Frequently Asked Questions¶

General¶

What is PolyBot?¶

PolyBot is an open-source automated trading system for prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. It provides 10 trading strategies, a web dashboard, and a plugin system for AI models.

Is PolyBot free?¶

Yes, PolyBot is free and open-source under the MIT License. You can use it for personal or commercial purposes.

What prediction markets does PolyBot support?¶

Polymarket - Full support (primary focus)
Kalshi - Supported (CFTC-regulated)
Binance - For hedging (futures/options)

Installation¶

What are the system requirements?¶

Python 3.11 or higher
2GB RAM minimum
500MB disk space
Linux, macOS, or Windows (WSL recommended)

How do I install PolyBot?¶

pip install polybot-trader

See Installation Guide for detailed instructions.

Can I run PolyBot on Windows?¶

Yes, but we recommend using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for the best experience, particularly for NNG socket support.

Configuration¶

What credentials do I need?¶

For Polymarket: - POLYMARKET_PRIVATE_KEY - Your Ethereum wallet private key - POLYMARKET_PROXY_ADDRESS - Your Polymarket proxy address

How do I get my Polymarket proxy address?¶

Go to polymarket.com
Connect your wallet
Your proxy address is shown in your profile

Is my private key safe?¶

PolyBot stores credentials in environment variables, never in code. For production: - Use Docker secrets or a vault - Never commit .env files - Consider hardware wallets

Trading¶

What is shadow mode?¶

Shadow mode lets you test strategies without executing real trades. Signals are generated and logged, but no orders are placed.

polybot strategy shadow arbitrage --enable

How do I start trading for real?¶

Test thoroughly in shadow mode first
Disable shadow mode: polybot strategy shadow <strategy> --disable
Start with small position sizes
Monitor closely

What are the risk controls?¶

Position limits - Max size per position
Daily loss limit - Stop trading after losses
Total exposure cap - Max capital at risk
Per-strategy limits - Individual strategy controls

Configure in .env:

MAX_POSITION_SIZE_USD=1000
MAX_TOTAL_EXPOSURE_USD=10000
DAILY_LOSS_LIMIT_USD=500

Which strategy should I start with?¶

For beginners: 1. Arbitrage - Lowest risk when YES + NO < $1 2. Spread Farming - Consistent but small returns

As you gain experience: 3. Statistical Arbitrage - Requires understanding correlations 4. AI Model - Depends on model quality

Development¶

How do I build a custom strategy?¶

from polybot.strategies.base import BaseStrategy

class MyStrategy(BaseStrategy):
    name = "my_strategy"

    async def scan(self, update):
        # Your logic
        return []

    async def should_exit(self, position, update):
        return False

See Custom Strategy Guide.

How do I create an AI plugin?¶

from polybot.plugins.base import AIModelPlugin

class MyPlugin(AIModelPlugin):
    name = "my_plugin"

    async def predict(self, context):
        # Your model
        return Prediction(yes_probability=0.5, confidence=0.5)

See AI Plugin Guide.

How do I add a new venue?¶

Inherit from BaseVenue and implement the required methods. See Custom Venue Guide.

Troubleshooting¶

Why are my orders not executing?¶

Check: 1. Shadow mode is disabled 2. Sufficient balance on Polymarket 3. Valid API credentials 4. Risk limits not exceeded 5. Market is active and tradeable

Why do I get NNG socket errors?¶

On Linux/macOS:

mkdir -p /tmp/polybot
chmod 777 /tmp/polybot

On Windows, use WSL2.

How do I view logs?¶

# CLI logs to console
polybot start --log-level DEBUG

# Docker logs
docker compose logs -f polybot

My strategy isn't finding opportunities?¶

Check market conditions match strategy requirements
Review strategy parameters (thresholds, limits)
Enable debug logging
Verify price data is flowing

Performance¶

How much can I expect to make?¶

Returns vary based on: - Market conditions - Strategy selection - Risk parameters - Execution quality

Important: Past performance doesn't guarantee future results. Always start small and test thoroughly.

What's the latency?¶

Typical latency components: - Scanner polling: 1-2 seconds - Signal processing: <100ms - Order submission: 200-500ms - Execution: Market dependent

Can I run multiple strategies?¶

Yes! Enable multiple strategies:

polybot strategy enable arbitrage
polybot strategy enable spread_farm
polybot strategy enable stat_arb

They run concurrently and share risk limits.

Support¶

Where can I get help?¶

Documentation: docs.cryptuon.com/polybot
Discord: discord.gg/cryptuon
GitHub Issues: github.com/cryptuon/polybot/issues

How do I report a bug?¶

Search existing issues first
Create a new issue with:
Clear description
Steps to reproduce
Expected vs actual behavior
Environment details

How do I contribute?¶

See Contributing Guide. We welcome: - Bug fixes - New strategies - Documentation improvements - AI plugins