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First steps

Complete the first-launch setup and make sure Spectral is ready for your workflow.

Recommended first steps

Personalize Spectral in a few minutes.

Nothing below is mandatory. We recommend reviewing these settings after your first launch so Spectral matches your preferences and account context.

  1. 01
    Settings / General

    Set your general preferences

    Open Settings and select the Generaltab. Choose your preferred calendar date format and enter a nickname.

    Spectral Settings General tab showing calendar date format and nickname fields
    Set the date format and nickname you want to use.
  2. 02
    Settings / Trading

    Set your default trade sizes

    Set the defaults you want Spectral to use when preparing trades. OpenStock Trading for stocks, then Option Tradingfor options.

    Stock Trading

    Set the default trade size for stocks.

    Option Trading

    Set the default trade size for options.

  3. 03
    Trading / Sidebar settings

    Choose your trading defaults

    From the Trading view, open the sidebar settings and select the Setup tab. Switch Stocks Auto Qtyand Options Auto Qty on or off as desired. You can also switch Auto Expiry on or off.

    Trading view Setup tab showing Stocks Auto Qty, Options Auto Qty, and Auto Expiry toggles
    Configure the trading defaults that fit your workflow.
  4. 04
    Step four / Account & License

    Set up the current account

    Open the Account & License tab. Set an account name for the currently logged-in account, then enter its initial balance. Spectral uses the initial balance for more useful trade analytics.

    Spectral Account and License settings showing account labels and performance baseline fields
    Set the name and initial balance for the current account.
  5. 05
    Step five

    Save your settings

    Click Save Settings in the top-right corner. You can change these preferences again at any time.

  6. 06
    Optional history import

    Load historical trades

    If you traded before using Spectral, import your earlier IBKR history to start with a more complete record for Portfolio, Journal, and Analytics.

    Open the IBKR Flex Query import guide