Maximize Your Trading Success with These Essential Indicator Types on TradingView
Once you create your first chart on TradingView and navigate to the community section of public indicators, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of options available. This article will provide an overview of the various types of indicators that you can use on TradingView to analyze market trends and make informed trading decisions.
Main Points
- Indicators are calculations displayed on charts that show things going on in the market based on prices and volume.
- There are three types of indicators on TradingView: public, protected, and private.
- Leading indicators alert traders of possible future prices and price movements, while lagging indicators use past data to determine entries and exits.
- There are various categories of indicators including mean reversion, trend, volatility, volume, and momentum.
- Different indicators may be more or less suitable depending on market conditions and the trader’s goals and preferences.
- Traders should carefully consider which indicators are most appropriate for their needs and develop a well-defined trading plan.
- Indicators should be used in combination with other forms of analysis and risk management techniques.
What are Indicators?
Indicators are calculations displayed on charts that show market activity, such as statistics based on prices and volume. Examples of indicators include opening and closing prices, minimum and maximum prices, and volume
Market statistics, such as prices and volume, can be displayed in a variety of ways to help traders analyze market conditions and make informed trading decisions. Some common options for market data include charts, tables, and lines. In addition to these traditional methods, traders can also use alerts and automated trading strategies that are based on specific indicators or market conditions.
In this image of a TradingView chart you can see the different indicators. There are two public indicators which are the Bollinger Bands and MACD and also the Contraction Plotter indicator.
Public vs Private Indicators
In TradingView, there are three types of indicators: public, protected, and private. Public indicators are freely available and open source, meaning that they can be used by anyone in the TradingView community. These indicators are often created and shared by other users, and can be found in the community scripts section of TradingView. Protected indicators require a subscription or payment to access, while private indicators are only available to the person who created them.
The TradingView website has a large collection of free, publicly available indicators that can be accessed by anyone in the community. To access these indicators, simply go to the “Indicators” section at the top of the website and click on “Community Scripts.” This will bring up a list of thousands of indicators, including trend trackers, moving averages, oscillators, and many more. While not all indicators are free, the majority of them are available at no cost. By exploring the community scripts section, you can find a wide range of indicators to suit your needs and enhance your trading experience.
This article will go over the different types of indicators on Trading View, and also what Strategies are.
Leading vs Lagging Indicators
In trading, there are several popular categories of indicators that can be used to analyze market conditions and identify trading opportunities. These categories include mean reversion indicators, trend indicators, volatility indicators, volume indicators, and momentum indicators. Each of these categories has its own unique characteristics and can be useful in different market situations. Ultimately, the best category of indicator for a given trader will depend on their personal preferences and the way they use the indicator in their trading strategy.
Many indicators can be classified as either leading indicators or lagging indicators, depending on how they are used. Lagging indicators use past data to provide insight into market conditions and can be used to identify entry and exit points. Leading indicators, on the other hand, are designed to alert traders to potential future price movements and can be used to anticipate changes in market conditions. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an indicator will depend on how it is used and the specific market conditions it is applied to. All indicators provide valuable statistics about the market that can help traders make informed decisions.
The different categories of indicators
Above we went over the different categories of trading indicators.
- Mean Reversion Indicators: Mean reversion indicators are a type of lagging indicator that is based on the idea that prices tend to return to their average or mean value over time. These indicators are designed to identify when prices have strayed significantly from their average and to alert traders to the possibility of a reversal. Many trading strategies that are based on mean reversion can have high win rates, but they may also be limited in terms of risk-to-reward.
- Trend Based Indicators: Trend based indicators are lagging indicators that tell you which dirTrend-based indicators are a type of lagging indicator that are designed to identify the direction of the market, whether it is moving up, down, or sideways. These indicators can be useful for traders who want to follow the trend and take advantage of sustained price movements. One advantage of trend-based indicators is that they can potentially offer unlimited reward for a given level of risk.
- Volatility Based Indicators: Volatility-based indicators are a type of leading indicator that measure the degree of price fluctuation in the market over a specific period of time. Higher levels of volatility, which are characterized by rapid price changes, can be an indication of increased market activity or uncertainty. Conversely, lower levels of volatility, which are characterized by slower price changes, can be an indication of less market activity or stability. Volatility-based indicators often generate signals that are based on whether prices are overbought or oversold, which can be used to anticipate potential market trends or reversals.
- Volume Based Indicators: “Volume-based indicators can be either leading or lagging, depending on how they are used. These indicators analyze the volume of trades in the market to help traders understand the strength and direction of price movements. Volume-based indicators can be used to identify whether bulls or bears are in control of the market and to anticipate potential changes in market conditions.
- Momentum Based Indicators: Momentum-based indicators are a type of leading indicator that help traders measure the speed of price change over time. These indicators are designed to identify when prices are accelerating or decelerating and can be used to anticipate potential changes in market direction.
With the wide range of indicators available in the market, it can be challenging for traders to choose the right indicators for their needs. Some traders, such as scalpers, may prefer indicators that are designed to identify range-bound markets, while others, such as long-term trend traders, may prefer indicators that are focused on identifying strong, long-term trends.
What type of indicator do you want?
Earlier we said that the indicator categories aren’t better than each other or worse and that it depends on the traders preference. When choosing an indicator, it’s also important to consider whether you want a leading or lagging indicator. Leading indicators provide early signals about potential price movements, while lagging indicators provide signals based on past data. It’s important to choose an indicator that aligns with your trading style and goals.
SCALPING INDICATORS
If you are a scalper you must note that its a high-speed trading strategy that involves taking advantage of small price movements in the market by entering and exiting trades very quickly. To be successful at scalping, traders need to use indicators that provide frequent signals and are able to quickly identify opportunities to enter and exit trades. Some indicators that may be well-suited for scalping include:
- Momentum indicators: These indicators measure the speed of price change over time and can provide signals when the market is moving in a particular direction. Examples include the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Stochastic oscillator.
- Moving averages: Moving averages are lagging indicators that smooth out price data over a specified period of time. They can be used to identify trends and potential areas of support and resistance.
- Volume-based indicators: These indicators use data on trading volume to provide signals about market activity. Examples include the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) and the On-Balance Volume (OBV) indicator.
- Oscillators: Oscillators are technical indicators that oscillate between two levels and can be used to identify overbought and oversold conditions in the market. Examples include the RSI and the Stochastic oscillator.
It’s important to note that scalping is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that requires a high level of skill and experience. It’s not suitable for everyone, and traders should carefully consider their risk tolerance and trading goals before attempting to scalp the market. It’s also worth noting that using indicators alone may not be sufficient for successful scalping, as it’s important to have a solid understanding of market conditions and a well-defined trading plan.
DAY TRADING INDICATORS
Day trading is a strategy that involves buying and selling financial instruments within the same trading day. To be successful at day trading, it’s important to have a well-defined trading plan and to use technical analysis and indicators to identify trading opportunities. Some indicators that may be useful for day traders include moving averages, oscillators, volume-based indicators, and trend indicators.
Here are some indicators that may be useful for day traders:
- Moving averages: Lagging indicators that smooth out price data and can be used to identify trends and potential areas of support and resistance.
- Oscillators: Technical indicators that oscillate between two levels and can be used to identify overbought and oversold conditions in the market. Examples include the RSI and the Stochastic oscillator.
- Volume-based indicators: Indicators that use data on trading volume to provide signals about market activity, such as the VWAP and the OBV indicator.
- Trend indicators: Indicators that are used to identify the direction of the market and can be either leading or lagging indicators. Examples include the MACD and the ADX.
TradingView Strategies
PineScript is a programming language used to create technical indicators and automated trading strategies on TradingView. With PineScript, traders can build custom indicators and strategies that can be used to analyze financial markets and make informed trading decisions.
One of the key benefits of PineScript is its ability to create custom alerts and notifications. For example, a trader can use PineScript to set up an alert that will trigger when a specific price level is reached or when certain technical indicators reach overbought or oversold levels. This can be especially useful for traders who are unable to constantly monitor the markets and need a way to stay informed of significant price movements.
In addition to creating alerts, PineScript can also be used to build automated trading strategies that can execute trades based on pre-defined rules and conditions. These strategies can be backtested using historical data to assess their potential performance and can be fine-tuned to optimize their risk-to-reward ratio.
Overall, PineScript is a powerful tool that can be used by traders of all skill levels to create custom indicators and automated trading strategies on TradingView. It offers a wide range of possibilities for traders looking to analyze financial markets.
Below is the example of a strategy in TradingView Pine Script.
Conclusion:
Trading View offers a wide range of indicators for traders to choose from, including trend, volatility, volume, and momentum-based indicators. It’s important to remember that different indicators may be more or less suitable depending on the specific market conditions and the trader’s goals and preferences. It’s also important to keep in mind that while indicators can be a useful tool for analyzing the markets, they are not a guarantee of success and should be used in combination with other forms of analysis and risk management techniques.
If you are curious about indicators and want special indicators, check out our Contraction Indicator which also gives you access to two other indicators we developed. Click here.
