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TradingView alerts: how to set one, and let it watch the chart for you

An alert is a small helper that watches a chart while you do something else. Set one at your level, close the app, and come back only when price gets there.

Beginner guide · 7-minute read · Updated 2026-10-21

What a TradingView alert does

An alert is a rule you give TradingView: "Tell me when this happens."

For example: "Tell me when Apple's price crosses 200." When it happens, you get a message on your phone, in the browser, by email, or more than one of these.

TradingView checks the alert on its own servers. That means it can fire even when your computer is off and the app is closed.

Why alerts matter more than they seem

Staring at charts is tiring. And the longer you stare, the more "almost setups" start to look real.

Alerts flip that. You do your thinking once, mark your levels, and set alerts. Then you leave. When an alert fires, you look with fresh eyes and run your checklist.

It's one of the simplest tools for patience in trading.

The 3 kinds of alerts beginners use most

Start with price alerts. They're the easiest to understand, and they're all most plans need.

How to set a price alert (computer)

Menu names and icons change over time, so look for these ideas rather than exact words.

1. Open the chart of the market you want.
2. Look for the alarm clock icon, usually in the top toolbar or the right-side panel. Another way: right-click on the chart at the price you want and look for an option like "Add alert".
3. A window opens. Check the condition. It usually starts with the symbol's price and "Crossing".
4. Type the price level, or keep the one from where you clicked.
5. Choose how often it can trigger. "Only once" is a calm choice for most levels.
6. Pick an expiry if the window asks for one.
7. Choose how to be notified (see below), then click Create.

You should now see a small marker on the price scale at your level.

How to set an alert on the phone app

1. Open the chart.
2. Look for the alarm clock or a + button near the price scale, or open the chart's menu.
3. Pick "Add alert" or similar, set the price and condition, and save.

Make sure the TradingView app is allowed to send notifications in your phone's settings, or the alert may fire silently.

The condition words, in plain English

The condition list can look confusing. These are the ones that matter most:

• Crossing: price passes the level in either direction.
• Crossing up: price goes from below the level to above it.
• Crossing down: price goes from above to below.
• Greater than / less than: price is above or below the level when checked.
• Entering / exiting channel: price moves into or out of a range between two prices.

If you're unsure, use Crossing. It catches price arriving from either side.

Alerts on a drawn line or zone

You can attach an alert to many drawings, like a trendline or a horizontal ray.

1. Draw the line. See our drawing tools guide.
2. Click the line to select it. Look for an alarm clock in the small toolbar that appears, or right-click it.
3. The condition will already point at your drawing. Check it and create.

If you later move the line, check that the alert followed it. If you delete the line, the alert usually stops working too.

Alerts on an indicator

1. Add the indicator to your chart.
2. Open the alert window.
3. In the first condition box, change the source from the price to your indicator.
4. Choose the line and condition you want, then create.

Some indicators come with ready-made alert conditions written into their code. Those show up by name in the list. If you write your own indicators, our Pine Script alerts guide shows how they're built.

How you get notified

The alert window lets you choose one or more ways to hear about it:

• App notification on your phone (needs the app installed and notifications on)
• Pop-up on screen while TradingView is open
• Sound while TradingView is open
• Email
• Webhook, for sending the alert to another program (a more advanced feature)

The number of alerts you can have at once, how long they last, and some options like webhooks depend on your TradingView plan. Plans change, so check TradingView's own pricing page for current limits.

Managing your alerts

Look for an alerts panel, usually in the right-side bar on a computer. It lists every alert, whether it's active, and a log of ones that fired.

A simple weekly tidy-up:

1. Delete alerts at levels you no longer care about.
2. Restart any that expired but still matter.
3. Check each one still matches a level on your chart.

Common mix-ups

• The alert fired, but price didn't seem to touch the level. Charts can show slightly different prices from different data sources. Your broker's price may also differ a little.
• Nothing happened. Check that the alert wasn't set to "Only once" and already fired, hadn't expired, and that phone notifications are on.
• Alerts on a level that's too far away. You'll forget why you set it. Keep alerts close to price and current.
• Treating the alert as a trade signal. It's a tap on the shoulder, not a reason to buy. The pre-trade checklist still decides.

A simple alert routine

1. Each morning, open your watchlist.
2. On each chart, mark 1 or 2 nearby levels.
3. Set one price alert per level, "Only once", with an expiry at the end of the day or week.
4. Close the app.
5. When an alert fires, check the setup. If it's not there, write "passed" in your journal and close the app again.

Questions