EA warm-up periods: give indicators enough history before scoring a test

An EA may need earlier candles before it can evaluate its first signal. Starting a report on a chosen date does not mean every indicator is ready immediately. A warm-up policy helps explain an apparently quiet beginning without changing the intended evaluation window.

Identify the data requirement

List the longest lookback, any higher-timeframe series and every additional symbol. The tester can request additional history as the EA uses it. Availability and synchronization are separate from whether the signal condition is true.

Define the scoring boundary

For an illustrative annual study, earlier history may initialise an indicator while new trades are permitted only inside the stated evaluation interval. Record that distinction. Do not quietly include profitable earlier trades in the annual result.

Inspect the first decisions

Log when data becomes ready and when the first eligible evaluation occurs. Compare a small run with and without sufficient earlier history while keeping strategy inputs fixed. Investigate differences in initial values before assuming the trading logic is broken.

Make readiness visible

Ask AI to add a concise readiness message rather than endless per-tick errors. If required history is missing, distinguish waiting from a legitimate no-signal outcome. The resulting report should state the evaluated dates and any material data gap, so the first quiet days have an understandable explanation.

MT5 testing and history preparation

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