as the other two routes. Passkeys are not available, and the settings carry no passkey option.

Two account settings are worth setting up on day one rather than after something goes wrong: two-factor authentication, which adds a second step to every sign-in, and active sessions, the list of devices currently signed in — that list is where you sign a forgotten laptop out from anywhere.

Common problems

Why is the backtest button disabled?

A backtest needs at least one instrument selected on the strategy. Add an instrument, then select Backtest again — the same rule blocks saving an empty strategy. Each strategy type also enforces its own instrument or screener count before you can confirm Asset selection; see Why can't I continue past a chapter? for those messages.

GlossaryStrategy · Strategy type · Backtest · Strategy alerts · Instrument · Screener · Step by step · All at once · Benchmark · Simulation start year · Equity curve · CAGR · Max drawdown · Rebalance · Passwordless sign-in · Passkeys · Two-factor authentication · Active sessions

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