StratifyStratify

Installation & Setup

Complete guide to setting up your Stratify account, configuring preferences, and connecting optional API keys for premium features.

Time required: 10-15 minutes
Note: API keys are optional. The platform works great without them using default data sources.

1. Account Creation

Let's start by creating your Stratify account:

Sign Up Process

  1. Navigate to localhost:3000/register
  2. Complete the registration form:

    Email Address

    Use a valid email - you'll need to verify it

    Password

    Must meet these requirements:

    • Minimum 8 characters
    • At least one uppercase letter
    • At least one lowercase letter
    • At least one number
    • At least one special character (@$!%*?&)

    Full Name (Optional)

    Used for personalization in the app

  3. Click "Create Account"

Email Verification

  1. Check your inbox for a verification email from Stratify
  2. Can't find it? Check your spam/junk folder
  3. Click the "Verify Email" button in the email
  4. You'll be redirected to the login page

Didn't receive the email? Click "Resend verification email" on the login page. If you still don't receive it, contact support or check that your email was entered correctly.

First Login

  1. Go to localhost:3000/login
  2. Enter your email and password
  3. Click "Sign In"
  4. You'll be taken to the dashboard - welcome to Stratify!

Success! Your account is now active. The platform automatically creates a default watchlist and loads sample data so you can start exploring immediately.

2. Profile Setup

Complete your profile to personalize your experience:

  1. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner
  2. Select "Settings" from the dropdown
  3. Navigate to the "Profile" tab
  4. Update your information:

    Display Name

    How your name appears in the app

    Avatar

    Upload a profile picture (optional)

    Bio

    Short description (optional, for future social features)

  5. Click "Save Changes"

3. User Preferences

Customize the platform to match your needs:

General Preferences

Go to Settings → Preferences and configure:

Default Currency

Choose your preferred currency for display purposes. Options include:

USDEURGBPCADJPY

Note: Data is stored in USD and converted for display

Timezone

Set your local timezone for accurate timestamps in charts and logs.

Default: Auto-detected from your browser • Can be manually overridden

Date Format

Choose your preferred date display format:

  • MM/DD/YYYY (US format)
  • DD/MM/YYYY (European format)
  • YYYY-MM-DD (ISO format)

Theme

Dark mode is enabled by default (optimized for extended screen time).

Future update: Light mode option

Notification Preferences

Control how and when you receive notifications:

Email Notifications

  • □Alert triggers (when price alerts fire)
  • □Backtest completions (when long-running backtests finish)
  • □Paper trading updates (order fills, position changes)
  • □Weekly performance summaries
  • □Feature announcements and updates

In-App Notifications

Real-time notifications appear in the app header (bell icon). Configure which events trigger notifications.

4. API Key Configuration (Optional)

Stratify works great with default data sources, but you can connect your own API keys for premium features:

Why add API keys? Get access to real-time data, extended historical data, social sentiment, and AI-powered insights. All keys are encrypted and stored securely.

Polygon.io (Market Data)

Purpose: Real-time stock prices, extended historical data, multiple timeframes

Cost: Free tier available (delayed data) • Premium: $29/month via Massive.com

Setup:

  1. Visit massive.com and sign up
  2. Subscribe to the Polygon.io Starter plan ($29/month)
  3. Copy your API key from the dashboard
  4. In Stratify, go to Settings → API Keys
  5. Paste your key in the Polygon.io field
  6. Click Save

Without this key: Platform uses free delayed data sources (15-minute delay)

OpenAI API (AI Assistant)

Purpose: Enhanced AI-powered market analysis, natural language queries, strategy recommendations

Cost: Pay-as-you-go (typically $2-5/month for moderate use)

Setup:

  1. Visit platform.openai.com
  2. Create an account and add billing information
  3. Go to API Keys section and create a new key
  4. Copy the key (you'll only see it once!)
  5. In Stratify, go to Settings → API Keys
  6. Paste your key in the OpenAI field
  7. Click Save

Without this key: AI Assistant has limited capabilities using open-source models

Twitter API (Social Sentiment) - Coming Soon

Purpose: Real-time social sentiment analysis from Twitter

Currently in development. You'll be able to connect your Twitter API key for live sentiment tracking.

Security Note: All API keys are encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption. They're never exposed to the frontend and are only used by secure backend services. You can revoke keys at any time.

5. Initial Data Setup

Good news - data setup is automatic! Here's what happens:

🎯 Automatic Symbol Loading

The platform automatically loads metadata for 8,000+ US stocks and ETFs. You can search for any symbol immediately.

📊 Default Watchlist

A default watchlist is created with popular symbols:

SPYQQQAAPLMSFTGOOGL

🔄 Data Refresh Schedule

Market data refreshes automatically:

  • Real-time quotes: Every 1-5 seconds (with premium API keys)
  • Daily OHLCV: After market close (4:30 PM ET)
  • Social sentiment: Every 15 minutes
  • Economic indicators: Daily at midnight

📈 Historical Data

Historical data is loaded on-demand when you:

  • Run a backtest (loads data for specified date range)
  • View a chart (loads 1 year by default)
  • Analyze a stock (loads 3 months)

6. Verification Checklist

Confirm everything is set up correctly:

All set? You're ready to start using Stratify! Head to the dashboard and explore the platform.

What's Next?

Now that your account is configured, dive into these guides:

Run Your First Backtest →

Test a trading strategy on historical data and analyze the results.

Master Watchlists →

Learn to organize and track stocks with advanced watchlist features.

Use the AI Assistant →

Ask questions and get insights using natural language queries.

Build Custom Strategies →

Create your own trading strategies tailored to your goals.

Troubleshooting

Can't verify email?

Check spam folder → Click "Resend verification" on login page → Wait 5 minutes → Contact support if still no email

API key not working?

Verify key is correct (no extra spaces) → Check API provider dashboard for usage limits → Ensure billing is active → Try regenerating the key

Forgot password?

Click "Forgot password" on login page → Enter your email → Check inbox for reset link → Create new password

Data not loading?

Check internet connection → Refresh page → Clear browser cache → Check API key status → Contact support if persists

←Previous: QuickstartNext: Your First Backtest→