Getting Started

DeltaCortex tracks your cash-secured puts and covered calls, and surfaces one clear next move for every position — with the reasoning shown, not hidden. This page gets you from a fresh signup to your first tracked position.

1 Start your free trial

Go to deltacortex.app and enter your email when prompted. That starts a 14-day trial immediately — no credit card required.

Privacy note: your email is used only to identify your trial on this device. It isn't shared or used for marketing, and your positions and market data key never leave your browser (or your own private GitHub Gist, if you turn on Cloud Sync later).

2 Connect your market data key

DeltaCortex uses MarketData.app for live option quotes — prices, Greeks, and IV. Sign up for a free or paid key on their site, then paste it into the onboarding step (or later from Settings → Market Data Connection). It's stored only in this browser, never on a DeltaCortex server.

You can skip this during onboarding and add it later — the app still opens without it, you just won't get live prices until it's connected.

3 Add your first position

Onboarding ends with two options:

Load an example position — the fastest way to see how a position card, its drawer, and the Today's Decisions panel work before you enter anything real. You can clear it anytime from the trash icon.
Start fresh — add your own open put or call right away via the + Add button.

A full walkthrough of adding positions manually, importing trades from a CSV export, and using the CSP/CC/Roll scanners will live in the upcoming Core Workflows section.

4 Get oriented on the main screen

Six dashboard cards summarize your whole book at a glance:

Total P&L

Unrealized profit/loss across every open position, marked at current price.

Needs Action

Positions flagged for a real decision right now — loss stops, assignment risk, idle capital, or earnings crossing.

Deployed

Percent of buying power tied up in collateral and share value. Target ~60%.

Available BP

Buying power not currently locked as collateral — what's free for a new trade right now.

Weekly Goal

Of the next 8 weeks, how many are on pace to hit your weekly income goal from open CSPs/CCs.

Monthly Yield

Premium captured from closed trades this month, as a percent of buying power. Target 1–2%.

Below that, the main tabs:

📊 Positions — your open puts, calls, and assigned shares
✅ Weekly Audit — a guided pass through anything that needs a decision this week
📅 Weekly Review — a look back at the week's activity
📈 Performance — closed-trade history and analytics
📋 Guide — the in-app Decision Guide (see callout below)
⚙️ Settings — license, market data, backup/sync, portfolio configuration

Looking for strategy explanations? Health Score bands, how to read the Smart Action column, position sizing, and the profit-taking framework are all covered in depth by the in-app Guide tab — this docs site won't duplicate that content.

5 What's free vs. what needs a license

Raw position tracking (ticker, strike, expiration, entry/current price, basic P&L) always stays available, trial or not. An active license — active during your 14-day trial, or after a paid plan — unlocks the decision engine (Health Score, Smart Action, eject prices, capital efficiency), the CSP/CC scanners, Weekly Review, and Cloud Sync. Manage your license anytime from Settings → License.

What's next

Core Workflows

Adding & importing positions, running the scanners, rolling and closing.

Read it ↗

Settings & Data

Local Backup vs. Cloud Sync, Portfolio Configuration, Event Dates, License.

Read it ↗

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Common setup issues and what they mean.

Read it ↗