API Analyzer

What is Sandbox Mode?

Sandbox Mode (also called API Analyzer Mode) is like a trading video game where you can practice trading strategies with fake money but real market prices.

Think of it as:

• Flight Simulator for trading

• Real market prices from live data

• Safe testing - no real money at risk

Why Would You Use It?

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Learning Algorithmic Trading

• You wrote your first Python trading bot

• You're scared to test it with real money

• Enable Sandbox → Get ₹1 Crore fake money → Test your bot safely

• If it loses all the money, no problem! Just reset and try again

Example 2: Testing a New Strategy

• You read about a new momentum trading strategy

• Before risking ₹1 lakh real money, test it in sandbox

• Run it for a week with fake money

• If it works well, switch to live mode

Example 3: Practicing Manual Trading

• You're new to options trading

• You want to practice buying/selling options without losing money

• Sandbox gives you unlimited practice rounds

Example 4: Debugging Your Code

• Your trading bot has a bug that's placing wrong orders

• Instead of debugging with real money (expensive!), use sandbox

• Fix all bugs safely, then go live

How It Works

The Magic Setup

When you enable Sandbox Mode:

1. OpenAlgo provides virtual simulation of a portfolio

2. All your orders execute in a simulated environment

3. Prices come from real-time market data

4. Everything else works exactly like live trading

5. Nothing touches your real broker account

Live Mode vs Sandbox Mode

Feature	Live Mode	Sandbox Mode
Money	Real ₹₹₹	Dummy Capital
Prices	Real market	Real market (same)
Orders	Go to broker	Stay in OpenAlgo
P&L	Real profit/loss	Simulated P&L
Risk	HIGH	ZERO
Can lose money?	Yes	No
Good for	Making money	Learning, testing

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Enable Sandbox Mode

Method A: Using Web UI (Easiest)

1. Log in to OpenAlgo

2. Click Settings in the menu

3. Find "API Analyzer Mode" toggle

4. Switch it ON (it will turn green/blue)

5. Notice: Interface changes to a different theme (visual indicator)

Method B: Using API (For Python users)

import requests

payload = {
    "apikey": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "mode": True  # True = Sandbox ON, False = Sandbox OFF
}

response = requests.post(
    "http://127.0.0.1:5000/api/v1/analyzer/toggle",
    json=payload
)
print(response.json())

Step 2: Check Your Fake Money

Go to Funds page:

• Available Balance: ₹10,000,000

• Used Margin: ₹0

• Total P&L: ₹0

Step 3: Place Your First Test Order

Using Web UI:

1. Go to any trading page

2. Enter symbol (e.g., "RELIANCE")

3. Choose BUY/SELL

4. Enter quantity (e.g., 10 shares)

5. Click "Place Order"

6. Order executes instantly with fake money!

Using Python Code:

import requests

payload = {
    "apikey": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "symbol": "RELIANCE",
    "exchange": "NSE",
    "action": "BUY",
    "quantity": 10,
    "pricetype": "MARKET",
    "product": "MIS"
}

response = requests.post(
    "http://127.0.0.1:5000/api/v1/placeorder",
    json=payload
)
print(response.json())

Step 4: Watch It Work!

1. Check Order Book - Your order appears as "Complete"

2. Check Positions - Shows your position with P&L

3. Check Funds - Used margin deducted from available balance

4. P&L updates in real-time as market price changes!

What You Get in Sandbox

1. Starting Capital

• Default: ₹1 Crore (₹10,000,000)

• Configurable: You can change it in sandbox settings

• Auto-reset: Resets to starting amount every Sunday (configurable)

2. All Order Types Work

• MARKET - Buy/sell at current market price

• LIMIT - Buy/sell at specific price

• SL (Stop Loss) - Trigger at stop price

• SL-M (Stop Loss Market) - Trigger and execute at market

3. All Product Types Work

• MIS (Intraday) - Squared off automatically at 3:15 PM

• CNC (Delivery) - Converted to holdings at midnight

• NRML (F&O) - Futures and options trading

4. Realistic Features

Margin System:

• Equity Intraday (MIS): 5x leverage

• Equity Delivery (CNC): 1x leverage (full payment)

• Futures: 10x leverage

• Options Buy: 1x (pay full premium)

• Options Sell: 10x leverage

Auto Square-Off:

• MIS positions close automatically at:

  • NSE/BSE: 3:15 PM

  • MCX: 11:30 PM

  • CDS: 4:45 PM

Realistic Pricing:

• BUY orders execute at ask price (seller's price)

• SELL orders execute at bid price (buyer's price)

• Just like real market!

Sandbox Settings Page

Navigate to: http://127.0.0.1:5000/sandbox

What You Can Configure

1. Capital Settings

• Starting Capital: ₹10,000,000 (change it to any amount)

• Auto-Reset Day: Sunday (pick any day)

• Auto-Reset Time: 12:00 AM (pick any time)

• Manual Reset: Click "Reset Now" button anytime

2. Leverage Settings

• Equity MIS: 5x (how much you can borrow for intraday)

• Futures: 10x (margin required for futures)

• Options Sell: 10x (margin for selling options)

• Options Buy: 1x (must pay full premium)

3. Square-Off Times

• When MIS positions auto-close

• Different times for NSE, MCX, CDS

4. Performance Tuning

• How often to check pending orders (5 seconds)

• How often to update P&L (5 seconds)

How Sandbox Handles Different Scenarios

Scenario 1: Buying Stocks (CNC)

What you do:

BUY 10 RELIANCE @ ₹2,500 (CNC)

What happens:

1. Order placed → ₹25,000 blocked from available balance

2. Position created → Shows in positions page

3. Next day midnight → Position converts to holdings automatically

4. Holdings page → Shows 10 RELIANCE shares

Scenario 2: Intraday Trading (MIS)

What you do:

BUY 100 SBIN @ ₹625 (MIS)
Price goes up to ₹630

What happens:

1. Margin blocked → ₹12,500 (₹62,500 / 5x leverage)

2. Position shows → +₹500 profit (100 shares × ₹5)

3. At 3:15 PM → Position automatically squared off

4. Profit credited → Available balance increases by ₹500

Scenario 3: Options Trading

What you do:

BUY NIFTY 20000 CE @ ₹100 (1 lot = 50 qty)
Total cost: ₹5,000

What happens:

1. ₹5,000 blocked (full premium)

2. If premium goes to ₹150 → Profit ₹2,500

3. If premium goes to ₹50 → Loss ₹2,500

4. Just like real options trading!

Scenario 4: Running Out of Money

What happens:

Available Balance: ₹10,000
You try to BUY ₹50,000 worth of stock

Result:

• Order rejected

• Error: "Insufficient funds"

• Just like real trading!

Understanding P&L (Profit & Loss)

Unrealized P&L

• Profit/loss on open positions

• Changes every second as market price changes

• Not real until you close the position

Realized P&L

• Profit/loss on closed positions

• Added to your available balance

• This is "real" profit/loss in sandbox

Example

1. BUY 100 SBIN @ ₹625
2. Current price: ₹630
   Unrealized P&L: +₹500 (not closed yet)
3. SELL 100 SBIN @ ₹630
   Realized P&L: +₹500 (closed, profit credited)

Common Questions

Q: Is this the same as "paper trading"?

A: It's similar but better! It's a self-hosted testing environment that uses real market data. It's NOT a regulated paper trading platform (which SEBI doesn't allow in India).

Q: Does my broker know I'm using sandbox?

A: NO! Sandbox runs entirely within OpenAlgo. No orders go to your broker.

Q: Can I test my algo trading strategies?

A: YES! That's the main purpose. Test all your strategies safely before going live.

Q: What happens when I switch back to live mode?

A: All sandbox data stays in sandbox database. Your live trading starts fresh. They're completely separate.

Q: Can I reset my sandbox funds?

A: YES! Two ways:

1. Auto-reset: Every Sunday at midnight (configurable)

2. Manual reset: Click "Reset Now" button in sandbox settings

Q: Do I need real broker API keys to use sandbox?

A: Yes! Sandbox works with broker connection and it is mandatory

Q: Can I use Action Center with Sandbox?

A: YES! They work together:

• Enable both Sandbox + Semi-Auto mode

• Test orders → Go to Action Center → You approve/reject

• Perfect for testing the full workflow

When to Use Sandbox vs Live

Use Sandbox Mode When:

• Testing new strategies

• Learning algorithmic trading

• Debugging your trading code

• Practicing options/futures trading

• Experimenting with order types

• Validating your algorithm logic

• You're not ready to risk real money

Use Live Mode When:

• Strategy tested and proven in sandbox

• You understand the risks

• Code is bug-free

• You're ready to make real money (or lose it)

• You've practiced enough

Best Practices

1. Always Test First

New Strategy → Sandbox (1 week) → If profitable → Live Mode

2. Use Realistic Capital

If you plan to trade live with ₹1 lakh, test sandbox with ₹1 lakh (not ₹1 crore). This gives realistic results.

3. Monitor Performance

• Track win rate

• Calculate average profit per trade

• Measure maximum drawdown

• Use this data to improve strategy

4. Don't Skip Sandbox

Even experienced traders test new strategies in sandbox first. It's free insurance!

5. Combine with Action Center

• Sandbox ON + Semi-Auto ON = Perfect testing environment

• See every order before execution

• Catch bugs early

Visual Indicators

When sandbox is enabled:

• Theme changes to "Garden" theme (different colors)

• Badge/label shows "Analyzer Mode Active"

• Funds page shows sandbox balance (₹1 Crore default)

• Separate database (sandbox.db)

When live mode is active:

• Default theme

• Real broker funds shown

• Real database (openalgo.db)

Technical Details (Optional)

Database Separation

• Live: db/openalgo.db

• Sandbox: db/sandbox.db

• Completely isolated - no data mixing

Architecture

Your Trading Bot
      ↓
OpenAlgo API
      ↓
  [Analyzer Check]
      ↓
   Sandbox?
   ↙     ↘
YES        NO
 ↓          ↓
Sandbox    Real Broker
Engine     API

Thread Management

• Sandbox runs in background thread

• Monitors pending orders every 5 seconds

• Updates P&L in real-time

• Auto square-off runs on schedule

• T+1 settlement at midnight

Configuration File

Located at: db/sandbox.db in table sandbox_config

Can be modified via sandbox settings page or directly in database.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Orders not executing in sandbox

Solution:

1. Check if sandbox mode is ON (Settings → API Analyzer Mode)

2. Verify symbol exists (try RELIANCE, SBIN, INFY)

3. Check available balance (Funds page)

4. Look at logs for errors

Problem: Can't see positions

Solution:

1. Make sure you're looking at sandbox positions, not live

2. Check if order was actually placed (Order Book)

3. Verify order status is "Complete"

Problem: Wrong P&L calculation

Solution:

1. Remember: BUY @ ask price, SELL @ bid price

2. Check if using correct product type (MIS vs CNC)

3. Verify leverage settings in sandbox config

Problem: Funds not resetting

Solution:

1. Check auto-reset day/time in sandbox settings

2. Use manual "Reset Now" button

3. Restart OpenAlgo application

Example: Complete Trading Workflow

Let's walk through a complete example:

Step 1: Enable Sandbox

Settings → API Analyzer Mode → ON

Step 2: Check Starting Balance

Funds page: ₹10,000,000

Step 3: Place First Order

# Buy RELIANCE
{
    "symbol": "RELIANCE",
    "action": "BUY",
    "quantity": 10,
    "pricetype": "MARKET",
    "product": "MIS"
}

Step 4: Check Position

Positions page:
- Symbol: RELIANCE
- Quantity: 10
- Avg Price: ₹2,500
- LTP: ₹2,505
- P&L: +₹50

Step 5: Close Position

# Sell RELIANCE
{
    "symbol": "RELIANCE",
    "action": "SELL",
    "quantity": 10,
    "pricetype": "MARKET",
    "product": "MIS"
}

Step 6: Check Final P&L

Trade Book:
- BUY 10 @ ₹2,500 = -₹25,000
- SELL 10 @ ₹2,505 = +₹25,050
- Realized P&L: +₹50

Funds:
- Available Balance: ₹10,000,050
- Profit: ₹50 ✅

Step 7: Analyze and Learn

• Strategy worked!

• Made ₹50 profit (in sandbox)

• Now optimize and test more

• When confident → Switch to Live Mode

Regulatory Note

Is Sandbox Legal in India?

YES

Sandbox is NOT a virtual/paper trading platform.

It's a personal testing environment that:

• Runs on your own computer

• Uses your own OpenAlgo installation

• For your own strategy development

• Like a calculator or Excel spreadsheet

It's a development tool, not a trading service.

Support & Resources

• Detailed Docs: See docs/sandbox/ folder for technical details

• Report Issues: https://github.com/marketcalls/openalgo/issues

• Full Documentation: https://docs.openalgo.in

• Community: Join discussions on GitHub

Summary

Sandbox Mode = Your safe playground for trading

• Free virtual money (₹1 Crore)

• Real market prices

• Zero risk

• Perfect for learning

• Test before going live

Remember: The best traders test everything before risking real money. Sandbox makes that easy!

---

Next Steps:

1. Enable sandbox mode

2. Place a few test orders

3. Watch how P&L changes

4. Test your strategy for 1 week

5. If profitable, switch to Live Mode

6. Start making real money

Good luck and happy testing!