---
title: "Create a strategy and choose its instruments"
description: "Create a Fincanva strategy: pick its type in the Create new popup, add its instruments, set what the type requires, name it and run its first backtest."
canonical_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/strategies/create-a-strategy-and-choose-its-instruments"
last_updated: "2026-10-07"
md_url: "https://fincanva.com/docs/strategies/create-a-strategy-and-choose-its-instruments.md"
---

# Create a strategy and choose its instruments

You create a [strategy](/glossary/strategy) by picking its [strategy type](/glossary/strategy-type) in the **Create new** popup, adding its instruments, setting what the type requires, and running its first [backtest](/glossary/backtest).

## Steps

1. **Start a new strategy.** Open **Single** in the sidebar and select **New strategy**. You need only to be signed in — no existing strategy.
2. **Choose its type.** Answer "How do you want to build this strategy?" with **Single instrument**, **Multiple instruments**, **Screener** or **Full setup**. The first time, the popup also asks "How do you prefer to work?" — **Step by step** (one chapter at a time, preselected) or **All at once** (every setting on one page); the answer is stored when the strategy is created and changes only in **Profile › Preferences**, under **How you build strategies**.
3. **Add its instruments.** The strategy opens in [Step by step](/glossary/step-by-step) on its **Asset selection** chapter — **Strategy type** already confirmed — or in [All at once](/glossary/all-at-once). Add the instruments, or, on a **Screener** strategy, define the [screener](/glossary/screener) — see [Choose the instruments a strategy holds](/docs/strategies/choose-the-instruments-a-strategy-holds).
4. **Set what your type requires.** **Allocation** splits the capital, **Rebalance** sets how often, **Risk and exits** adds a [risk condition](/glossary/risk-condition), which switches between [Risk-On and Risk-Off](/glossary/risk-on-and-risk-off), and exit rules. **Single instrument** requires none of them and **Full setup** all of them; skip an optional one with **Skip this chapter** — see [Build a strategy step by step](/docs/strategies/build-a-strategy-step-by-step).
5. **Name it and run it.** On **Summary**, set the **Strategy name**, the **Benchmark**, the **Starting year** and, if you like, a description; press **Save**, then **Run the backtest**. The Backtest waits for no chapter — only for what the run gate refuses, and the [strategy alerts](/glossary/strategy-alerts) still to decide show on the chapter that resolves each.

**Done.** The strategy is in your **Single** library and its backtest is running. You stay where you are: an alert reads **Backtest running**, with the percentage once known and "You can stay here or keep working.", then **Results ready** with **View results**, which opens the strategy's **Analysis** — [CAGR](/glossary/cagr) among its first figures. To change it later: [Edit a strategy's settings](/docs/strategies/edit-a-strategy-s-settings).

## Why can't I continue past a chapter?

Because each strategy type requires its own count of instruments or screeners before you can confirm **Asset selection** or run the backtest. A dialog with **OK** and **Change strategy type** shows what is missing:

- "Pick exactly 1 instrument." — **Single instrument** holds exactly one.
- "Pick 2 or more instruments." — **Multiple instruments** needs at least two.
- "Add at least 1 screener." — **Screener** needs at least one.

Add the missing [instrument](/glossary/instrument) or screener in **Asset selection**, then continue — or take **Change strategy type**, which opens **Strategy type**.

## Why won't the Summary accept the name I typed?

Because a strategy name needs at least two characters, and the **Summary** will not run the backtest with a shorter one. Clear the name or leave one character and the **Strategy name** field shows "Enter a name of at least 2 characters." under it, and the large button stays unavailable until you type a longer name.

Two characters is what the server requires, so a name this field accepts is one that will save. The name never blocks the backtest otherwise: you can rename the strategy at any time.

## What happens while a strategy is being created?

The tiles that create are the four strategy-type tiles and **Combined**. The one you press shows it is working while the others stop accepting clicks, so one press creates exactly one thing however many times you click, and **Create new** stays open for the whole request. **Single strategy** creates nothing on the spot: it opens the four strategy-type tiles, and the tile you pick there creates.

- **Closing the dialog does not cancel the create.** Press **Esc**, click the backdrop or the close button while it runs, and the strategy still exists — [What happens when I pick a strategy type from Home?](/docs/get-started/read-home-after-you-sign-in#what-happens-when-i-pick-a-strategy-type-from-home) says how to undo it.
- **The toast names what was saved.** If you already have an *Untitled strategy*, the new one is saved as *Untitled strategy (1)*, and the toast says so.
- **The Screener tile creates nothing either, and only Create new in the sidebar shows it.** It opens a new screener at once, saved only when you save it; every other route into the dialog offers **Single strategy** and **Combined** alone.

## What does the Combined tile do?

It saves a real [Combined](/glossary/combined) and opens it, like the strategy tiles. It is the one tile that can answer "not yet": with no strategies of your own to combine, it opens a screen inside the Combined flow that reads "A Combined blends your own strategies — you have none yet. Create one to start." with a **Create a strategy first** button, which takes you to the strategy-type tiles; **Back** returns you to the Combined screen. Nothing is created until you actually create a strategy of your own. How a Combined is built: [Build a Combined step by step](/docs/strategies/build-a-combined-step-by-step).

Fincanva is for education and illustration only. It is not personalised financial advice, and past or simulated results do not predict future ones. [Read the Terms Addendum](https://fincanva.com/terms/addendum#section-3)