How to Interpret TradeLyser Dashboard Widget Metrics
TradeLyser dashboards pack dozens of metrics into small tiles and large charts. P&L, win rate, profit factor, expectancy, drawdown, and Sharpe-style ratios each answer a different question; reading them in isolation leads to false confidence or unnecessary panic. This guide explains what common widget metrics mean, how colors and trend arrows work, when percentages mislead, and how to combine KPIs with P&L widget, Win rate widget, Performance chart, Daily performance, and Monthly performance for coherent review.
Interpretation is not calculation—underlying math follows your trade data, fee settings, and filters. If numbers look impossible, fix sync and filters before relabeling a strategy failure. Use Generate reports to verify widget headlines. Customize which metrics you show via Customize dashboard and Add widgets. Loading problems: Dashboard not loading. Email support@tradelyser.com for persistent discrepancies.
Principles of reading dashboard metrics
| Principle | Application |
|---|---|
| Context | Same metric means different things for scalper vs swing trader |
| Sample size | Ten trades can show 80% win rate by chance |
| Time alignment | Today’s P&L vs MTD vs YTD must match your question |
| Definition | Realized vs unrealized; trade vs day win % |
| Trend vs level | Improving win rate with falling P&L is possible |
| Goals | Compare to your plan, not social media benchmarks |
Widgets are for direction and habit; reports are for proof and export.
P&L (profit and loss)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Net money made or lost after charges in scope |
| Good signal | Positive, stable growth over meaningful sample |
| Warning | Large positive with huge hidden drawdown |
| Widget variants | Net P&L, today, monthly—see P&L widget |
Amount vs story: +₹50,000 means little without knowing capital at risk and number of trades.
Action: If P&L negative over 30+ trades with your core setup, review expectancy—not only win rate.
Win rate (%)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Percentage of winning trades (or days for day win %) |
| Typical range | Highly strategy-dependent; 40–60% common for R:R systems |
| Misuse | Chasing 90% with tiny targets and large stops |
| Pair with | Avg win/loss, profit factor, P&L |
See Win rate widget.
ROI (return on investment %)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Return relative to capital base used in calculation |
| Good signal | Positive, consistent with risk taken |
| Caution | Small account + leverage inflates % |
| Annualize | Compare periods of different lengths in reports |
Widget ROI is a snapshot—do not annualize mentally from one green week.
Profit factor
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formula concept | Gross profits ÷ gross losses (absolute values) |
| > 1.0 | Gross wins exceed gross losses |
| < 1.0 | Losing system in period (before nuanced costs) |
| Very high | Possible small sample or few huge wins |
| Value | Rough read |
|---|---|
| < 1 | Net losing gross |
| 1 – 1.5 | Marginal |
| 1.5 – 2 | Solid for many retail systems |
| > 2 | Strong—verify sample size |
Expectancy
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | Average amount you expect per trade over sample |
| Formula concept | (Win% × Avg win) − (Loss% × Avg loss) |
| Positive | Edge per trade in rupees |
| Negative | Bleeding per trade—fix before sizing up |
Expectancy connects win rate and R:R in one number—more useful than win rate alone.
Average win / average loss and risk-reward
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Avg win | Mean profit on winners |
| Avg loss | Mean loss on losers (absolute) |
| Risk-reward ratio | Avg win ÷ avg loss |
High win rate with avg loss > avg win is a trap unless exits are managed actively.
Trade count and activity
| Metric | Use |
|---|---|
| Trade count | Sample size for other metrics |
| Too low | Win rate and profit factor unstable |
| Too high | Overtrading check vs plan |
Sudden trade count spike with falling P&L suggests discipline breakdown.
Drawdown metrics
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Max drawdown | Largest peak-to-trough drop in period |
| Average drawdown | Typical pain depth |
| Current drawdown | Live depth from peak |
| Reading | Action |
|---|---|
| Deep max DD | Review size and correlation |
| Recovering curve | See Performance chart |
| Flat at new highs | Drawdown zero—do not ignore prior DD memory |
Sharpe ratio (risk-adjusted return)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Concept | Return per unit of volatility/risk |
| Higher | Smoother risk-adjusted path (simplified) |
| Low sample | Unreliable on dashboard |
| Use | Compare strategies over same window in reports |
Retail traders should not optimize solely for Sharpe on 20 trades.
Streak widgets (day / trade)
| Widget | Counts |
|---|---|
| Current day streak | Consecutive winning days |
| Current trade streak | Consecutive winning trades |
Streaks motivate but regress to mean—do not size up purely on streak length.
Discipline, Lyser score, AI insights (if on dashboard)
| Type | How to read |
|---|---|
| Discipline score | Adherence to rules you defined—not market alpha |
| Lyser score | Composite performance index—see in-app tooltip |
| AI insights | Suggestions with confidence—verify against your plan |
Treat composites as summary, not replacement for trade journal notes.
Colors, arrows, and UI cues
| Cue | Typical meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Positive / favorable vs metric definition |
| Red | Negative / unfavorable |
| Yellow / neutral | Breakeven band or caution |
| Arrow up | Improving vs prior window |
| Arrow down | Declining vs prior window |
| Flat arrow | Stable |
Colors reflect metric polarity, not “buy/sell” signals. Red on drawdown widget when drawdown shrinks may still be “good” contextually—read the label.
Percentage vs absolute amount
| Show | When it helps |
|---|---|
| ₹ amount | Risk decisions, taxes, withdrawals |
| % | Comparing to account size or prior period |
| Both | Full picture on some tiles |
A +2% day on ₹10 lakh differs from +2% on ₹25,000. Prefer rupees for lifestyle and risk; use % for relative progress.
Time granularity: trade, day, month
| Level | Widget examples |
|---|---|
| Trade | Win rate, expectancy, profit factor |
| Day | Daily performance bars, day win % |
| Month | Monthly performance bars |
| Continuous | Performance chart, equity curve |
Mismatch example: Green monthly P&L with low trade win rate—a few large winning days drove the month (Daily performance).
Filters that change every metric
| Filter | Effect |
|---|---|
| Account | Scopes all widgets |
| Date range | Defines population |
| Symbol/strategy/tags | Subset analytics |
Before calling a metric “wrong,” screenshot active filters and compare to Generate reports.
Reading metrics together: cheat sheet
| If you see… | Also check… | Possible conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| High win rate, red P&L | Avg loss, profit factor | Cutting winners / letting losers run |
| Green P&L, low win rate | Avg win, expectancy | Trend system working |
| High profit factor, choppy chart | Trade count | Few huge wins—fragile |
| Low drawdown, flat P&L | Trade count | Under-trading or tiny size |
| Rising win rate, falling expectancy | Avg win shrinking | Smaller wins, same losses |
Common misinterpretations
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “70% win rate = good trader” | Can still lose money |
| “Green today = validate strategy” | One day noise |
| “Sharpe on dashboard = institutional grade” | Needs data length and clean inputs |
| “Removing red widget fixes losses” | Display only; see Remove widgets |
| “Widgets slower = bad data” | May be too many heavy charts |
Workflow: 10-minute metric review
- Set intentional date range (e.g. last 20 sessions or MTD).
- Read P&L and expectancy first.
- Check profit factor and avg win/loss.
- Glance win rate for execution, not ego.
- Open daily or monthly bar widget for distribution.
- View performance chart for drawdown path.
- Log one sentence in journal; deep dive in reports if anomaly.
Troubleshooting metric confusion
| Symptom | Steps |
|---|---|
| Two widgets conflict | Align filters; read tooltips |
| Tooltip unclear | Hover longer; check docs for widget |
| Breakeven trades skew win rate | Review trade classification settings |
| After import spike | Duplicate trades—fix import |
| Mentor sees different number | Mentee filter scope |
support@tradelyser.com with metric name, range, account.
Frequently asked questions
Which metric matters most?
Expectancy and net P&L over meaningful sample—then risk (drawdown).
Why green win rate and red P&L?
Losses larger than wins or few big losers.
Are widget metrics real-time?
Near real-time after sync; not exchange tick MTM unless stated.
Do fees affect all metrics?
Net metrics yes; understand gross vs net in settings.
Can I trust trend arrows?
They compare to prior window—know what window the app uses.
Day win % vs trade win %?
Day = winning days ratio; trade = winning trades ratio.
How many trades for stable win rate?
Often 50+ for rough stability; 100+ better.
Should beginners use every widget?
Start with P&L, win rate, trade count, one chart—expand later.
Where full definitions?
TradeLyser tooltips, reports glossary, this guide, support.
Dashboard vs report which is truth?
Same engine usually—filters must match; reports for audit.
Help contact?
Related guides
- P&L widget
- Win rate widget
- Performance chart widget
- Daily performance widget
- Monthly performance widget
- Customize dashboard
- Add widgets
- Switch dashboard templates
- Generate reports
- Dashboard not loading
Support: support@tradelyser.com for TradeLyser metric or calculation questions.