Paper, Dry Run and Live: the three bot modes

Every bot starts in paper mode

No bot on Gogobots goes live until you decide it should. Every user starts in paper mode: real markets, real data, zero risk. You advance to live trading only after you have validated that the strategy works — and only when you choose to.

Paper: real markets, virtual money

A paper bot is a full simulation running on real live market data. It uses the same entry and exit logic as a live bot and tracks a virtual balance, so the performance you see is the performance the strategy would have had. Paper bots are the default proving ground:

• Real Polymarket market data, tick by tick
• Virtual balance — nothing at risk
• Full metrics tracking, same as live
• Plans include generous paper bot allowances

Dry Run: check the signals

Dry Run sits between paper and live. The bot connects to the real exchange and generates real trading signals, but places no orders. Use it as a final rehearsal before going live: you verify that signals fire when they should and inspect the full log — without touching your wallet.

Live: real execution with a safety net

A live bot trades with real funds on Polymarket. Switching from paper to live is one click — the strategy stays identical. Two safety mechanisms are always on: a circuit breaker with a hard drawdown limit stops the bot automatically if losses reach the threshold you set, and you can stop any bot (or all of them) manually at any moment from the dashboard.

When to switch to live

There is no forced timeline, but a sensible checklist: the backtest is convincing over a long period, the paper bot has run for at least a week and its results resemble the backtest, and you understand why the strategy makes money — not just that it does. If the paper bot behaves unexpectedly, fix the strategy first; live trading will not fix it for you.