BF Bot Manager: Build Your First Bot in 10 Steps (2026)

Before You Start

BF Bot Manager is a rules engine for exchange betting — not a magic profit machine. Your first bot should automate a strategy you already understand manually (lay the draw, pre-race horse scalping, over 2.5 goals, etc.). If you cannot explain the entry and exit in two sentences, paper-trade it first.

Download BFBM, connect Betfair (or Betdaq / Matchbook), and keep the official manual handy. Ask Bob on BotBlog can answer specific settings questions from that manual.

The 10-Step Method (Detailed)

Step 1 — Choose your exchange

Most readers use Betfair Exchange. Enter API credentials in BFBM settings (see Betfair API key guide). Betdaq and Matchbook are supported if you trade there — strategy logic is the same, liquidity differs.

Step 2 — Enable Simulation mode

Toggle Simulation in the toolbar. The bot logs hypothetical bets against live prices without risking money. Run every new strategy here first — including tweaks to example bots. Full walkthrough: Simulation mode guide.

Step 3 — Auto Load markets

Open Automatic Market Manager. Set sport, market type, country, time window and minimum liquidity. Examples:

• Horse racing: Win markets, GB, 60–5 minutes before off — horse racing guide
• Football: Match Odds or Over/Under 2.5, in-play or pre-kick-off — over 2.5 goals bot
• Greyhounds: Win, 5–30 minutes before off — greyhounds guide

Enable auto-load new markets so sessions populate automatically. Details: Auto Load guide.

Step 4 — Create a strategy

Click New Strategy, name it clearly (e.g. Horses_Sim_Scalp_v1), and attach it to loaded markets. Shortcut: duplicate a built-in EXAMPLE strategy and rename — never edit the original.

Step 5 — Set Bet Rules (entry)

Bet Rules answer: when should the first bet fire? Common triggers:

• Time before off — e.g. 5 minutes before race start
• Odds band — back price between 2.0 and 4.0
• Score condition — football goal count, tennis set score
• Matched volume — minimum liquidity filter

Use Strategy Reports to see which conditions pass or fail each cycle. If nothing turns green, your entry is too strict — loosen one filter at a time.

Step 6 — Choose bet type

Select back, lay, dutch, or position-based bets (e.g. lay favourite, lay trap 1). Dutching needs overround rules — see dutching guide. Lay strategies need liability staking, not just stake amount.

Step 7 — Configure staking plan

Options include fixed stake, fixed liability, % of bank, and recovery plans. For your first bot:

• Use fixed liability or small % of bank (0.5–1%)
• Avoid recovery staking until you understand unsettled markets rules
• Cross-check with our bankroll % calculator

Step 8 — Add After Bet Rules (exits)

Non-negotiable. Define at least one of:

• Green-up / target profit — close at X% or Y ticks
• Stop-loss — stop-loss guide
• Time exit — close 30–60s before off or at minute 80 in football
• Score exit — goal scored, set won, etc.

Bots without exits leave open liability — the most common beginner failure.

Step 9 — Set session limits

In strategy settings, configure:

• Daily loss cap — bot stops for the day
• Max bets per day — prevents runaway loops
• Max consecutive losses — pause after N losses

Full safety patterns: BFBM safety rules.

Step 10 — Run, review, then go Real

Press Start, let the bot run through a full session, then open Bet History and Strategy Reports. Check:

• Did entries fire when expected?
• Did exits close positions?
• Slippage vs expected odds?

When Simulation matches your plan across 50+ markets, switch off Simulation for minimum stakes on one competition only. Scale slowly.

Common First-Bot Mistakes

• No After Bet Rule — position never closes.
• Markets not loaded — bot has nothing to monitor; check Auto Load filters.
• Real mode on day one — always Simulation first.
• Staking too large — cap liability before testing logic.
• Conflicting AND/OR logic — two rules that cannot both be true.
• Second API session — Bet Angel + BFBM can hit Betfair’s connection limit.

What to Build First (Suggestions)

Stuck on a step? Ask Ask Bob — it answers from the official BFBM manual. Bot not firing? See troubleshooting. Full index: BFBM hub.