Pine Script plotchar: Signature, Parameters, and Examples

The v5 and v6 signatures

The v5 documentation lists plotchar(series, title, char, location, color, offset, text, textcolor, editable, size, show_last, display, force_overlay). The current v6 documentation lists plotchar(series, title, char, location, color, offset, text, textcolor, editable, size, show_last, display, format, precision, force_overlay). Both return void. Older examples that stop at display remain useful calls, but do not show every currently documented parameter. Use names for later arguments, especially when migrating a positional force_overlay argument.

//@version=5
indicator("plotchar arguments", overlay = true)

average = ta.sma(close, 20)
crossedAbove = ta.crossover(close, average)
confirmedCross = crossedAbove and barstate.isconfirmed

plotchar(confirmedCross, "Positional marker", "B", location.belowbar, color.teal)
plotchar(series = confirmedCross, title = "Named marker", char = "▲", location = location.abovebar, color = color.teal, text = "CROSS", textcolor = color.teal)
plot(average, "SMA", color = color.gray)

One character, fixed text, or a dynamic label

Supply a single character to char. Do not rely on a multi-character string being truncated, or assume every composed emoji will render as a single glyph. For words, use the text parameter. That text must be known at compilation; str.tostring(close) produces a series string and belongs in label.new(). plotshape() also supports fixed text, with a built-in shape in place of a character.

//@version=6
indicator("Fixed text and dynamic labels", overlay = true, max_labels_count = 50)

average = ta.sma(close, 20)
crossedAbove = ta.crossover(close, average)
trigger = crossedAbove and barstate.isconfirmed

plotchar(trigger, title = "Fixed annotation", char = "B", location = location.belowbar, color = color.teal, text = "CROSS", textcolor = color.teal)
if trigger
    label.new(bar_index, high, "Close: " + str.tostring(close, format.mintick), style = label.style_label_down, textcolor = color.white)
plot(average, "SMA", color = color.gray)

Conditional markers must remain in global scope

A plotchar() call cannot sit inside an if block, loop, or user-defined function. Calculate the condition first, then pass it to a global call. If different bars need different letters or digits, create one call per fixed character. These calls consume plot counts even when their conditions are false. The example classifies the relation between two averages; it does not infer a profitable trading regime.

//@version=6
indicator("Average relation markers", overlay = true)

showMarkers = input.bool(true, "Show markers")
fast = ta.ema(close, 9)
slow = ta.ema(close, 21)
above = fast > slow
below = fast < slow

plotchar(showMarkers and barstate.isconfirmed and above, title = "Fast above slow", char = "A", location = location.bottom, color = color.teal)
plotchar(showMarkers and barstate.isconfirmed and below, title = "Fast below slow", char = "B", location = location.bottom, color = color.orange)
plot(fast, "Fast EMA", color = color.teal)
plot(slow, "Slow EMA", color = color.orange)

Location, numeric series, and the Data Window

For relative locations, a boolean series controls whether a marker appears; numeric zero or na suppresses it, while other numeric values enable it. With location.absolute, the numeric series is the y-coordinate instead. Use na for bars with no absolute marker. Separately, display.data_window exposes the numeric series in the Data Window without drawing the character in the pane. An offset only moves the drawing horizontally; it does not change when the condition was calculated.

• The red x is a per-bar example coordinate. It is not a trailing-stop algorithm or an order.
• The confirmed-bar condition waits for the chart bar to close. Removing it allows the current marker to change while the bar updates.
• Move the cursor over different bars and inspect ATR value in the Data Window. Chart rendering and UI placement still need checking in TradingView.

//@version=6
indicator("plotchar numeric diagnostics", overlay = true)

average = ta.sma(close, 20)
atr = ta.atr(14)
showLevel = close > average and barstate.isconfirmed
illustrativeLevel = showLevel ? low - 2.0 * atr : na

plotchar(illustrativeLevel, title = "Illustrative level", char = "x", location = location.absolute, color = color.red)
plotchar(atr, title = "ATR value", char = "", location = location.top, display = display.data_window, format = format.price, precision = 4)
plot(average, "SMA", color = color.gray)

Limits and missing-marker checks

plotchar() and plotshape() do not create label objects, but both consume the shared plot-count budget. A call can use additional counts when colors vary by bar. Labels default to roughly 50 displayed objects and can be configured up to 500; older labels are removed as the limit is reached. Plot-based markers can cover the available dataset, which is not unlimited history.

• Check the condition on the selected bar. For absolute placement, check that the coordinate is numeric rather than na.
• Check display, show_last, the Style tab, and whether the script is in the main chart or another pane.
• Check for an empty char, a transparent color, or an absolute coordinate outside the visible scale.
• If a v5 script uses a series offset, replace it with a stable value before migrating to v6. v5 used only the last calculated offset for the whole output.