How to Write the Perfect System Prompt for Your Trading Style (3 Battle-Tested Templates)
Same EA. Two different prompts. Completely different results.
Week one with DoIt Alpha Pulse AI: +29.85% using an aggressive growth prompt.
Week two, same EA, conservative prompt: +8.2% with only 2.1% drawdown.
The difference? The system prompt. Your prompt literally IS your AI trading strategy.
After testing dozens of ChatGPT trading prompts with real money, I've learned that 90% of traders are using AI completely wrong. They're asking ChatGPT questions when they should be programming it with system prompts.
Let me show you exactly how to write prompts that turn AI into your personal trading assistant.
Why System Prompts Are the Future of AI Trading Strategy
There's a massive difference between chat prompts and system prompts that most traders miss.
Chat prompts are one-off questions: "Should I buy EURUSD?" or "What's the trend on gold?" These give you opinions, not strategies.
System prompts are persistent instructions that define HOW the AI thinks about every single trade. They're the difference between asking for advice and having a trading partner.
DoIt Alpha Pulse AI uses system prompts to maintain consistent trading logic across GPT-5, Claude 3, and Gemini. Each model interprets the same prompt differently, which is why understanding prompt engineering is crucial.
The Multi-Model Advantage
Here's what I discovered in week 2 of testing:
GPT-5 excels at understanding market context. Give it a prompt about "institutional order flow" and it actually understands what you mean. It processes news sentiment better than any other model.
Claude 3 is the risk management genius. Its logical processing means it never breaks your risk rules. When my prompt says "maximum 2% risk," Claude will calculate position sizes to the decimal.
Gemini is the execution speed demon. With sub-500ms response times, it's perfect for scalping prompts. But it needs simpler, more direct instructions.
The magic happens when you write prompts that leverage each model's strengths. That's exactly what these templates do.
The Anatomy of a Perfect Trading System Prompt
Every successful ChatGPT trading prompt needs six essential components. Miss one, and your AI trading strategy falls apart.
1. Role Definition (Who the AI Should Be)
Start every prompt by telling the AI exactly who it is. Not "you are a trader" but specific:
"You are a conservative institutional trader with 15 years experience managing pension fund assets. Your primary mandate is capital preservation with steady returns."
This single sentence changes everything about how the AI interprets market data.
2. Market Context (What You're Trading)
Be specific about:
- Timeframes: "Focus on H4 for trend, M15 for entry"
- Pairs: "Trade only major forex pairs during their active sessions"
- Sessions: "London open (8 AM - 12 PM GMT) exclusively"
Vague prompts create vague trades. Specific prompts create specific profits.
3. Entry Criteria (Crystal Clear Conditions)
Here's where most ChatGPT trading prompts fail. They say "find good trades" instead of:
"Enter long when:
1. Price breaks above 20 EMA on H4
2. RSI is between 45-65 (not overbought)
3. Volume is 20% above 20-period average
4. No high-impact news in next 2 hours"
The AI can't read your mind. Define EXACTLY what constitutes a valid setup.
4. Risk Management (Non-Negotiable Rules)
This section should be the longest in your prompt:
"Risk Management Protocol:
- Never risk more than 1% per trade
- Stop loss: 1.5x ATR from entry
- If 2 consecutive losses: reduce position size by 50%
- Daily loss limit: 3% (stop trading if reached)
- Never add to losing positions
- Scale out 50% at 1:1 risk/reward"
5. Exit Strategy (When to Get Out)
Most traders obsess over entries and forget exits. Your prompt needs both:
"Exit positions when:
- Target 1 (50%): 1:1 risk/reward
- Target 2 (25%): 2:1 risk/reward
- Target 3 (25%): Let run with trailing stop at break-even + 10 pips
- Emergency exit: If trade goes against by 50% of stop loss within first 5 minutes"
6. Output Format (What You Want Back)
Tell the AI exactly how to respond:
"Provide trading signals in this format:
PAIR: [e.g., EURUSD]
ACTION: [BUY/SELL/WAIT]
ENTRY: [specific price]
STOP LOSS: [specific price]
TAKE PROFIT: [specific price]
RISK: [percentage and dollar amount]
CONFIDENCE: [1-10 score]
REASONING: [one sentence]"
No essays. No analysis. Just actionable signals.
Template 1: Conservative System Prompt for Prop Firms
This prompt helped me pass a prop firm challenge on the second attempt. It prioritizes survival over profits.
You are a risk-averse institutional trader managing a proprietary trading firm account. Your primary objective is capital preservation with consistent, steady growth. You've been trading for 15 years and never blown an account. TRADING RULES: Market Selection: - Trade only major forex pairs (EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, USDCHF) - Focus on London and New York sessions only - Avoid trading 30 minutes before and after high-impact news Entry Criteria: - Require minimum 3 confluence factors: * Trend alignment on H4 and H1 * Support/resistance level test * Momentum confirmation (RSI between 40-60) * Volume above 20-period average - Never chase price - wait for pullbacks - Maximum 2 trades per day Risk Management (CRITICAL): - Maximum risk per trade: 0.5% - Daily drawdown limit: 2% - Weekly drawdown limit: 4% - Stop loss: Maximum 30 pips - Minimum risk/reward: 1:2 - If daily target hit (+1%): Stop trading - After 2 losses: Stop for the day - Position sizing: Calculate based on stop loss to risk exactly 0.5% Exit Strategy: - TP1 (50%): 1:1 risk/reward - TP2 (30%): 1.5:1 risk/reward - TP3 (20%): 2:1 risk/reward - Move stop to breakeven after TP1 hit - Trail stop by 15 pips after TP2 Output Format: Respond only with: SIGNAL: [YES/NO] If YES, provide: PAIR | DIRECTION | ENTRY | SL | TP1 | TP2 | TP3 | RISK %
Why This Conservative Prompt Works
The beauty is in the constraints. By limiting to 0.5% risk and 2 trades daily, you're forced to be selective. The prop firm doesn't care if you make 20% monthly - they care that you don't breach drawdown limits.
In my testing, this prompt with DoIt Alpha Pulse AI generated:
- Week 2: +8.2% with 2.1% maximum drawdown
- 73% win rate (but small winners)
- Zero daily limit breaches
Perfect for funded accounts where one mistake costs you everything.
Template 2: Aggressive Growth System Prompt
Warning: This prompt is for small accounts you can afford to lose. I use it on my $1,000 "experiment" account, not my main capital.
You are an aggressive momentum trader focused on rapid account growth. You accept higher volatility for higher returns. Your goal is to double the account within 3 months while managing downside risk. TRADING APPROACH: Market Selection: - Trade all major pairs + GOLD (XAUUSD) - Focus on highest volatility pairs during news - Trade all sessions but prioritize London/NY overlap - Actively seek volatility events Entry Criteria: - Strong momentum breaks only: * Price breaks 20-period high/low * Volume spike 50% above average * RSI above 70 or below 30 (trade WITH momentum) - Add to winners if momentum continues - Maximum 5 positions simultaneously Risk Management: - Base risk per trade: 2% - If win rate >70% over last 20 trades: Increase to 3% - If win rate <50% over last 20 trades: Reduce to 1% - Daily drawdown limit: 10% - Scale into positions: 1% initial, add 1% if profitable - Use mental stops, not hard stops (monitor closely) Aggressive Exit Strategy: - No fixed targets - ride momentum - Trail stop aggressively: 20 pips behind current price - Partial profits: * 25% at +20 pips * 25% at +40 pips * Let 50% run with trailing stop - Cut losses quickly if momentum reverses Position Scaling Logic: If position is +10 pips: Add 50% more size If position is +20 pips: Add final 50% size Maximum position: 3x initial size Output Format: ACTION: [BUY/SELL/ADD/CLOSE/WAIT] PAIR: [symbol] SIZE: [lots] REASON: [momentum indicator] CONFIDENCE: [1-10]
Real Results with This Aggressive Prompt
Week 1 testing (the +29.85% week) used a variation of this prompt:
- 5 winning days
- Largest single day: +19.25% (gold trade)
- Largest drawdown: -8.3% (recovered same day)
- Total trades: 47
This isn't sustainable long-term. It's for growing small accounts quickly while accepting the risk of losing them.
Template 3: News Event Scalping Prompt
This specialized prompt turns Gemini's speed advantage into profits during high-impact news.
You are a news event specialist trader focusing exclusively on high-impact economic releases. You trade the immediate volatility within the first 60 seconds of news releases. NEWS TRADING PROTOCOL: Eligible Events (ONLY TRADE THESE): - NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls) - FOMC Minutes/Decisions - ECB Rate Decisions - CPI/Inflation Data - GDP Releases - Central Bank Speeches (Presidents/Chairs only) Pre-News Setup (5 minutes before): - Identify expected vs forecast deviation scenarios - Set mental brackets: +/- 30 pips from current price - Reduce all other positions to zero - Prepare for bi-directional volatility Entry Execution: - Wait for initial spike (first 5-10 seconds) - Enter on first pullback after spike - Direction: Follow the spike if >20 pips - Fade the spike if <20 pips (usually false) - Maximum entry window: 60 seconds post-release Scalping Risk Management: - Risk per news trade: 1% - Stop loss: 10 pips maximum - No additions to positions - Maximum 1 trade per news event - If stopped out: Wait for next news event Lightning Exit Rules: - Target 1: 10 pips (50% off) - Target 2: 20 pips (30% off) - Target 3: Trail remaining 20% by 5 pips - Time stop: Close all after 5 minutes regardless Post-News Protocol: - Win or lose: Stop trading for 30 minutes - Log the event outcome - Update deviation expectations Output Format: NEWS: [Event name] DEVIATION: [Actual vs Expected] ACTION: [BUY/SELL/SKIP] ENTRY: [Exact price] STOPS: [SL and TP levels]
News Prompt Performance
Backtested on last 12 NFP releases:
- 9 profitable trades
- Average winner: +18 pips
- Average loser: -10 pips
- Total: +132 pips
The key is Gemini's speed. By the time human traders react, Gemini has already analyzed the deviation and entered.
Multi-Model Prompt Optimization for AI Trading Strategy
Here's the advanced technique that changed everything: using different models for different parts of your trading.
Model-Specific Strengths
GPT-5 for Market Analysis:
Temperature: 0.4 Use for: Pre-market analysis, news interpretation, trend identification Prompt style: Detailed, contextual, analytical
Claude 3 for Risk Decisions:
Temperature: 0.3 Use for: Position sizing, stop loss calculation, drawdown management Prompt style: Mathematical, logical, rule-based
Gemini for Execution:
Temperature: 0.2 Use for: Entry timing, scalping, quick exits Prompt style: Simple, direct, action-oriented
Temperature Settings Matter
Most traders don't realize ChatGPT trading prompts have temperature settings. For trading:
- 0.2-0.3: Maximum consistency, minimal creativity (best for entries/exits)
- 0.4-0.5: Balanced analysis and interpretation (best for market analysis)
- 0.6+: Too creative, avoid for trading
In DoIt Alpha Pulse AI, I use 0.3 for all execution prompts and 0.5 for analysis prompts.
Combining Models in One Strategy
Here's my live setup:
- Morning: GPT-5 analyzes market conditions with analytical prompt
- Trading: Claude 3 evaluates setups against risk rules
- Execution: Gemini handles rapid entry/exit with simple prompt
- Review: GPT-5 analyzes what happened for tomorrow's context
Each model gets a prompt optimized for its role. That's how you achieve consistency with AI trading.
Testing and Refining Your ChatGPT Trading Prompts
Don't trust any prompt with real money until you've tested it properly. Here's my testing protocol:
Phase 1: Historical Backtesting
Take your prompt and manually test it on historical data:
- Pick 20 random trading days from the last 3 months
- Apply your prompt rules to each day
- Track hypothetical results
- Identify pattern failures
If the prompt doesn't show profit historically, it won't work live.
Phase 2: Demo Testing
Run the prompt on a demo account for minimum 2 weeks:
- Track every signal
- Note when the AI gets confused
- Identify prompt ambiguities
- Refine the language
Phase 3: Small Live Testing
Start with 0.1% risk per trade:
- Test for 1 week
- Verify execution matches expectations
- Check if the AI follows all rules
- Document any deviation
Iteration Process
After each week, refine your prompt:
Week 1 Issue: AI entered during news
Fix: Added "No trades 30 minutes before/after high-impact news"
Week 2 Issue: Stops too tight on gold
Fix: Added "For XAUUSD, multiply stop distance by 1.5"
Week 3 Issue: Too many trades
Fix: Added "Maximum 3 trades per day"
Every iteration makes the prompt stronger.
Integration with DoIt Alpha Pulse AI
These prompts aren't theoretical - they're running live in DoIt Alpha Pulse AI right now.
The EA includes:
- All 3 templates pre-configured
- 7 additional specialized prompts (trend, reversal, range, etc.)
- Custom prompt upload feature
- Automatic model selection based on prompt type
You can literally copy-paste these prompts or write your own. The EA handles the connection to GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini automatically.
Most importantly: when GPT-6 releases, your prompts keep working. The EA updates itself to use newer models while maintaining your strategy logic.
Your Next Steps with System Prompts
Start with the conservative template. Even if you're aggressive by nature, learn how the AI interprets instructions with lower risk first.
Track everything in your Trading Agenda - which prompts work, which fail, and why. The discipline of tracking will reveal patterns you'd otherwise miss.
Remember: your prompt is your strategy. A vague prompt creates vague results. A specific prompt creates specific profits.
The future of trading isn't just AI - it's personalized AI that trades exactly how YOU want it to trade. These templates are your starting point. Where you take them is limited only by your imagination.
P.S. - Week 3 update: Testing a hybrid prompt that combines conservative entries with aggressive position management. Early results show +12% with 3.8% drawdown. The perfect middle ground might exist after all.
P.P.S. - If you're wondering why I'm sharing these exact prompts: simple. The prompt is only 20% of the equation. Execution, discipline, and risk management are the other 80%. Most traders will read this and never implement it properly. Those who do will understand why DoIt Alpha Pulse AI exists - to handle the execution perfectly while you focus on strategy.
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