Share New Research 
"How should I go about implementing a custom alpha model in QuantConnect?" "How can I effectively develop and deploy my own alpha strategy using QuantConnect's data library, backtesting framework, and order execution capabilities?"
QuantConnect Community Discussions
QUANTCONNECT COMMUNITY
Upvote
QuantConnectâ„¢ 2025. All Rights Reserved
Mia Alissi
To implement a custom Alpha model in QuantConnect, you can follow these steps:
AlphaModelclass. This class must implement theUpdatemethod, which receives aSliceobject and returns an array ofInsightobjects. Extensions should also implement theOnSecuritiesChangedmethod to track security changes in the universe. Here is an example in Python:(Source: Key Concepts)
Initializemethod of your algorithm, call theAddAlphamethod and pass an instance of your Alpha model.(Source: Key Concepts)
(Source: Key Concepts)
Generate Insights: The Alpha model predicts market trends and signals the best moments to trade. These signals, or
Insightobjects, contain theDirection,Magnitude, andConfidenceof a market prediction and the suggested portfolioWeight. You should generate insights on the set of assets provided by the Universe Selection model and only generate them when your predictions change.Backtest and Live Trade: Once you have implemented your Alpha model and added it to your algorithm, you can backtest your algorithm using QuantConnect's backtesting framework. If the backtest results are satisfactory, you can then deploy your algorithm for live trading.
Remember, developing an Alpha model requires a good understanding of the financial markets and the specific assets you are trading. You should also be familiar with the Python programming language and the QuantConnect API.
The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by QuantConnect. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. QuantConnect makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. You should consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions.
Kelvin Yeo
Hi, I keep getting this error
despite having this def in the class:
Been trying with the samples such as NullAlphaModel but can't work. Can anyone advise?
The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by QuantConnect. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. QuantConnect makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. You should consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions.
Kelvin Yeo
I narrowed down and find that if my main.py adds an Equity like
then the custom alphamodel fails to run.
The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by QuantConnect. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. QuantConnect makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. You should consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions.
Kelvin Yeo
Found the true issue, for some reason, cannot use this in main
The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by QuantConnect. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. QuantConnect makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. You should consult with an investment professional before making any investment decisions.
To unlock posting to the community forums please complete at least 30% of Boot Camp.
You can continue your Boot Camp training progress from the terminal. We hope to see you in the community soon!