Getting Started with TradingView Alerts

There's a moment every automated trader remembers: the first time an alert fires and a trade executes without you lifting a finger. You're away from your desk, maybe grabbing coffee, and your phone buzzes. A position just opened. Your strategy saw something, acted on it, and you weren't even watching.

That's what we're setting up today.

What You'll Need

Before we dive in, make sure you have these ready:

• A TradingView account with Pro, Pro+, or Premium (the free tier doesn't support webhook alerts)
• An Algo Bread account with at least one trading account connected
• A strategy or indicator that generates clear entry and exit signals

If you're still working on that last one, that's okay. You can set up the infrastructure now and plug in your strategy when it's ready.

Step 1: Create Your Breadkey

A breadkey is your unique identifier. When TradingView sends an alert, the breadkey tells Algo Bread exactly which account to trade and how to handle the signal.

Here's how to create one:

• Head to your Algo Bread dashboard
• Click "Create Breadkey"
• Select the trading account you want to automate
• Configure your default position settings (you can always override these per-alert)

Your breadkey will look something like this: bk_7x9f2m4p. Keep it handy—you'll need it in a moment.

Step 2: Set Up Your TradingView Alert

Now for the TradingView side:

• Open your chart and right-click where you want to add an alert
• Select "Add Alert"
• Set your condition (price crossing a level, indicator signal, whatever your strategy requires)
• Scroll down to find the "Webhook URL" field
• Paste your Algo Bread webhook URL
• In the "Message" field, add your JSON payload

A basic payload looks like this:

{"breadkey": "bk_7x9f2m4p", "action": "buy"}

That's the minimum. You can add more fields to control position size, order type, and other details—but start simple.

Step 3: Test Before You Trust

This is the step people skip. Don't be that person.

Before risking real capital:

• Use a paper trading account or sim environment
• Trigger a test alert manually (you can do this from TradingView's alert management)
• Watch the order appear in your account
• Check the execution details in your Algo Bread dashboard

If something doesn't work, you'll find out here instead of during a live trade. Much better.

Common Hiccups (And How to Fix Them)

"My alert fired but nothing happened"

First, check your webhook URL. A single typo breaks everything. Then verify your breadkey matches an active strategy. Finally, make sure your JSON is valid—even a missing comma can cause issues.

"I'm getting errors about my subscription"

TradingView's free and Pro tiers don't include webhooks. You need Pro, Pro+, or Premium. It's one of those annoying limitations, but there's no workaround.

"The trade executed but with wrong settings"

Your payload overrides your default settings. If you set qty: 5 in the alert but wanted 2, the alert wins. Double-check what you're sending.

What's Next

Once your first alert is working, you've got options:

• Add exit alerts to complete your strategy logic
• Experiment with dynamic position sizing based on your indicator values
• Set up alerts on multiple timeframes for confirmation signals

The hardest part is behind you. Your first automated trade is probably hours away, not days.

Welcome to the other side.