Fill Between Plots in Pine Script v5 and v6

Replace plotfill with fill()

Searching for plotfill in Pine Script v5 usually leads to the fill() API. The example stores two moving-average plot IDs and passes them to fill(). Passing the moving-average values themselves would be a type error. Each code block on this page is a separate complete indicator; paste one at a time into Pine Editor.

//@version=5
indicator("MA Spread Fill", overlay=true)

fast = ta.sma(close, 9)
slow = ta.sma(close, 21)
fastPlot = plot(fast, "Fast SMA", color=color.teal)
slowPlot = plot(slow, "Slow SMA", color=color.orange)
fill(fastPlot, slowPlot, color=color.new(color.blue, 85), title="MA spread")

Plot IDs, hline IDs, and a fixed baseline

hline() has a fixed price and an input color: the line itself cannot change color on each bar. That restriction does not apply to fill(h1, h2, color=...), whose fill color can be a series. In this RSI example, the band between 30 and 70 changes color with RSI. A separate plot(50) supplies the matching plot ID needed to shade RSI against its midpoint. display.none hides that baseline plot without removing its fill anchor.

//@version=6
indicator("RSI Fill Boundaries", overlay=false)

rsi = ta.rsi(close, 14)
upper = hline(70, "Upper level", color=color.gray)
lower = hline(30, "Lower level", color=color.gray)
zoneColor = rsi >= 50 ? color.new(color.teal, 94) : color.new(color.red, 94)
fill(upper, lower, color=zoneColor, title="Fixed-level zone")

rsiPlot = plot(rsi, "RSI", color=color.blue, linewidth=2)
midPlot = plot(50, "Midpoint anchor", display=display.none)
polarityColor = rsi >= 50 ? color.new(color.teal, 75) : color.new(color.red, 75)
fill(rsiPlot, midPlot, color=polarityColor, title="RSI polarity")

Dynamic colors and transparency

A conditional color can switch a cloud between two hues. color.from_gradient() can instead map a numeric value to a color on each bar. The EMA example uses spread divided by ATR, then maps values from -2 to +2 to red through teal; values outside that interval use the endpoint colors. This changes the color over time. It is different from a vertical gradient within a single bar, which uses the separate fill() overload with top_value, bottom_value, top_color, and bottom_color.

• Transparency 0 is fully opaque; 100 is fully transparent. Intermediate values can be fractional.
• Use color=na to suppress a fill on selected bars without moving fill() into an if block.
• These colors describe the chosen formula. They do not establish trend strength or predict a breakout.

//@version=6
indicator("EMA Gradient Fill", overlay=true)

fastLength = input.int(10, "Fast EMA length", minval=1)
slowLength = input.int(30, "Slow EMA length", minval=1)
transparency = input.int(80, "Fill transparency", minval=0, maxval=100)
showFill = input.bool(true, "Show fill")
fast = ta.ema(close, fastLength)
slow = ta.ema(close, slowLength)
atr = ta.atr(14)
normalizedSpread = not na(atr) and atr > 0 ? (fast - slow) / atr : na
baseColor = color.from_gradient(normalizedSpread, -2, 2, color.maroon, color.teal)
fillColor = showFill ? color.new(baseColor, transparency) : na
fastPlot = plot(fast, "Fast EMA", color=color.teal)
slowPlot = plot(slow, "Slow EMA", color=color.orange)
fill(fastPlot, slowPlot, color=fillColor, title="EMA spread gradient")

Missing values and global scope

fillgaps controls whether shading continues over chart bars where a boundary series is na. It does not create bars for weekends, holidays, or closed sessions. To leave visible breaks, use fillgaps=false and plot.style_linebr for the boundary lines. The example deliberately omits five bars in every twenty so you can compare the fill behavior by changing fillgaps=false to fillgaps=true in the code. This parameter requires a const bool, so it cannot be connected to an input toggle. Show fill changes only the color; the fill() call stays in global scope.

//@version=6
indicator("Fill Gaps Example", overlay=true)

showFill = input.bool(true, "Show fill")
basis = ta.sma(close, 20)
width = ta.atr(14)
hasValue = bar_index % 20 < 15
upper = hasValue ? basis + width : na
lower = hasValue ? basis - width : na
upperPlot = plot(upper, "Upper", color=color.blue, style=plot.style_linebr)
lowerPlot = plot(lower, "Lower", color=color.blue, style=plot.style_linebr)
fillColor = showFill ? color.new(color.blue, 85) : na
fill(upperPlot, lowerPlot, color=fillColor, fillgaps=false, title="Channel")

Use linefill for line.new() drawings

A line.new() object has endpoints and can be updated inside a conditional block. fill() cannot use its line ID. linefill.new() connects two such objects, and moving either boundary updates the filled region. The following example maintains two horizontal drawings for the latest 20-bar high and low. It updates the same two line objects and one fill rather than creating new drawings on every bar.

//@version=6
indicator("Line Object Range Fill", overlay=true, max_lines_count=2)

upper = ta.highest(high, 20)
lower = ta.lowest(low, 20)
var line topLine = line.new(na, na, na, na, color=color.teal)
var line bottomLine = line.new(na, na, na, na, color=color.teal)
var linefill rangeFill = linefill.new(topLine, bottomLine, color.new(color.teal, 85))

if barstate.islast and bar_index >= 19
    line.set_xy1(topLine, bar_index - 19, upper)
    line.set_xy2(topLine, bar_index, upper)
    line.set_xy1(bottomLine, bar_index - 19, lower)
    line.set_xy2(bottomLine, bar_index, lower)
    linefill.set_color(rangeFill, color.new(color.teal, 85))

Common fill errors and what to change

Identify whether the problem is the function name, the boundary type, the scope, or the data. Changing colors will not fix incompatible IDs, and enabling fillgaps will not repair an invalid calculation. After compilation, inspect the chart while changing each input; a syntax check cannot establish that the shaded area matches your intended rule.