Backtest · XAU/USD
Backtest Gold (XAUUSD) — Candle by Candle, Free
Gold is the market that punishes conviction without a plan. XAUUSD whips on news, spikes on fear, and respects levels right up until it doesn't. Backtesting it on real historical price is the only honest way to find out whether your setup survives gold's volatility.
Why backtest gold?
Gold's volatility is exactly why so many traders lose on it — a clean-looking setup gets shredded by a news spike, and a good week evaporates in one session. Backtesting XAUUSD shows you your real drawdown and win rate through that volatility, so you're not discovering it live.
It also has a personality worth learning: gold trends hard in the right macro backdrop and chops viciously in the wrong one. Replaying it teaches you which regime your edge belongs in.
What makes gold different to backtest
XAUUSD is a safe-haven asset — it tends to move inversely to real yields and the US dollar, and it catches a bid when risk sentiment sours. It's highly sensitive to CPI, Fed policy and geopolitics, produces large intraday dollar ranges, and respects big round numbers like magnets.
One standard lot of gold is 100 ounces, so a $1 move is worth $100 per lot — sizing errors are expensive here. Use the position size calculator to size gold trades correctly, and when you replay it, watch how it reacts at psychological levels and around scheduled news.
How to backtest gold in CRTLAB
Load XAUUSD, step through real price candle by candle, and log every setup — especially the news-spike losses. The full sample tells you whether your edge is robust to gold's volatility or only works when it's quiet.
Free gives you gold on the most recent two weeks; Pro unlocks ten years so you can test across calm ranges, trending runs and crisis-driven spikes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I backtest gold for free?
Yes. The free tier replays XAUUSD candle by candle on the most recent two weeks of real data, no card. Pro opens the full ten-year history.
Is gold good to backtest?
Yes — gold's volatility makes it one of the most valuable markets to test, because an untested setup will get punished by its news spikes. Backtesting is how you find out if your edge holds up.
How is gold position size calculated?
One lot of XAUUSD is 100 ounces, so a $1 move is $100 per lot. The position size calculator does the math from your balance, risk and stop distance.
Backtest gold free — no card needed
Replay XAUUSD candle by candle and find out if your edge survives gold's volatility. Start free in 30 seconds.
Start backtesting free →