Flow - Visual Strategy Builder

Introduction

The Flow Visual Strategy Builder is OpenAlgo's node-based visual programming interface. It allows you to create trading strategies without writing code by connecting nodes in a flowchart-like canvas.

What is the Flow Builder?

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        Flow Visual Strategy Builder                         │
│                                                                              │
│  ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐          │
│  │  Trigger │────▶│ Condition│────▶│  Action  │────▶│  Output  │          │
│  │   Node   │     │   Node   │     │   Node   │     │   Node   │          │
│  └──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘          │
│                                                                              │
│  Example: Webhook → Check Price → Place Order → Send Notification           │
│                                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Benefits

Feature	Description
No Coding Required	Build strategies visually
Drag and Drop	Intuitive interface
Real-time Testing	Test flows instantly
Reusable Components	Save and reuse node groups
Version Control	Track changes to flows

Accessing the Flow Builder

1. Login to OpenAlgo

2. Navigate to Flow in the sidebar

3. Click New Flow or select existing

Interface Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Flow Builder                                           [Save] [Run] [Stop] │
├───────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                   │                                                          │
│  Node Palette     │                  Canvas                                 │
│  ───────────────  │                                                          │
│                   │    ┌────────┐                                           │
│  ▶ Triggers       │    │Webhook │                                           │
│    • Webhook      │    │ Input  │───────┐                                   │
│    • Timer        │    └────────┘       │                                   │
│    • Schedule     │                     ▼                                   │
│                   │              ┌────────────┐                             │
│  ▶ Conditions     │              │ Price Check│                             │
│    • If/Else      │              └────────────┘                             │
│    • Compare      │                     │                                   │
│    • Logic Gate   │                     ▼                                   │
│                   │              ┌────────────┐                             │
│  ▶ Actions        │              │Place Order │                             │
│    • Place Order  │              └────────────┘                             │
│    • Smart Order  │                                                          │
│    • Close All    │                                                          │
│                   │                                                          │
│  ▶ Utilities      │                                                          │
│    • Log          │                                                          │
│    • Telegram     │                                                          │
│    • Delay        │                                                          │
│                   │                                                          │
└───────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Node Types

Trigger Nodes

Trigger nodes start flow execution.

Node	Description	Use Case
Webhook	Receives external HTTP requests	TradingView, ChartInk alerts
Timer	Executes at intervals	Periodic checks
Schedule	Executes at specific times	Market open/close actions
Manual	Manual trigger button	Testing

Condition Nodes

Condition nodes control flow logic.

Node	Description	Use Case
If/Else	Branch based on condition	Price above/below threshold
Compare	Compare two values	Value comparisons
Logic Gate	AND, OR, NOT operations	Multiple conditions
Switch	Multiple branches	Route by symbol/action

Action Nodes

Action nodes execute trading operations.

Node	Description	Use Case
Place Order	Send order to broker	Standard orders
Smart Order	Position-aware order	Reversal strategies
Basket Order	Multiple orders	Multi-symbol strategies
Close Position	Close specific position	Exit trades
Close All	Close all positions	End-of-day square off

Utility Nodes

Utility nodes for supporting operations.

Node	Description	Use Case
Log	Write to log	Debugging
Telegram	Send Telegram message	Notifications
Delay	Wait for specified time	Throttling
Variable	Store/retrieve values	State management
HTTP Request	Call external APIs	Data fetching

Building Your First Flow

Example: TradingView Alert to Order

Step 1: Add Webhook Trigger

1. Drag Webhook node to canvas

2. Configure:

   • Name: "TradingView Alert"

   • Path: /flow/tradingview

Step 2: Add Place Order Action

1. Drag Place Order node to canvas

2. Connect Webhook output to Order input

3. Configure order parameters:

   • Symbol: {{webhook.symbol}}

   • Exchange: NSE

   • Action: {{webhook.action}}

   • Quantity: 100

   • Price Type: MARKET

   • Product: MIS

Step 3: Add Notification

1. Drag Telegram node to canvas

2. Connect Order output to Telegram input

3. Configure message:

   Order placed: {{webhook.action}} {{webhook.symbol}}
   Order ID: {{order.orderid}}

Step 4: Save and Activate

1. Click Save

2. Click Activate to enable the flow

3. Copy the webhook URL for TradingView

Using Variables

Dynamic Values from Webhook

Webhook Input:
{
  "symbol": "SBIN",
  "action": "BUY",
  "quantity": "100"
}

Access as:
Symbol: {{webhook.symbol}}      → SBIN
Action: {{webhook.action}}      → BUY
Quantity: {{webhook.quantity}}  → 100

Node Output Variables

Order Node Output:
{
  "status": "success",
  "orderid": "230125000012345"
}

Access as:
Status: {{order.status}}    → success
Order ID: {{order.orderid}} → 230125000012345

Advanced Flow Examples

Example 1: Smart Order with Reversal

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│ Webhook  │────▶│  Switch  │────▶│  Smart   │────▶│ Telegram │
│  Input   │     │ (action) │     │  Order   │     │  Notify  │
└──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘

Configuration:

• Switch node routes by {{webhook.action}}

• Smart Order: position_size = {{webhook.position_size}}

Example 2: Conditional Order Based on Price

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│ Webhook  │────▶│ Compare  │────▶│  Place   │
│  Input   │     │Price>100 │     │  Order   │
└──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘
                      │
                      ▼ (else)
                ┌──────────┐
                │   Log    │
                │ "Skipped"│
                └──────────┘

Example 3: Multi-Symbol Basket Order

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Schedule │────▶│              For Each                    │
│  9:20 AM │     │  Symbols: SBIN, HDFCBANK, ICICIBANK     │
└──────────┘     └──────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
                           ┌──────────────┐
                           │ Place Order  │
                           │ for {{item}} │
                           └──────────────┘

Webhook Configuration

Making Flow Webhooks Accessible

Flow webhooks need to be accessible from the internet for external triggers (TradingView, ChartInk, etc.).

Recommended: Deploy OpenAlgo on an Ubuntu server with your domain using install.sh:

https://yourdomain.com/api/v1/flow/{flow-id}/webhook

Alternative: Use tunneling services for webhooks only:

Service	Command
ngrok	ngrok http 5000
devtunnel (Microsoft)	devtunnel host -p 5000
Cloudflare Tunnel	cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:5000

See Installation Guide for detailed setup.

Webhook URL Format

https://your-openalgo-url/api/v1/flow/{flow-id}/webhook

TradingView Alert Message

{
  "symbol": "{{ticker}}",
  "action": "{{strategy.order.action}}",
  "quantity": "{{strategy.order.contracts}}",
  "position_size": "{{strategy.position_size}}"
}

Testing Webhooks

1. Open flow in editor

2. Click Test Webhook

3. Enter sample payload

4. Click Execute

5. View results in right panel

Flow Templates

OpenAlgo provides pre-built templates:

Template	Description
TradingView Basic	Simple webhook to order
Smart Reversal	Position-aware trading
Multi-Symbol Basket	Trade multiple symbols
Scheduled Square-off	EOD position close
Options Strategy	Multi-leg options

Using Templates

1. Click Templates in Flow Builder

2. Select desired template

3. Click Use Template

4. Customize parameters

5. Save with your name

Debugging Flows

View Execution History

1. Go to Flow → select your flow

2. Click History tab

3. View past executions

Execution Details

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Execution #12345                                   2025-01-21 10:30:15     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                              │
│  ✅ Webhook Input         Duration: 2ms                                     │
│     Input: {"symbol": "SBIN", "action": "BUY"}                             │
│                                                                              │
│  ✅ Place Order           Duration: 150ms                                   │
│     Output: {"status": "success", "orderid": "12345"}                       │
│                                                                              │
│  ✅ Telegram Notify       Duration: 300ms                                   │
│     Output: {"status": "sent"}                                              │
│                                                                              │
│  Total Duration: 452ms                                                      │
│                                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
Flow not triggering	Not activated	Activate flow
Wrong symbol	Variable mismatch	Check variable names
Order failed	Invalid parameters	Verify node configuration
Timeout	Slow external API	Increase timeout

Best Practices

1. Test Before Activating

Always test with sample data before going live.

2. Use Descriptive Names

Name nodes clearly:

• "TradingView Buy Signal" not "Node 1"

• "SBIN Order" not "Place Order"

3. Add Error Handling

┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌──────────┐
│  Order   │────▶│ If Error │────▶│  Retry   │
│  Node    │     │ Occurred │     │  Node    │
└──────────┘     └──────────┘     └──────────┘
                      │
                      ▼ (no error)
                ┌──────────┐
                │  Success │
                │  Handler │
                └──────────┘

4. Add Notifications

Always add notification nodes for important events.

5. Version Your Flows

• Save with version numbers

• Keep backup copies

• Document changes

Flow Security

Access Control

• Flows are tied to your API key

• Webhook URLs are unique per flow

• Authentication required for editing

Webhook Security

• Use HTTPS only

• Validate incoming data

• Implement rate limiting

---