It is essential that the contract you are trading on tradovate is copied EXACTLY into the "contract name" section when setup a new strategy. Even if you have an MES1! on trading view on Tradovate it could be MESU5. So you would put MESU5 under contract name in the strategy setup. When selecting the correct contract name in your strategy setup, it’s crucial to use the full and exact name provided by Tradovate. For example, if you are trading the Mini Gold contract (MGC), ensure you use the complete front-month symbol like MGCZ5. Avoid using incomplete symbols, such as MGC, which are not recognized and could lead to errors.
You can then go into your strategy on the automation software and go to test menu and try and trigger a buy and quickly sell. This will tell you if you are setup correctly. Here are some best practices to help streamline your setup:
Always use the most up-to-date contract names for rolling contracts, which may change monthly or quarterly.
Keep naming conventions consistent across ClearEdge and Tradovate to avoid potential errors.
Maintain a document of frequently used contract symbols for quick reference. Monitoring logs is another key step after testing changes. Pay close attention to any error messages in ClearEdge, particularly for tasks like 'Change contract', as these will indicate where adjustments are needed in your setup.