How to Set Up Your Workspace in Secret Terminal

Video: setting up a workspace from scratch

Your workspace in a trading terminal isn't just a bunch of open windows. It's a configuration that either helps you trade or gets in the way. One extra click during a momentum move and the entry is gone. An awkward layout and your eyes give out after an hour before the market even prints a signal.

This guide covers setup from scratch: which modules you need, how to position them, how to link them together, and how to save different layouts for different trading scenarios.

What Makes Up a Workspace

Secret Terminal is built around the Workspace concept. Each workspace is its own scene with its own set of modules, window arrangement, and settings inside each of them.

There's no limit on the number of workspaces. You can create one for scalping three coins simultaneously, another for a watchlist and funding rate monitoring, and a third for post-session analysis.

The core modules you'll build your workspace from:

• Order Book — shows limit orders on both sides, density levels, SL/TP positions, and open orders
• Tape (Time & Sales) — a real-time stream of executed trades, filterable by volume
• Chart — candlestick or Renko chart with levels, clusters, drawing tools, and positions
• Quotes (screener) — a table of active instruments with filters for volume, price change, trade count, and density
• Funding — a module showing the current funding rate and countdown to the next settlement
• Listing — a list of new trading pairs with the ability to instantly pull a coin into the order book

Each module opens from the taskbar. You can move them, resize them, snap them to each other, and group them into linked sets.

The terminal autosaves everything locally. No need to hit "Save" — the position of every window and its settings are written to your profile the moment you change them. If the power cuts out or the internet drops, your layout will be exactly where you left it on the next launch.

Window Layout: Chart, Order Book, Tape, Screener

Getting your window positions right solves two things at once: how fast you process data and how fast you act on it. An order book that's far from the chart means moving your eyes across the whole screen. Sounds minor, but over an eight-hour session that adds up to real eye strain.

Basic positioning principle: order book and tape in the center or on the right, chart on the left or top, quotes on the side or on a second monitor.

When you're running multiple order books at once (say, three pairs), snap them to each other — not to the screen edges. Snapping to the screen boundary makes them end up different sizes and out of alignment. Snapping the second and third to the first one keeps them all sized consistently.

The chart attaches to the top of the interface, not to the order book. That way the whole window group moves together when you resize anything.

The Linking Feature: Window Groups

The most useful feature for multi-instrument layouts. Linking ties the order book, chart, and quotes into a single group. Pick a coin in the screener — the order book and chart switch to it automatically. No manual ticker entry.

Two ways to work with linked groups:

• Open a coin first, then link the order book to the chart. The link works from that point on.
• Link all windows upfront, then start selecting coins. From that point, opening any ticker updates all linked modules at once.

For scalping three pairs, the typical setup is: six order books (three futures, three spot), three charts, with each pair tied into its own Linking group. Switching between pairs is one click in the screener.

Alternative way to switch instruments: double-click a ticker in the quotes table to copy it to the clipboard, then Tab into the order book to open the input field, Ctrl+V — coin loaded.

For more on reading the order book and analyzing density levels, see the article "Order Book in Trading".

Multi-Monitor Setup

Full multi-monitor support is built in. You can stretch the terminal across multiple screens or open separate windows on each monitor — both work correctly.

I typically run two monitors. The main one has my order books with the tape and charts for active positions. The second has the quotes screener and the listings window when I'm watching for a new listing. That way I'm not minimizing and maximizing windows in the middle of active trading.

Workspaces remember the window layout for each monitor. If you physically disconnect a screen (say, when switching to laptop), the interface automatically adjusts to the available display. Windows don't get lost or fly off-screen.

Minimum system requirements for comfortable multi-monitor use:

Running 6+ order books alongside a high-frequency tape puts real demand on RAM. At 4 GB you may see lag during high-volatility periods. At 8 GB it runs stably for most scenarios.

For connecting to exchanges via API and setting up security keys, see the article "Creating API Keys and Connecting to the Terminal".

Saving and Switching Presets

Every workspace is a preset. Build a layout, give it a name ("Scalp 3 Pairs," "Watchlist," "Intraday"), and it stays in the workspace list. One click to switch.

Autosave requires nothing from you. The terminal records the current state of every workspace to your local profile after any change. Closed an order book, opened a new one, moved the chart — it's all remembered.

There's also support for designer presets (color themes). The team periodically releases new themes through the Telegram channel. Download the file, apply it — the interface changes colors without touching your layout settings.

Don't try to fit everything into one workspace. Scalping three coins and analyzing the market are different jobs that need different data. It's worth building a separate Workspace for each scenario.

Practical structure that works for most traders:

• Workspace 1: Trading — order books for active pairs, tape, 1m/5m charts
• Workspace 2: Monitoring — quotes screener, funding rate across multiple instruments, listings
• Workspace 3: Analysis — higher timeframe charts (1h/4h), trade journal

Switching between them takes a second. No rebuilding the layout every time.

If you're just getting familiar with the terminal interface, check out the free lesson from our "Trading from Scratch" course. It covers the order book, clusters, tape, and workspace setup from the ground up.

Layout Examples by Trading Style

Scalping Layout

Scalping demands minimal distance between "saw the signal" and "hit the button." The layout needs to be tight, no extra windows.

Configuration for 1-2 monitors:

Main monitor: 2-3 order books side by side (futures + spot for the main pair), tape filtered from 1-2 BTC, 1m or 3m chart. Second monitor (if you have one): quotes screener for tracking additional instruments.

Must-have settings for scalping:

• B/S hotkeys for market entry — verify them before the session starts
• LeftCtrl as an emergency close for the entire position
• Space to cancel all active limit orders
• Auto-stop set to a fixed distance from your entry point

A thin order book during a news move is normal. Don't enter the market without density.

Intraday Layout

Intraday trading needs more context. You need to see the higher timeframe, the funding rate, and the overall market picture at the same time as your entry point.

Main screen: order book for the primary pair, 15m chart with AutoLevels, plus a separate 1h chart for context. Second screen: screener filtered by 24h price change and volume, funding module.

For intraday work, Linking is especially valuable: when you're cycling through several candidates for entry, the order book and both timeframes switch in sync with one click on the ticker in the screener. I've tested it — the difference in decision speed becomes noticeable within a few sessions.

Watchlist Layout

This isn't a trading workspace — it's an analysis one. You switch to it when you need to screen coins for the next session or monitor funding rates before the hourly close.

Simple configuration: quotes screener full-screen with your filters set, funding module next to it. No order books — they're a distraction when the job is screening, not trading.

FAQ

• How many workspaces can you create in Secret Terminal?

  No limit. Create as many as you need for different jobs — scalping, intraday, market monitoring. Each saves separately and doesn't affect the others.

• Will my layout settings be lost after a terminal update?

  No. Settings are stored locally in your user profile on your machine, not on a server. Terminal updates don't touch workspace configurations. API keys and personal data are also never stored on servers.

• Can I use the terminal on a laptop without external monitors?

  Yes, but running multiple order books and the tape comfortably on a small screen is difficult. The minimum viable single-screen setup: one order book, tape, and a small chart. For scalping multiple pairs, a second monitor is recommended.

• How do I quickly switch between coins without rebuilding the whole workspace?

  Use Drag-and-Drop: drag a ticker from the quotes table into an order book or chart. Or double-click a ticker in the quotes table — it copies to clipboard, then Tab into the target window and Ctrl+V. If your modules are linked via Linking, selecting a ticker in one place updates everything else automatically.

• How do I customize the color scheme?

  The order book and chart settings both have a color and font customization section. You can fine-tune every element there. The Telegram channel periodically posts designer presets — download the theme file and apply it in one click.

The next step after setting up your workspace is configuring the order book to fit your trading style. Volume filters, price step, density levels, and linking with the tape are all covered in the guide "Configuring the Order Book in Secret Terminal".