TradingView is one of the most popular charting platforms for traders and investors. Indicators help you read price action more clearly — they can show trends, momentum, volatility, and buy/sell signals. This guide explains, in simple language, how to add built-in, community, and custom indicators in TradingView, how to adjust their settings, and a few practical tips to use them well.
What is an indicator and where to find it
An indicator is a calculation plotted on the chart (or in a pane below the chart) that helps you interpret price data — examples are Moving Averages, RSI, MACD, and Bollinger Bands. On TradingView you open the Indicators menu at the top of the chart (it looks like a fx / wave icon). From there you can browse built-in indicators, community scripts, and your own custom Pine Script indicators. (TradingView)
Add a built-in indicator (fast)
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Open TradingView and load the chart you want.
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Click the Indicators button on the chart’s top panel.
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Type the indicator name (for example, “RSI” or “Moving Average”) in the search box.
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Click the indicator from the results — it will instantly appear on the chart (or in a new pane below the chart).
You can add multiple indicators this way. Built-in indicators are the quickest way to start analyzing a chart. (TradingView)
Add a community or published script
TradingView has a huge community library where users publish indicators and strategies. To add one:
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Open the Indicators menu and switch to the Public Library or visit the “Indicators and strategies” page.
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Find a script you like (read its description and comments).
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Click Use on chart or Add to chart — the script will be applied.
Community scripts can be very powerful, but always read what the author says (inputs, risk notes). Test them on historical data or in paper trades before relying on them. (TradingView)
Add a custom indicator (Pine Script)
If you want something tailor-made, use Pine Script — TradingView’s lightweight scripting language.
Quick steps:
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Open the Pine Editor at the bottom of the chart.
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Click New → Blank indicator script (or use an example).
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Paste or write your Pine code. (Start with a simple script: calculate a moving average and
plot()it.) -
Click Save, give it a name, then click Add to chart.
Pine Script is made for traders who want custom calculations and visualizations. TradingView provides docs and a quickstart to help beginners write their first indicator. (TradingView)
Apply an indicator on another indicator
Sometimes you want an indicator that uses another indicator as input (for example, an oscillator built from a moving average). TradingView supports applying an indicator or strategy "on" another indicator in many cases:
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In the indicator pane, click the three dots (More) next to the indicator name.
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Choose Add indicator/Strategy on... and pick the indicator that will use the first one as input.
Not every indicator supports being used as a data source, but many do — this is useful for layered or advanced setups. (TradingView)
Customize indicator settings and appearance
After adding an indicator you can change:
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Inputs (length, source, smoothing type) to match your timeframe and trading style.
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Style (line thickness, colors, display location).
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Scale (to overlay on price or show in a separate pane).
Open the indicator’s settings (click the gear icon next to its name in the chart legend) and adjust values. Also use templates: once you find settings you like, save them as a template so you can reuse the same setup on other charts. (TradingView)
Remove or hide indicators
If a chart becomes cluttered:
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Click the
xon an indicator’s pane header to remove it. -
Or, open the indicator list (three-line / list icon) and uncheck visibility or delete items.
Keeping charts simple helps you focus on the signals that matter.
Practical tips — how to use indicators effectively
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Keep it simple. Combine 2–3 indicators that measure different things (trend + momentum + volume). Too many indicators create noise.
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Match the timeframe. Indicator settings that work on a 1-hour chart may not fit daily charts. Adjust period lengths to the timeframe you trade.
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Backtest mentally or with strategies. Before trusting an indicator, test how it would have worked on past price action. Use TradingView strategies or paper trading to validate. (TradingView)
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Understand lag vs. lead. Moving averages are lagging (follow price), oscillators can give early warnings but sometimes false signals. Use them together for confirmation.
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Use alerts. TradingView lets you create alerts from indicator conditions so you don’t need to watch charts constantly.
Example: Add RSI + 20-period SMA for a quick setup
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Open chart → Indicators → search “RSI” → add.
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Add a Simple Moving Average (SMA) with length 20 and choose “close” as source.
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Look for RSI crossing commonly used levels (30/70) plus price relation to SMA (above SMA → trend up).
This simple combo gives a momentum reading (RSI) and trend context (SMA). Use it as a starting point and tune numbers to your asset and timeframe.
Final checklist before trading with indicators
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Did you test the indicator or strategy on historical data?
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Are the indicator inputs appropriate for your timeframe?
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Do the signals align with price action and risk rules?
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Have you limited the number of indicators to avoid overfitting?
If yes, you’re ready to use your indicators as one part of a disciplined trading plan. For deeper customization or automation, learn Pine Script and explore community scripts — they expand what you can do on TradingView.