Can You Trade Futures With TradingView: Complete Guide

Published On: 2025-11-07

Prepared by Jameson Richman and our team of experts with over a decade of experience in cryptocurrency and digital asset analysis. Learn more about us.

Can you trade futures with TradingView? Yes — but how you do it depends on the broker or exchange you use and whether you want to trade directly from TradingView’s Trading Panel or execute orders via alerts and automation. This article explains the available methods, step‑by‑step instructions, examples, risk management, backtesting tips, and real‑world considerations so you can decide the best path to trade futures using TradingView.

What is TradingView and what types of futures exist?
Can you trade futures with TradingView — the short answer
Method 1 — Direct trading via TradingView's Trading Panel
Method 2 — Alerts + webhooks + third‑party execution
Setting up charts, tickers, and contract details
Backtesting futures strategies on TradingView
Risk management, margin and position sizing examples
Fees, slippage, latency — what to expect
Practical examples and workflows
Troubleshooting and common pitfalls
Additional resources and next steps

What is TradingView and what types of futures exist?

TradingView is a browser‑based charting and social trading platform used by traders worldwide for technical analysis, scripting strategies (Pine Script), and connecting to brokers for live trading. It provides real‑time charts, a strategy tester, alerting tools, and a Trading Panel that can connect to supported brokers and exchanges.

“Futures” refer to standardized contracts to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a future date. There are multiple futures types:

Exchange‑traded commodity and financial futures (CME, ICE): standardized contracts for commodities, indices, interest rates. See CME Group for details.
Crypto futures: exchange‑listed perpetual swaps and dated futures on platforms such as Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and MEXC (crypto platforms vary in contract design and leverage).
Futures on other instruments: futures on ETFs, cryptocurrency indices, etc.

For general background on futures mechanics and margin, Investopedia and Wikipedia have reliable introductions: Futures contract (Wikipedia), Investopedia — futures.

Can you trade futures with TradingView — the short answer

Yes — you can trade futures via TradingView using two main approaches:

Direct broker/exchange integration: connect a supported broker or exchange to TradingView’s Trading Panel (if the broker supports futures trading and TradingView has an integration).
Alert‑driven automation: use TradingView alerts and webhooks that signal an execution engine (third‑party bot, middleware, or your own server) to place futures orders through an exchange API.

Which approach you choose depends on whether your futures provider supports direct integration with TradingView and your tolerance for building automation or using third‑party services. For crypto futures, many exchanges expose APIs you can use with webhook services. For exchange‑traded (CME) futures, direct broker integrations or a futures broker with API access are typical.

Method 1 — Direct trading via TradingView's Trading Panel

TradingView's Trading Panel provides a way to place trades directly from the chart when connected to a supported broker or exchange. The exact steps and broker availability change over time, so always verify the current supported broker list on TradingView's site. Here’s a general workflow:

How to connect (general steps)

Open TradingView and go to a chart for the futures symbol you want to trade.
Open the Trading Panel at the bottom of the chart.
Select your broker or exchange from the list of integrations.
Log in to that broker/exchange via the TradingView prompt (may require API key permission or OAuth).
Once connected, you can place market/limit orders directly from the chart, use the order panel, and view your account positions and balances on TradingView.

Important notes:

Supported brokers and the assets they permit vary. Some brokers support futures trading via TradingView (typically through their API partners). Always confirm your broker’s TradingView integration and supported instruments.
For regulated exchange futures (CME, ICE), you’ll usually connect through a futures broker or clearing firm that provides TradingView integration.
For crypto futures, some exchanges expose TradingView charting and/or integration. Where integration isn’t native, you’ll need Method 2 (alerts + automation).

If you haven’t opened an exchange account yet, reliable crypto futures platforms include Binance, MEXC, Bitget, and Bybit — each offers futures margin products. (You can open accounts using these referral links: Binance, MEXC, Bitget, Bybit).

Pros and cons of direct integration

Pros: Lower latency, single‑pane workflow, live order management from the chart.
Cons: Limited to supported brokers, potential differences in order types (not all advanced order types may be available), and dependency on broker integration stability.

Method 2 — Alerts + webhooks + third‑party execution

If your broker/exchange is not supported, or you want more control and automation, use TradingView alerts and webhooks to execute futures orders through exchange APIs. This is the most flexible and widely used approach for crypto futures trading from TradingView.

Workflow overview

Create a strategy or indicator in TradingView (or use existing ones).
Set up alerts using TradingView’s alert system and include a webhook URL and payload.
Use a webhook receiver (third‑party service or your own endpoint) to translate the alert into API calls to your exchange to place trades.
Confirm execution and monitor orders from your exchange account dashboard.

Common tools for webhook execution

Dedicated automation platforms: 3Commas, Alertatron, Zignaly — these integrate with TradingView alerts and route orders to exchanges.
Middleware services: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat) — for basic notifications and light automation (not always ideal for low‑latency trading).
Custom server or cloud function: run a webhook listener that validates TradingView alerts and calls the exchange API (recommended for full control).
Browser extensions and scripts: tools like Autoview (community tool) — exercise caution and validation for security.

Example webhook payload (JSON) — a typical alert message sent to your order execution service:

{
  "action": "order",
  "exchange": "binance",
  "symbol": "BTCUSDT_PERP",
  "side": "buy",
  "type": "market",
  "quantity": 0.01,
  "leverage": 10,
  "clientOrderId": "tv-alert-1234"
}

When creating alerts in TradingView, you can insert variables like {{strategy.order.action}} or custom text from Pine Script alerts to make the payload dynamic. Here’s a simple Pine Script alert example:

//@version=5
strategy("Simple Breakout Futures", overlay=true)
longCondition = ta.crossover(ta.sma(close, 20), ta.sma(close, 50))
if (longCondition)
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
alertcondition(longCondition, title="Enter Long", message='{"action":"buy","symbol":"BTCUSDT_PERP","quantity":0.01}')

Set the alert to send webhook to your automation endpoint. The endpoint must authenticate the request and place the order on your exchange using your API keys.

Security and best practices for webhooks

Validate the origin of alerts (use a secret token in the webhook URL or payload signature).
Never store exchange API keys in plain text on a public server; use secure secret managers.
Use API keys with appropriate permissions (e.g., restrict withdrawal permission and limit IPs where possible).
Maintain logs and implement retry logic to handle network failures or API rate limits.

Setting up charts, tickers, and contract details

Before trading, ensure you’re charting the exact contract you intend to trade. Futures platforms use different ticker conventions and contract types:

Perpetual swaps: often labeled with “PERP” or “PERPETUAL” (no expiry, funding payments).
Dated futures: have expiry dates and are sometimes listed with a month/year suffix (e.g., ETH1! or ETHU24).
Continuous contract vs. front‑month: TradingView might offer continuous indices or individual contract series — check contract rollover.

How to find the correct ticker on TradingView:

Open the Symbol search box on TradingView.
Filter by the exchange and contract type (e.g., Binance, Bybit, CME).
Confirm contract details such as leverage limits, tick size, and settlement method on the exchange’s contract specification page.

For exchange specifications, check the official contract pages (example: CME Group contract specs) and exchange help centers.

Backtesting futures strategies on TradingView

TradingView’s Strategy Tester can evaluate historical performance of strategies built with Pine Script. Key considerations when backtesting futures:

Include commission and slippage assumptions to make results realistic (Strategy Tester supports commission settings).
Account for funding for perpetuals or rollover costs for dated contracts.
Use the correct historical symbol (contract series) — continuous indices may smooth results but hide contract expiry effects.
Test with realistic leverage and margin rules: overleveraging in test mode will not reflect liquidation risk precisely without margin model code.

How to set commission and slippage in the Strategy Tester:

Open Strategy Tester → Settings → Properties and set order size rules.
Under “Properties” or “Commission” (depending on script), set percentage or fixed commission per trade.
Manually add slippage via code (e.g., adjust entry price by a slippage variable) or by configuring strategy options.

Note: Strategy Tester provides a useful approximation but cannot perfectly emulate real‑time order book dynamics, funding payments, or exchange outages.

Risk management, margin, and position sizing examples

Trading futures is leveraged trading; strong risk management is essential. Below are practical formulas and examples.

Position sizing using percentage risk

Basic formula:

Position Size = (Account Equity * Risk %) / (Stop Loss Distance)

Example:

Account Equity = $10,000
Risk = 1% → $100 max risk
Entry price = $50,000, Stop loss = $49,000 → Stop loss distance = $1,000
Position Size (BTC) = $100 / $1,000 = 0.1 BTC

If using leverage, ensure the exchange’s margin required supports the position size and that liquidation risk is modeled. For isolated margin, position risk is constrained to the margin allocated; for cross margin, the whole account may be at risk.

Maintenance margin and liquidation example

Exchanges publish maintenance margin rates. For example, if maintenance margin = 0.5% and you use 20x leverage, the liquidation price is close to a small adverse move. Always calculate liquidation level using exchange formulas and test on a demo account first.

Use of stop orders and OCO

Use stop‑loss and take‑profit together (OCO) where available. If placing orders via webhooks, implement logic to cancel opposite orders on fill and handle partial fills.

Fees, slippage, latency — what to expect

When trading futures through TradingView (direct or webhook), be aware of:

Exchange fees: maker/taker fees, funding rates for perpetuals — check exchange fee pages.
Slippage: market orders on large size can move the market; consider limit orders for better control.
Latency: direct integrations tend to be faster than webhook routing through multiple services; lower latency reduces slippage and front‑running risk.
Withdrawal restrictions: API keys should be configured to disallow withdrawals, reducing risk if keys are compromised.

High authority resources:

Practical examples and workflows

Example A — Direct trade (when supported)

Connect your futures broker to TradingView Trading Panel.
Open BTC perpetual chart on TradingView.
Set a limit buy order at your strategic level, choose leverage and order size, and submit from the order panel.
Manage the position with chart tools (drag stop and limit) and close when desired.

Example B — Alert → webhook → exchange

Create a Pine Script strategy that emits alerts on entry/exit signals.
Configure TradingView alert with webhook URL for your server or third‑party automation (Alertatron, 3Commas, custom endpoint).
Your webhook receiver validates the alert, maps symbol names to exchange instrument codes, and sends authenticated API order requests.
On order fill, update status back to a dashboard, send confirmations, and manage OCO orders as needed.

Popular third‑party automation platforms that accept TradingView webhooks include 3Commas and Alertatron — useful if you prefer no‑code or low‑code automation.

Troubleshooting and common pitfalls

Wrong symbol mapping: TradingView and exchanges can use different tickers — always map symbols explicitly in your webhook logic.
Exchange API limits: rate limits can cause failed orders — implement rate limiting and exponential backoff.
Partial fills: handle partial fills properly and update risk calculations accordingly.
Timezones/contract expiry: dated futures expire — ensure your automation monitors contract rollovers or trades perpetuals if you need continuous exposure.
Alert floods: alerts triggering repeatedly can cause overtrading — use guardrails in your Pine Script (cooldowns, maximum trades per day).

Where to learn more and useful resources

To dive deeper into tools and advanced workflows, review these practical guides and resources:

A practical guide to trading volume limits and strategies: Comprehensive Guide to Trading Volume Limits (2025) — useful for understanding execution constraints when trading futures at scale.
How to use crypto signals safely: How to Use Crypto Signals Online — Practical Guide — helpful if you plan to use externally generated signals to trigger alerts.
Top free crypto pump signals and Telegram channels (use caution): Top Free Crypto Pump Signals Telegram Channels.
Top AI apps and tools for stock/crypto trading: Top AI Apps For Stock Market — Tools & Trends (2025) — insights on automation, signal generation, and analytics that complement TradingView workflows.

Which exchanges/brokers should you consider?

Choice of exchange or broker should be based on instrument availability, fees, API maturity, leverage, and regulatory environment. For crypto futures, popular exchanges include Binance, Bybit, Bitget, and MEXC (links below). Open accounts, complete necessary KYC, and test with small sizes or testnet environments where available:

If you prefer regulated futures markets (CME, ICE), open an account with a futures broker that provides an API (and ideally supports TradingView integration). Confirm with the broker how they integrate with TradingView or whether you must use separate software.

Checklist before trading futures via TradingView

Confirm the specific futures ticker and contract details (tick size, contract size, expiry).
Decide direct integration vs. webhook automation based on broker support.
Test your alerts and automation on a demo or testnet account before going live.
Implement risk management (max leverage, stop loss, position sizing rules).
Secure API keys, restrict permissions, and use IP whitelisting where possible.
Log and monitor order execution and handle exceptions (retries, partial fills).

Conclusion — Is TradingView a good platform to trade futures?

TradingView is an excellent charting and signal generation platform with multiple ways to trade futures. If your broker supports direct TradingView integration, you can trade from the chart with low latency. If not, TradingView’s alert and webhook system combined with a reliable execution engine offers powerful and flexible automation for crypto and other futures trading. The best approach depends on your instruments, desired latency, and technical comfort building automation. Always start small, test your setup, and prioritize security and risk management.