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🍻 How-To Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to get WATA (Warrants Automated Trading Assistant) up and running, from acquiring necessary prerequisites to executing your first automated trade.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  1. Ubuntu Server VPS: You need a Virtual Private Server (VPS) running Ubuntu. Popular providers include OVH, Hostinger, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS EC2, Google Cloud Compute Engine, etc. Choose a plan suitable for running multiple Docker containers.
  • Minimum requirements: 2GB RAM, 50GB SSD, 2 core CPU.
  • Recommended: 4GB RAM, 100GB SSD, 4 core CPU.
  1. Saxo Bank Account: A live trading account with Saxo Bank is required to execute real trades.
  2. Telegram Account: Needed for creating a bot and receiving notifications.
  3. TradingView Account (Optional but Recommended): To generate trading signals via webhooks. Other signal sources can be adapted.
  4. Basic Linux/Command-Line Familiarity: You should be comfortable using SSH and running commands on your server.

Estimated Annual Costs​

While WATA itself is free and open-source, running the system involves some recurring costs:

  • VPS Hosting: This is the primary cost. Depending on the provider and the server specifications (CPU, RAM, SSD), expect to pay anywhere from €5 to €26+ per month (approximately €60 - €312+ annually). Costs vary significantly based on your chosen provider and plan.
  • TradingView Subscription (Optional): If you use TradingView for generating signals via webhooks (recommended), you'll need a paid plan (Essentials, Plus, or Premium) to use webhooks effectively. Costs vary depending on the plan and billing cycle (check the TradingView website for current pricing), but expect to pay around €130-€260+ per year. Free plans do not support webhooks reliably for automation.
    • Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals are available every year, likely -70% off.
  • Saxo Bank Account: There are typically no annual fees for holding a Saxo Bank account itself, but you will incur trading costs (commissions, spreads, financing costs for holding positions ...) when trades are executed. These depend heavily on your trading activity and the instruments traded.
    • Saxo Bank Turbo warrants are commission free, other warrants providers might have a commission fee.
  • Domain Name (Optional): If you prefer using a domain name instead of an IP address for your server (e.g., for the TradingView webhook URL), you'll need to pay an annual registration fee (typically €10-€20).

Therefore, the minimum essential annual cost is primarily for the VPS, ranging roughly from €200 upwards, plus any TradingView subscription costs if used (€130-€260+), and trading fees incurred via Saxo Bank (for non Saxo Bank Turbo warrants instruments).

Step 1: Prepare Your Server​

  1. Connect to your Server: Use SSH to log in to your newly acquired Ubuntu VPS.
  2. Install Prerequisites: Follow the prerequisites section in the main README.md to install necessary software like Docker, Docker Compose, Python 3.12+, and optionally Ansible if you plan to use the automated deployment scripts.

Step 2: Set Up Saxo Bank Integration​

  1. Open a Saxo Bank Account: If you don't have one, sign up for a live trading account at Saxo Bank.
  • In order to be able to trade on Turbo warrants, you need to pass the test for these instruments on your Saxo Bank account for having the "Turbo" permission.
  • Add money to your account to be able to trade. (Minimum 30€)
  1. Create a Saxo API Application:
    • Go to the Saxo Developer Portal, and create an developer account if you don't have one yet.
    • Create an application in the "Live" section. Apps -> Live Apps -> Create Application https://www.developer.saxo/openapi/appmanagement#/liveoverview
    • Log in with your Saxo Bank credentials.
    • Register a new application. You will typically need to provide:
      • An Application Name (e.g., "WATA Trading Bot").
      • Redirect URL(s): You can often use http://localhost/ or a placeholder if the application handles OAuth redirection internally (like WATA does via command line).
      • Grant Type: Select Code.
      • Access Control: Select Allow this app to be enabled for trading.
    • Once registered, chose Copy App Object and save it in a secure location. These are crucial for WATA's configuration.

Step 3: Set Up Telegram Notifications​

You can follow the instructions here to create a bot and get the bot_token, and chat_id.

Step 4: Deploy and Configure WATA​

  1. Get the WATA Code: Clone or download the WATA repository to your computer.
  2. Follow Deployment Instructions: Refer to the Setup & Deployment section in the README.md for detailed steps. This typically involves:
    • Configuring Inventory (if using Ansible): Edit deploy/tools/ansible/inventory/inventory.ini.
    • Building the Package: Run ./package.sh.
    • Deploying: Run ./deploy/tools/deploy_app_to_your_server.sh.
  3. Configure WATA:
    • Navigate to the deployment directory on your server (e.g., /app/deploy).
    • Set up the .env file for the RabbitMQ password as described in the Configuration section of the README.
    • Copy the example configuration: cp /app/etc/config_example.json /app/etc/config.json.
    • Edit /app/etc/config.json with your details:
      • Saxo app object inside app_config_object
      • Telegram bot_token and chat_id.
      • Trading rules (allowed_indices, day_trading with profit targets and maximum loss limits, etc.).
      • Review other settings as needed. Refer to the Configuration Guide for full details.
  4. Authenticate with Saxo:
    • Start the application (watastart).
    • Monitor the logs (watalogs) or check your Telegram bot for the Saxo authentication URL.
    • Open the URL in your browser, log in to Saxo, and authorize the application.
    • Copy the code parameter from the redirect URL.
    • Run watasaxoauth on your server (you will be prompted to enter the code securely)

Step 5: Configure TradingView (or other signal source)​

  1. Set Up Webhooks in TradingView:
    • In TradingView, create alerts based on your trading strategy (e.g., indicator crossovers, price levels).
    • In the alert settings, enable the "Webhook URL" option.
    • Enter the URL of your WATA web server: http://<your_server_ip_or_domain>:<port>/webhook?token=YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN (replace placeholders).
      • The port can be found in the docker-compose.yml file for the web-server service (usually 80).
      • The YOUR_SECRET_TOKEN is automatically generated by WATA the first time the web server starts.
      • To view your current token, run: 
        watawebtoken
      • To generate a new token (for increased security), run: 
        watawebtoken --new
      • The token management command displays your token, which you should copy and use in your webhook URL.
    • In the "Message" box of the alert, provide the JSON payload WATA expects: 
      {
        "action": "long", // or "short", "close-position"
        "indice": "us100", // Matches an allowed indice in your config
        "signal_timestamp": "{{timenow}}", // TradingView variable for current time
        "alert_timestamp": "{{timenow}}"
      }
      Ensure indice matches one configured in allowed_indices in your config.json. Use "{{timenow}}" for TradingView to insert the alert trigger time dynamically.

Step 6: Start Trading​

  1. Start the Application: Ensure all services are running: 
    watastart
    watastatus # Check status
    watasaxoauth # Authenticate with Saxo Bank
  2. Monitor:
    • Keep an eye on your Telegram channel for notifications about received signals, trade executions, errors, and daily summaries.
    • Check logs if needed: watalogs.
  3. Reporting: Use the Reporting tools from the main README to analyze performance over time.

You have now successfully set up WATA! It will listen for incoming webhook signals and attempt to execute trades on your Saxo Bank account according to your configuration and rules. Remember to monitor the system closely, especially initially.