First Time Opening the Dashboard
When you open the Claxton Dashboard for the first time, you’ll see a lot of information. Don’t worry — this page walks you through every section of the screen from top to bottom.
The Header
At the very top of the page, you’ll see:
- Claxton Quant Pro Trader v0.69 — the bot name and version
- A green LIVE indicator with a pulsing dot in the top-right corner — this means the dashboard is actively receiving data
The Status Ribbon
Just below the header, there’s a horizontal bar with colored badges. This is your Status Ribbon — a quick health check for the entire system. Each badge shows a different system status:
| Badge | What It Means |
|---|---|
| API: CONNECTED (green) | The dashboard is connected to your trading broker |
| API: DISCONNECTED (red) | Connection lost — the dashboard will retry automatically |
| QUOTES: LIVE (green) | Market data is streaming in real-time |
| BOT: RUNNING (green) | The trading bot is actively scanning and trading |
| BOT: STOPPED (gray) | The bot is paused — no new trades will be opened |
| EXITS: ___ | How recently the bot checked your positions for exit signals. Green = fresh, amber = slightly stale, red = delayed |
| KILL: OFF (gray) | Kill switch is not engaged — normal operation |
| KILL: ACTIVE (red) | Kill switch is ON — all trading is halted |
| DB: LIVE (green) | Database connection is active |
| TICK: HH:MM:SS (blue) | Timestamp of the last data update |
| ENV: PAPER (amber) | You’re in paper trading mode (simulated, no real money) |
| POS: # (blue) | Number of open positions |
| DTE: # (amber) | Days to expiration of your nearest position |
| MKT: OPEN/CLOSED | Whether the stock market is currently open |
💡 Tip: Glance at the Status Ribbon first thing. If everything is green, you’re good. If something is red, read on to understand what’s happening.
What Does “Paper” vs “Live” Mean?
- Paper mode (ENV: PAPER): The bot trades with simulated money. Orders go through, positions show up, P&L is tracked — but no real money is at risk. This is perfect for learning and testing.
- Live mode (ENV: LIVE): Real money, real trades. Every order hits the actual market.
⚠️ Always confirm which mode you’re in before making changes to your strategies.
What Do the Colors Mean?
Throughout the dashboard, colors have consistent meanings:
- 🟢 Green — Good / profitable / connected / running
- 🔴 Red — Bad / losing / disconnected / danger
- 🟡 Amber/Yellow — Warning / caution / needs attention
- 🔵 Blue — Informational / neutral
- ⬜ Gray — Inactive / off / no data
Next Steps
Now that you know what the status bar tells you, let’s explore the rest of the dashboard layout → Reading the Dashboard