TradingView Script Examples: Essential Guide for Traders

TradingView scripts, written in a language called Pine Script, let you build your own custom tools right on your charts. Think of them as little programs that can spot trends, set up alerts, or even test out trading ideas for you.

This guide is packed with practical TradingView script examples. Whether you're just starting out or have some experience, you'll find useful code snippets to help you get more from your chart analysis.

Getting to Know TradingView Scripts

So, what are these scripts, really? In simple terms, they're sets of instructions you write in Pine Script. This language was built specifically for creating indicators and strategies on TradingView.

The beauty of it is that you don't need to be a professional programmer to make them work for you. You can use scripts to:

• Visualize market data in new ways.
• Test a trading idea to see how it would have performed in the past.
• Automatically get alerts when certain conditions are met.

By looking at existing TradingView script examples, you can often find a great starting point. It's a huge time-saver, letting you tweak and adapt code that already works to fit your own strategy.

Pine Script has been updated over the years, with Pine Script v5 being the current version. Scripts can be as simple as a basic moving average or as complex as a full automated system. You can find thousands of them shared by other users in TradingView's public library. Diving into these examples is one of the best ways to understand market dynamics and make more informed trades.

Getting Started with Pine Script

Think of learning Pine Script like learning to cook. You don't start by preparing a five-course meal; you start with a simple recipe. The Pine Script editor, built right into TradingView, is your kitchen.

A great way to begin is by playing with foundational code snippets. These are like your basic ingredients. For example, one of the simplest scripts you can write just plots a line tracking a stock's closing price. It's a perfect first project because it immediately shows you how the syntax works and how your code appears right on the chart.

For those who want to skip the learning curve and dive straight into creating profitable trading indicators, tools like Pineify offer a powerful alternative. With its AI-powered Pine Script generator and visual editor, you can build complex indicators and strategies in minutes without any coding knowledge - perfect for traders who want to implement their ideas immediately while still understanding how the underlying logic works.

As you get comfortable, you'll start using a few key elements:

• Variables to store information.
• Functions like ta.sma(), which calculates a simple moving average for you.
• Plotting commands to actually draw your indicators on the screen.

One of the best parts about TradingView is its community. You don't have to build everything from scratch. A fantastic way to learn is to find an open-source script from the platform's featured picks—maybe a popular one for crypto or forex—and start tweaking it. Change a number, adjust a color, or add a simple alert. This hands-on method helps you see how even basic scripts can be customized for your own trading ideas.

Basic TradingView Script Examples

Let's look at some basic TradingView script examples that use the core indicators most traders start with. Think of these as your building blocks for technical analysis. They're straightforward and perfect for getting your feet wet without feeling overwhelmed.

First up is the simple moving average (SMA). It's one of the first things many people learn. Here's what a basic version looks like in Pine Script v5:

//@version=5
indicator("Simple Moving Average Example", overlay=true)
length = input.int(14, "SMA Length")
smaValue = ta.sma(close, length)
plot(smaValue, color=color.blue, title="SMA")

This script just calculates and plots a 14-period moving average right on your chart. It helps you see the general direction of a trend. You can easily change the 'length' input to make it work for different timeframes, whether you're looking at daily charts or shorter intraday moves.

Another common starting point is the moving average crossover. This is just a way to spot potential buy or sell signals when a faster moving average crosses a slower one. Here's a sample:

//@version=5
strategy("MA Crossover Example", overlay=true)
shortMA = ta.sma(close, 30)
longMA = ta.sma(close, 200)
plot(shortMA, color=color.green)
plot(longMA, color=color.red)
longCondition = ta.crossover(shortMA, longMA)
shortCondition = ta.crossunder(shortMA, longMA)
if (longCondition)
    strategy.entry("Buy", strategy.long)
if (shortCondition)
    strategy.close("Buy")

In this one, when the 30-period average crosses above the 200-period one, it triggers a buy. When it crosses back below, it closes the trade. It's a simple way to automate a basic trend-following idea.

If you're watching for price breakouts, this next script can help. It finds the highest high and lowest low over a set number of bars to signal new entries. The code is pretty simple:

//@version=5
strategy("Breakout Example", overlay=true)
lookback = input.int(20, "Lookback Period")
highLevel = ta.highest(high, lookback)
lowLevel = ta.lowest(low, lookback)
plot(highLevel, color=color.orange)
plot(lowLevel, color=color.purple)
breakout = close > highLevel
breakdown = close < lowLevel
if (breakout)
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
if (breakdown)
    strategy.entry("Short", strategy.short)
strategy.close_all(when = bar_index % 30 == 0)

This plots the breakout levels and places trades, holding each position for 30 bars before closing everything. These basic examples show you how to start putting TradingView's technical functions to work right away. They're the kind of scripts you'll often build upon as you learn more.

Advanced TradingView Script Examples

Let's dive into some of the more powerful things you can build with TradingView's Pine Script. Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can start creating truly custom tools for your analysis. Think of it as moving from using pre-built Lego sets to designing your own creations from scratch.

A lot of this power comes from using custom types, arrays, and drawing tools to visualize your strategies directly on the chart. For instance, you can define your own data structures. Imagine you want to represent a single trade as a complete package, including its entry, profit target, and stop loss levels, along with a label showing its details.

Here's a look at how you might set that up:

type Point
    int x
    float y

type Trade
    Point entry
    Point takeProfit
    Point stopLoss
    label infoLabel

// Initialization function
Trade newTrade(Point e, Point tp, Point sl) =>
    Trade.new(e, tp, sl, label.new(e.x, e.y, "Trade Info"))

This code essentially creates a blueprint for a "Trade" object. When you use it, the script will visually mark your entry, take-profit, and stop-loss points on the chart. This is incredibly helpful for visually backtesting a strategy, as you can see every potential trade laid out right in front of you.

Another cool technique involves using arrays to draw paths. You can store a series of points in an array and then connect them to form dynamic lines that adapt to price movements. This is perfect for highlighting custom chart patterns or trends that the standard drawing tools can't capture.

These examples really show off the flexibility of Pine Script. Many traders use these advanced techniques to build their own open-source tools and share them with the TradingView community. You'll often find scripts on forums like Reddit where people have built elaborate backtesting systems, sometimes even incorporating AI to help with analysis. A simple paper trading script can be expanded into a full-fledged system with detailed risk management parameters, turning a basic idea into a robust trading assistant.

Common Use Cases for TradingView Scripts

So, you've heard about TradingView scripts and you're wondering what you can actually do with them? It's like having a custom toolkit for your charts. People use them for all sorts of things, depending on what they're trading and their style.

Let's break down some of the most popular ways traders put these scripts to work.

For Stock Traders: Many stock traders use scripts to spot changes in momentum. A classic example is watching for a SMA (Simple Moving Average) Crossover. It's a straightforward way to get a visual heads-up when a trend might be starting or ending.

For Forex Traders: The forex market is all about volatility, especially around big news events. Forex traders often rely on breakout scripts to help them identify when the price is pushing through key support or resistance levels, so they can potentially catch a big move.

For Crypto Enthusiasts: Crypto charts can be wild! To make sense of the chaos, crypto traders use more advanced scripts to visualize complex patterns. These can help automatically draw things like triangles, wedges, or paths on the chart, making it easier to spot potential setups in real-time.

The Backtesting Advantage: One of the most powerful features is backtesting. By using functions like strategy.entry() and strategy.close(), you can test your trading idea against years of historical data. It’s like a time machine for your strategy—you get to see how it would have performed before you risk any real money. You'll find tons of walkthroughs on platforms like YouTube showing this in action.

Set It and (Almost) Forget It: You don't have to stare at your screen all day. Most scripts let you set alerts based on their conditions. If your script spots a buy or sell signal, it can send you a notification directly to your phone or email. It’s a game-changer for staying on top of opportunities without being glued to the chart.

In a nutshell, these scripts are all about giving you the tools to automate your analysis and refine your approach, making you a more confident and efficient trader.

Your Pine Script Questions, Answered

What exactly is Pine Script?

Think of Pine Script as TradingView's own built-in coding language. It's the special tool that lets you build your own custom indicators and trading strategies directly on the platform. Instead of just using the tools that come with TradingView, you can create your own. The official documentation is packed with examples to get you started.

How do I get a script onto my chart?

It's simpler than it sounds! Just follow these steps:

1. Click on the "Pine Editor" tab at the bottom of your TradingView window.
2. Either paste in some code you found or start writing your own.
3. Hit "Save" and give your script a name.
4. Finally, go to the "Indicators" menu at the top of your chart, find your newly saved script, and click on it to add it.

Are there free scripts I can use?

Yes, tons! TradingView has a huge public library that's full of open-source scripts shared by other traders. You can find everything from simple tools to complex strategies, all for free. They even have featured picks to highlight some of the most interesting ones.

Can I test a strategy before using real money?

Definitely. This is one of the best features! The "Strategy Tester" lets you run a script against historical market data to see how it would have performed. For instance, you can test a simple moving average crossover example to see all the hypothetical trades it would have made in the past.

What's the real difference between an indicator and a strategy?

This is a key concept.

• Indicators are mostly for showing you something on the chart. They visualize data, like drawing a trend line or showing momentum, but they don't automatically place trades.
• Strategies contain specific entry and exit logic. Because they know the rules for buying and selling, you can use them for backtesting to see how profitable those rules would have been.

Where can I go to get better at writing scripts?

If you're ready to move past the basics, there are some great free resources. You can find detailed video tutorials on YouTube, or check out websites like JamesBachini.com for in-depth breakdowns of more advanced code.

Your Next Steps

Ready to put these TradingView script examples into action? Here’s a straightforward path to get you rolling.

First, the best way to learn is by doing. Open up a demo chart in TradingView and start playing with the basic code snippets. Tweak a number, change a color, and see what happens. There’s no better teacher than seeing the results right on your screen.

Don't do it in a vacuum, though. The TradingView community is a goldmine of knowledge. Pop into their forums or relevant subreddits to share what you've built and get ideas from other traders. It’s a fantastic way to learn little tricks you might not have considered.

If you're the type who likes to dig deeper, the official Pine Script documentation is your best friend. Pair that with some tutorial videos, and you'll be writing your own custom scripts from scratch before you know it.

I'd also love to hear from you. Drop a comment below telling me which script example you found most helpful, or ask a question if you're stuck. It helps everyone learn and makes this a more useful resource for traders finding it through search.

Finally, once you're feeling comfortable, you might want to look at the premium features on TradingView. They offer better backtesting tools and real-time data, which can be a game-changer when you're seriously putting your strategies to the test. If you're looking to maximize your TradingView experience while saving money, check out our guide on Unlocking TradingView Discounts 2025 for legitimate ways to access premium features at a lower cost.

For those who want to explore more sophisticated indicators, the Modular Filter Indicator for TradingView Pine Script provides advanced filtering capabilities that can significantly improve your signal quality. And if you're curious about how Pine Script can transform your trading approach, don't miss our article on Why Pine Script Changed My Trading Game (And Might Change Yours Too) for real-world insights and inspiration.