Start and Stop Strategy¶

Starting a strategy¶

After creating or importing a config file, use the start command to run the strategy.

Stop a running strategy¶

Run stop command to stop the running strategy. Doing this will also cancel all active orders.

Strategy Autostart¶

Hummingbot can automatically start the execution of a previously configured trading strategy upon launch without needing user interaction. This feature works with both regular and headless modes.

Docker Autostart¶

Prerequisites¶

You have Hummingbot running via Docker Compose
You have already run the instance at least once and have set the password and API keys
You have at least one strategy configuration file that has been set up previously

How to Configure Docker Autostart¶

Stop any running containers
```
docker compose down
```
Modify docker-compose.yml

Edit the environment section to include:

environment:
  - CONFIG_PASSWORD=password
  - CONFIG_FILE_NAME=simple_pmm_example.py
  - SCRIPT_CONFIG=conf_simple_pmm_example_config_1.yml  # Optional for scripts
  - HEADLESS_MODE=true  # Optional: Enable headless mode

Deploy the Hummingbot container
```
docker compose up -d
```

This will start Hummingbot in detached mode (running in the background).

View active containers
```
docker ps
```

You should see your Hummingbot container running with the configured strategy.

Attach to the running container
```
docker attach hummingbot
```

When you attach, the strategy should already be running. To detach without stopping the container, use Ctrl+P followed by Ctrl+Q.

Source Installation Autostart¶

Prerequisites¶

You have Hummingbot installed via Source
You have already connected exchanges by adding API keys
You have at least one strategy configuration file that has been set up previously

How to Configure Source Autostart¶

Use the following command:

bin/hummingbot_quickstart.py -p CONFIG_PASSWORD -f SCRIPT_FILE_NAME [-c CONFIG_FILE_NAME] [--headless]

Example:

# Regular mode with autostart
bin/hummingbot_quickstart.py -p mypassword -f simple_pmm_example.py -c conf_simple_pmm_example_config_1.yml

# Headless mode with autostart
bin/hummingbot_quickstart.py -p mypassword -f simple_pmm_example.py -c conf_simple_pmm_example_config_1.yml --headless

Headless Mode¶

Warning

Running any trading bots without manual supervision may incur additional risks. It is imperative that you thoroughly understand and test the strategy and parameters before deploying bots that can trade in an unattended manner.

Hummingbot can run in headless mode, which allows the bot to operate without the interactive CLI interface. This is particularly useful for deploying bots to cloud services or running multiple instances programmatically.

Prerequisites for Headless Mode¶

MQTT must be enabled and running: Since there's no CLI interface in headless mode, MQTT is required to control and monitor the bot
Hummingbot password must be set: The password is needed to decrypt API keys and wallets
Strategy configuration must exist: You need a pre-configured strategy or script file

How to Run in Headless Mode¶

Using Command Line Arguments¶

bin/hummingbot_quickstart.py --headless -p PASSWORD -f CONFIG_FILE_NAME [-c SCRIPT_CONFIG]

Where:

--headless: Enables headless mode
-p PASSWORD: Your Hummingbot password
-f CONFIG_FILE_NAME: Strategy config file (.yml) or script file (.py)
-c SCRIPT_CONFIG: (Optional) Configuration file for scripts

Using Environment Variables¶

You can also use environment variables, which is especially useful for Docker deployments:

export HEADLESS_MODE=true
export CONFIG_PASSWORD=your_password
export CONFIG_FILE_NAME=your_strategy.yml
export SCRIPT_CONFIG=your_script_config.yml  # Optional for scripts

Important Considerations for Headless Mode¶

MQTT is Required: Without a CLI interface, MQTT is the only way to:

Monitor bot status and performance
View logs and error messages
Stop the bot or modify parameters
Receive alerts and notifications

Use with Hummingbot API: We strongly recommend using headless mode alongside the Hummingbot API for:

Managing multiple bot instances
Real-time monitoring and control
Automated deployment and scaling
Integration with other systems

Logging: In headless mode, logs are still written to files, but you won't see them in real-time unless you're monitoring via MQTT or viewing log files directly.

Autostart File Types¶

You can auto-start either:

Scripts: Python files (.py) containing all strategy logic. Hummingbot looks for these in the scripts directory
Strategies: Configurable strategy templates with YAML config files (.yml). Hummingbot looks for these in the conf/strategies directory

Best Practices for Unattended Trading¶

Test Thoroughly: Always test your strategies in paper trading mode before running them unattended
Set Appropriate Limits: Configure kill switches, balance limits, and other safety parameters
Monitor Regularly: Even in headless/autostart mode, regularly check logs and performance
Use MQTT/API: Set up proper monitoring through MQTT or Hummingbot API for real-time alerts
Secure Your System: Ensure your deployment environment is secure, especially when running with autostart