Vantedge FlowPilot finds the same stacked footprint imbalances whatever mode it runs in. The Mode setting only decides what it does with them: buy with the stack, sell against it, or let the market's current regime decide. It also changes how arming works, which is the part that catches most new users out.
The three modes at a glance
| Mode | Bullish stack means | Bearish stack means | Arming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Follow | Buy | Sell | By hand, one trade per arm |
| Fade | Sell | Buy | By hand, one trade per arm |
| Auto (default) | Buy in Trend, sell in Regression | Sell in Trend, buy in Regression | Re-arms Both at every bar close |
Follow: trade with the push
Follow treats a stack as evidence that aggressive traders are moving price and that the move may continue. A stack of buying imbalances means buy at market, with the bracket attached.
A trader might choose Follow on a session where they already expect directional movement, for example after a strong overnight move, and want FlowPilot to join pushes in that direction only. Pair it with the trend filters described below.
Fade: trade against the push
Fade reads the same stack the other way. Heavy aggression that fails to move the market far often gets absorbed, and price snaps back. A bullish stack becomes a sell.
Fade is the natural choice when you expect rotation, for example inside a well-defined range. It is also a reason the Require Congruent Delta filter matters: it still insists that bar delta agrees with the stack, so you are fading genuine aggression, not a bar that was mixed to begin with.
Auto: let the regime decide
Auto uses Follow while the market is in a Trend regime and Fade while it is in a Regression regime. At every bar close FlowPilot measures how closely price change has followed delta over the last few bars. A high correlation suggests aggression is moving price (Trend). A low or negative one suggests aggression is being absorbed (Regression).
Two extra rules shape the result. A wide session range compared with your bracket votes for Trend. And during the first three bars of each session (Open Warm-up Bars), Auto always uses Regression, because the opening rotation fades more often than it follows. The Mode button shows the live result, for example "Mode: Auto (Trend)".
The FlowPilot user guide lists every threshold behind the regime and how changing it shifts the balance between following and fading.
The arming difference
This is where the modes really differ in daily use.
- Auto arms itself. At every bar close it selects Arm Both, until the daily goal or max loss locks the session. You can leave it running.
- Follow and Fade only trade after you press Arm Long, Arm Short or Arm Both, and they disarm after each entry. Each press gives one trade at most.
The most common support question, "Follow mode never trades", has exactly this answer. Only Auto re-arms by itself.
The manual arming in Follow and Fade is not a flaw. It turns FlowPilot into a semi-automatic tool: you decide when a setup is worth taking, and the strategy handles the stack detection, entry and bracket.
Trend Long and Trend Short: the other half of direction
The two trend filter buttons work in every mode. Both are on by default, which allows both directions. Click one to switch it off and block that side completely.
- Auto with Trend Short off: FlowPilot can still fade bearish stacks by buying, and follow bullish stacks in Trend, but never goes short.
- Follow with only Trend Long on: a long-only momentum setup.
- Fade with only Trend Short on: sell into buying stacks, never buy.
The filters block a direction of trade, not a type of stack, so think in terms of the order that would be sent.
Switching modes during the session
Click the Mode button to cycle between Auto, Follow and Fade while the strategy runs. The Close button exits an open position at market but does not disarm, so if you want a full stop, switch off the arm as well. The Mode setting in the strategy properties only sets the starting state.
Which mode should you test first?
Auto is the shipped default and the one the Balanced profile assumes. Start there on Sim101, then try Follow and Fade on specific session types to see how they differ on your instrument. Compare FlowPilot with the Level 2 alternative on the comparison page, or see the plan on the FlowPilot product page.
Choosing a mode is choosing how to be wrong as well as how to be right, and futures losses can be fast. Run each mode on SIM or in Market Replay before trusting it with an evaluation, funded or live account.