Getting Started
What is swing trading?
Swing trading means holding a stock or crypto for 3 to 10 days to capture a short-term price move. Unlike day trading (hours) or investing (years), swing trading aims to catch one 'swing' in price β buying near a support level and selling near resistance. Most setups target 5β15% gains with a defined stop loss.
How is this different from day trading?
Day traders open and close positions within the same day β often making dozens of trades. Swing trading is slower, less stressful, and more compatible with a regular schedule. You check charts once or twice a day, not every minute. Research shows swing trading has better risk-adjusted returns for retail traders than day trading.
How much money do I need to start?
There is no minimum. SwingAI works with any account size. However, we recommend at least $1,000β$2,000 to make position sizing meaningful. With 2% risk per trade on a $5,000 account, your max loss per trade is $100 β enough to learn without catastrophic risk. Never trade money you cannot afford to lose.
Do I need trading experience?
No. SwingAI is designed for all skill levels. The SEPA score, entry zones, stop loss, and targets are all calculated for you. The How to Use guide walks you through every feature step by step. Start by analyzing a stock you already know β Apple, Tesla, or Bitcoin.
Understanding the Analysis
What is the SEPA score?
SEPA stands for Specific Entry Point Analysis β a methodology developed by champion trader Mark Minervini. It scores a stock 0β7 based on: price vs moving averages, trend direction, volume, relative strength, and momentum. A score of 6 or 7 means the stock is in a strong Stage 2 uptrend β the highest probability setup. Below 4 means the stock is not ready.
What is a stop loss?
A stop loss is the price at which you exit a trade to limit your loss. If you buy at $50 and set a stop at $47, you automatically exit if the price falls to $47 β limiting your loss to $6 (assuming a $50 buy, $47 stop). SwingAI calculates your stop loss using Smart Money Concepts β placing it below key support levels so normal price fluctuations do not trigger it.
What does R/R Ratio mean?
R/R stands for Risk/Reward. A 2:1 ratio means your potential gain is twice your potential loss. If you risk $100 (stop loss), your target profit is $200. Professional traders aim for minimum 2:1. SwingAI shows R/R for every setup β avoid trades below 1.5:1.
What is a Fair Value Gap (FVG)?
A Fair Value Gap is a price zone where the market moved so fast it left an imbalance β like a price gap. Smart money (institutions) often return to fill these gaps. A bullish FVG below price is strong support. When SwingAI shows an FVG badge, it means the entry zone has institutional backing.
What is an Order Block (OB)?
An Order Block is the last bearish candle before a strong bullish move (or vice versa). It marks where institutions placed large buy orders. Price frequently returns to these levels before continuing up. Order Blocks are used by SwingAI to set precise entry and stop loss levels.
Why does my setup say AI-estimated instead of TA-calculated?
TA-calculated means SwingAI computed exact levels using your real price data β this is more accurate. AI-estimated means the historical price data was unavailable (common for some international stocks), so Claude AI estimated levels based on current price context. Always verify AI-estimated levels on the TradingView chart before trading.
Risk and Position Sizing
How much should I risk per trade?
Professional traders risk 1β2% of their account per trade. At 2%, a $10,000 account risks $200 per trade. This means you could have 50 losing trades in a row before losing all your capital β giving you plenty of room to learn. Never risk more than 5% on any single trade. Set your account size in βοΈ Settings and SwingAI calculates position size automatically.
What is position sizing?
Position sizing is how many shares or coins to buy. SwingAI calculates it using: Account Size Γ Risk % Γ· Stop Distance = Shares to buy. Example: $10,000 account, 2% risk ($200), stop distance $4 β buy 50 shares. This ensures every trade risks the same dollar amount regardless of the stop width.
What is the Kelly Criterion in the Calculator?
Kelly Criterion is a mathematical formula that calculates the optimal bet size based on your win rate and average win/loss ratio. SwingAI uses Fractional Kelly (25% of the full recommendation) for safety. Important: Kelly requires at least 20 completed trades to be meaningful. New traders should stick with the 2% rule until they have a real track record.
Is this financial advice?
No. SwingAI is an educational and analytical tool only. All analysis, signals, setups, and AI-generated content are for informational purposes. You are solely responsible for your trading decisions. Past performance shown in backtests does not guarantee future results. Never invest money you cannot afford to lose.
Features
How do I set a price alert?
Analyze any stock, then tap the π Set Price Alert button in the SETUP tab. Enter your target price and choose: Near Price, Crosses Above, or Falls Below. Enable push notifications when the app asks β alerts fire automatically even when the app is in the background. You can manage all alerts in the PORTFOLIO tab.
How do I use the Pattern Scanner?
Open the Screener (π button), tap the Patterns tab. Select one or more patterns β the more you select, the better the confluence scoring. Tap Scan for Confluence. Results show π’ High (3+ patterns), π‘ Medium (2 patterns), βͺ Single. The best setups combine Golden Cross + RSI Bounce + Bull Flag.
What is the morning digest?
The morning digest is an email sent every weekday at 7 AM ET with a pre-market briefing: market sentiment, top crypto setup, top stock setup, and key risks. Subscribe in βοΈ Settings. The digest is written in your language (English, Spanish, or French) based on your app language setting.
Why does the app need my account size?
Account size is stored locally on your device β it never leaves your phone. SwingAI uses it only to calculate position size and display dollar amounts in your currency. Without it, the platform shows generic percentages instead of real dollar figures.
Can I use this for crypto?
Yes. SwingAI supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and all major cryptocurrencies. Enter BTC, ETH, SOL etc. in the search bar. The SEPA methodology applies to crypto too β look for Stage 2 uptrends with high SEPA scores. Crypto is more volatile so consider tighter position sizing (1% risk instead of 2%).
Technical
Why are prices sometimes different from my broker?
SwingAI uses Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and TradingView for price data. Minor differences (cents) are normal due to timing β prices update every few minutes, not every second. For Canadian CDR stocks (like LLY on TSX), we use TradingView's Canadian scanner for accurate local prices. Always verify the exact price on your broker before placing an order.
How do I install SwingAI as an app?
SwingAI is a PWA (Progressive Web App) β it works like a native app without going through an app store. On iPhone: tap the Share button in Safari, then Add to Home Screen. On Android: tap the menu (three dots), then Add to Home Screen or Install App. On desktop: click the install icon in the browser address bar.
My analysis shows no swing signals. What does that mean?
No swing signals usually means the historical price data is unavailable for that symbol on our data plan. This can happen with: less liquid stocks, some international exchanges, or OTC stocks. Try analyzing the stock on a major exchange (e.g. TSX:SHOP instead of just SHOP for Canadian stocks). The OHLC bar lets you manually enter prices from the TradingView chart.
INTEL & AI Ranker
What is the INTEL Custom Scan?
The INTEL Custom Scan lets you enter up to 10 symbols and get AI analysis of each. Go to the INTEL tab, enter symbols separated by commas (e.g. AAPL, NVDA, TSX:SHOP, BTC), and tap Scan. SwingAI fetches live price, RSI, MACD, and trend for each symbol then sends them to Claude AI for analysis.
What does AI Rank & Optimize do?
After running a Custom Scan, AI Rank & Optimize sends all results to Claude Sonnet for cross-analysis. It ranks stocks from best to worst opportunity, may override the initial scan if it detects contradictions (e.g. RSI 80 flagged overbought despite a bullish bias), calculates R:R ratios, and gives you a calm action plan. Pro only β 3 uses per day.
What is an AI Override warning?
An AI Override appears when Claude Sonnet disagrees with the initial scan. Example: scan says BULLISH confidence 7 but RSI is 80 β the ranker flags this and downgrades confidence. Yellow override warnings are Claude correcting its own initial analysis. Pay attention to them.
What does BUY NOW vs WAIT FOR ENTRY mean?
BUY NOW means the price is near the entry zone and the setup is actionable today. WAIT FOR ENTRY means the setup is valid but price has not reached the ideal entry yet β set a price alert and wait. AVOID means conditions are not favorable. MONITOR means watch but do not trade yet.
Broker Connection
How do I connect my broker?
Go to the Portfolio tab and tap the Broker Connection card. You will see options based on your country: Questrade (Canada), Interactive Brokers (global), or Alpaca (US + paper trading everywhere). Each requires an API key from your broker account β paste it into SwingAI. Your keys are stored securely and never shared.
Is paper trading safe to try?
Yes β paper trading uses real market data but fake money. It is the best way to test SwingAI setups without risk. Connect Alpaca Paper Trading (free account at alpaca.markets). Available in all countries.
Which broker for Canada?
Questrade is recommended β supports TFSA and RRSP, low commissions, IIROC regulated. Interactive Brokers is excellent for larger accounts ($10K minimum). Alpaca works for paper trading in Canada but not live trading.
Which broker for Europe?
Interactive Brokers is the best option β MiFID II compliant, available in all EU countries. Alpaca Paper Trading also works for European users for testing.
How do I place a trade from SwingAI?
Analyze a stock, then tap the Trade button (green π°) in the SETUP tab. SwingAI pre-fills the order with AI-suggested entry price, position size, stop loss, and take profit. Review and confirm to send to your broker. Paper trades are marked [PAPER] so you always know which mode you are in.
Can SwingAI trade automatically?
No β SwingAI always requires your manual confirmation before placing any order. You remain in full control of every trade. SwingAI is a decision-support tool, not an autonomous trading bot.
Charts & Alerts
What is the Custom Chart?
The Custom Chart (π button in SETUP tab) shows a 90-day candlestick chart built from FMP price data with your AI trade levels overlaid: Entry (blue dashed), Stop Loss (red dashed), Target 1 (green dashed), Target 2 (purple dashed). A trade levels panel below shows prices with R:R ratios.
How do price alerts work?
Tap the Alert button (π) in the SETUP tab, enter a target price, choose Crosses Above or Falls Below, and tap Set Alert. SwingAI checks alerts every 5 minutes via a scheduled server job. When triggered you receive an email from alerts@tryswingai.com with the stock name, current price, and a link to open SwingAI.
Will I get an alert if the app is closed?
Yes β the alert system runs on Cloudflare servers every 5 minutes, independent of your device. You will receive an email whether your phone is on, off, or the app is closed.