> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alphayou.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Full-book vs Forward-only

> The two ways to start a copy: inherit a trader's current positions, or only follow what they do from here.

> [!NOTE]
>
> In the copy setup, tick **Forward-only** to use it; leave it off for Full-book. For the risks that belong to each, read [Forward-only copy versus full position sync](https://app.alphayou.net/blog/forward-only-vs-full-position-sync).

When you start copying a trader, you have to decide one thing up front: do you want their existing open positions too, or only the trades they make from this point on? That choice is locked in once you start, so it's worth understanding before you click go.

## Full-book (the default)

Full-book gives you what the trader is holding **right now**, plus everything they do after that. If they're currently long BTC and short ETH when you start copying, your wallet opens a proportional long BTC and short ETH position immediately. From there, every new trade they make gets mirrored too.

Think of it as: "give me their entire book as it stands today, and keep it in sync going forward."

## Forward-only

Forward-only ignores whatever the trader is currently holding and only copies **new** positions they open after you start. If they're long BTC when you turn this on, you won't get that position, but if they open a new SOL trade an hour later, you will.

Think of it as: "I don't know how they got to where they are now, just follow what they do from here."

## Which one should you pick?

There's no universally correct answer, it depends on how you feel about a trader's current exposure.

* **Pick Full-book** if you trust the trader's current positioning as much as their future decisions, and you want to be fully in sync with their book right away.
* **Pick Forward-only** if you'd rather not inherit positions that were opened at a price or market condition you didn't see, and you only want exposure to decisions made after you joined.

Either way, once your strategy is running, AlphaYou mirrors it automatically. See [how copying works](https://docs.alphayou.net/how-copying-works.md) for the rest of the mechanics.


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