TradingView strategy backtest (Recovery CSV)

Download a pre-filled Recovery CSV from the dashboard, add your trades and replay a TradingView strategy — with drawdown recovery — in the MT4/MT5 Strategy Tester or the cTrader backtest. Included in every plan.

Goal

Replay a TradingView strategy through the TheConnector robot — recovery drawdown grid included — directly inside the MT4/MT5 Strategy Tester or the cTrader backtest, without writing code or sending a single live order.

Availability

Backtest Recovery is available on every plan, including the free Basic tier. The only requirement is a robot in version 0.0.16 or later.

1. Download the pre-filled CSV

• Open the Robot page in the dashboard, Backtest Recovery tab
• Download Recovery_Backtest_<account>.csv — the file already carries the account's recovery settings on the @recovery line, do not edit that line
• One file is generated per connected account

2. Add your trade list

• Open the downloaded CSV in a spreadsheet app or a text editor
• Add one line per trade below the @recovery line, using the format datetime;symbol;action;lots
• action accepts buy, sell, close, closebuy or closesell
• Save the file with the .csv extension

@recovery;... (auto-generated, do not edit)
2026-07-01 08:15:00;EURUSD;buy;0.10
2026-07-01 12:40:00;EURUSD;close;0.10
2026-07-02 09:05:00;XAUUSD;sell;0.05
2026-07-02 16:30:00;XAUUSD;closesell;0.05

3. Place the file in the right folder

• MT4 and MT5: the terminal's Common\Files folder — not the MQL4/Files or MQL5/Files folder of a single terminal instance
• cTrader: the Documents\TheConnector\ folder
• The file name can be changed freely: the only rule is a name starting with Recovery_ and ending in .csv

4. Run the backtest

• Open the Strategy Tester (MT4/MT5) or the cTrader backtest on the TheConnector robot/cBot
• The robot detects the file automatically when the test starts — no extra setting to enable
• MT4 tests one symbol per run: relaunch the Strategy Tester once per chart/symbol found in the CSV
• MT5 replays every symbol from the CSV in a single multi-symbol run — the recommended platform for a full portfolio backtest
• cTrader replays every symbol available in the backtest data loaded in the app

CSV file format

The file stays a standard CSV with a semicolon separator. The first line (@recovery) carries the account's recovery settings; every following line is a trade using the format datetime;symbol;action;lots.

Constraints by platform and version

Good to know

• No live order is ever sent during a backtest: everything stays inside the terminal's tester
• The CSV never leaves your machine; TheConnector servers are not involved in a backtest run
• Keep a single Recovery_*.csv file in the folder at a time to avoid ambiguity between runs
• Update the recovery settings on the site, then re-download the CSV to refresh the @recovery line before testing a new configuration

Want to test the live webhook path too, without a paid TradingView plan? See the TheConnector Relay extension

Need a broker-specific edge case? Contact support