# Platform Overview

Farside Trading is a trading bot platform for people who want to create, test, run, and monitor bots from one product.

You can use it to:

* connect a wallet
* choose a trading account
* connect a supported exchange
* create a bot
* test it in paper mode or with backtesting
* move to live trading when you are ready
* monitor orders, positions, and bot status

## What the platform is for

The platform is designed for trading operators who want a clear workflow:

1. connect your wallet
2. choose an account
3. finish exchange setup
4. create a bot
5. review strategy and risk
6. test safely
7. go live only when you are comfortable

## What an account means

Most important actions happen inside a selected account.

Your account determines:

* which exchange you are using
* whether you are in paper mode or live mode
* which balances, positions, and orders you are looking at
* whether your setup is ready to trade

You may also see the term **execution account**. In practice, this means the trading account the platform uses for a specific exchange and mode.

## Supported exchanges

The current platform supports:

* Hyperliquid
* dYdX
* Paper

Paper is not a real exchange. It is the platform's simulated trading mode.

## Supported ways to use the platform

### Live mode

Live mode places real trades on a connected exchange account.

Use live mode only after you have:

* finished exchange setup
* reviewed your bot settings
* checked your risk settings
* tested in paper mode or with backtesting first

### Paper mode

Paper mode lets you run bots in a simulated environment without placing real trades.

It is the safest way to:

* learn the product
* check bot setup
* practice monitoring
* confirm that your workflow makes sense

### Backtesting

Backtesting lets you run a saved bot on historical market data.

It is useful for comparing settings and understanding how a strategy would have behaved in the past, but it does not guarantee future results.

## A sensible first path

For most first-time users, the safest order is:

1. connect your wallet
2. choose the right account
3. finish exchange setup
4. choose a simple first strategy
5. create a bot with conservative settings
6. validate it in paper mode or with backtesting
7. monitor it until the results make sense
8. go live only after you understand what normal behavior looks like

## Where new users should start

If you are new, start here:

1. [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart.md)
2. [Connect an Exchange](/docs/guides/connect-an-exchange.md)
3. [Choose Your First Strategy](/docs/guides/choose-your-first-strategy.md)
4. [Create Your First Bot](/docs/guides/create-your-first-bot.md)
5. [Start Paper Trading](/docs/guides/start-paper-trading.md)
6. [Safety / Before You Go Live](/docs/guides/safety-before-you-go-live.md)

## What to pay attention to

The most important distinctions in the product are:

* connected account vs ready account
* paper mode vs live mode
* backtesting vs paper mode
* saved bot vs running bot
* submitted order vs filled order
* open position vs closed position

Understanding these differences will help you avoid the most common mistakes.

## What success looks like

You are ready to move beyond the basics when you can confidently answer:

* which account and mode you are using
* whether a bot is saved, running, paused, or blocked
* whether a quiet bot is normal or needs review
* whether an order is still open, partially filled, or complete
* whether your first safe next step is paper mode, backtesting, monitoring, or live trading

## Related pages

* [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart.md)
* [Glossary](/docs/glossary.md)
* [Bots](/docs/concepts/bots.md)
* [Strategies](/docs/concepts/strategies.md)
* [Exchanges](/docs/concepts/exchanges.md)
* [Risk Management](/docs/concepts/risk-management.md)
* [Choose Your First Strategy](/docs/guides/choose-your-first-strategy.md)
* [Safety / Before You Go Live](/docs/guides/safety-before-you-go-live.md)


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