Strategy naming
How every strategy name and code in the Engine is built — what MEIC, METF, Ratio, RIC and NoWings mean, the plain name of each, and how to read a code like METF_W30_SL95_P2-5_E1534_520.
Every strategy in the Engine has a short name and a code. This page explains what each part means, so you can read any strategy at a glance.
Quick help in the app: tap or hover any strategy name — in the Strategy Browser, the Portfolio Builder or the charts — and a tooltip decodes it in plain words. In the Browser, Rules on a row shows the full rule set (Strategy rules).
Why "MEIC" and "METF" — and what one row really is
The family names come from how these strategies are traded as a whole:
- MEIC = Multiple-Entry Iron Condor. The full strategy opens an iron condor at several entry times during the day.
- METF = Multiple-Entry Trend Following. The full strategy opens a credit spread at several entry times, and a trend filter picks the side each time.
One row in the catalog is one of those entries — a single iron condor (or spread) opened once per day at one entry time. The "multiple entries" appear when you combine several rows with different entry times in the Portfolio Builder. So a single MEIC row is, in plain words, simply an Iron Condor.
Plain name of every family
| Name in the Engine | Plain name | What one row trades |
|---|---|---|
| MEIC (MEIC Both Sides) | Iron Condor | Sells a put spread and a call spread at the same time. No trend filter. |
| MEIC-Put / MEIC-Call | Put Spread / Call Spread | Just one side of that iron condor. |
| METF 20-40 / 5-40 / 5-20 | EMA Trend Spread | Sells a put or a call spread. A trend filter (two EMAs on 1-minute bars, checked at the entry minute) picks the side: uptrend → put spread, downtrend → call spread. |
| METF-Put / METF-Call | EMA Trend Put / EMA Trend Call | Only the entries where the trend filter picked that side. |
| 1P:2C / 1C:2P | Ratio Spread 1 Put : 2 Call / 1 Call : 2 Put | One big spread against two small spreads on the other side. |
| RIC | Reverse Iron Condor | Buys a call and a put and sells further-out wings. Held to expiry. |
| NoWings (LSTG) | Long Strangle | Buys a call and a put, no wings. Held to expiry. |
The numbers after METF name the EMA pair: 20-40 = EMA 20 vs EMA 40, 5-40 = EMA 5 vs EMA 40, 5-20 = EMA 5 vs EMA 20.
Reading the Engine code
The Engine code (shown in the Portfolio Builder and in exports) lists every parameter in a fixed order:
{FAMILY}_W{width}_SL{stop}_P{premium}_E{entry time}[_{EMA}][_{side}]
Example: METF_W30_SL95_P2-5_E1534_520_P
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
METF | Family: MEIC, METF, R1P2C (Ratio 1 Put : 2 Call) or R1C2P (Ratio 1 Call : 2 Put) |
W30 | Spread width 30 points |
SL95 | Stop loss at 95% of the credit (SL0 = no stop) |
P2-5 | Premium target $2.50 per spread (the - is the decimal point) |
E1534 | Entry at 15:34 ET |
520 | EMA pair 5 / 20 — METF only |
P / C | Side: put-only or call-only. No suffix = both sides. |
More examples:
MEIC_W50_SL100_P2-5_E1000— Iron Condor, 50 wide, stop 100%, $2.50, entry 10:00.MEIC_W50_SL100_P2-5_E1000_C— the call-spread side of that iron condor.R1P2C_W150_SL95_P5-0_E1000— Ratio 1 Put : 2 Call; the big put spread is 150 wide at $5.00.
RIC and NoWings codes
RIC_W40_LCP6-0_LPP8-0_E1000_VIXODN0-01
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
RIC / LSTG | Reverse Iron Condor / Long Strangle (NoWings) |
W40 | Wings 40 points beyond the long options (RIC only) |
LCP6-0 / LPP8-0 | Long call priced about $6.00 / long put priced about $8.00 |
DLC60 / DLP60 | Instead of prices: long call / put chosen at 60 delta |
E1000 | Entry at 10:00 ET |
VIXODN0-01 / VIXNONE | VIX filter: only when VIX opens at least 0.01% lower / no filter. See Strategy rules. |
Reading the alternate code
The Format switch in the Portfolio Builder shows a shorter code instead:
{premium × 100}-{type}-{stop}-{width}-00
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
250-M-100-50-00 | $2.50 premium · M = MEIC · stop 100% · 50 wide |
250-E520-95-30-00 | $2.50 premium · E520 = METF with EMA 5/20 · stop 95% · 30 wide |
500-R1P2C-95-150-00 | $5.00 premium · Ratio 1 Put : 2 Call · stop 95% · 150 wide |
The entry time and the side (put / call) are shown in their own columns, not in this code. RIC and NoWings have no alternate code.
Old and new names
Since October 2026 the Strategy Browser shows the plain names: the variants filter and the Strategy column say Iron Condor, EMA Trend, Ratio 1P:2C, Reverse Iron Condor and so on instead of MEIC / METF / RIC. Use the table above to translate between them.
The codes do not change (MEIC_W50_…, 250-M-…), and the Portfolio
Builder, exports and the Learn pages still use MEIC and
METF. Tap any strategy name to see both.
Related
- Strategy rules — the exact rules of every family.
- Glossary — short definitions of every term.
- MEIC vs METF vs RATIO — the strategy logic in depth.
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