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Setup Guide

How to Automate Pine Script Alerts via TradersPost on a Prop Firm Account

Buying a Pine Script strategy is step one. Connecting it so it actually trades automatically — while you're not watching — is step two. This guide covers the complete TradersPost setup from loading the Pine Script on TradingView to watching your first automated order execute on Apex or Topstep.

How the automation works — the overview

Before touching any settings, it helps to understand the full chain so you know what each step is doing:

1. Your Pine Script strategy runs on TradingView and evaluates every bar close for entry and exit conditions.
2. When conditions are met, TradingView fires an alert — a JSON message sent via HTTP POST to a webhook URL.
3. TradersPost receives that webhook, parses the action (buy/sell/close), and places the corresponding order at your broker.
4. Your broker (Tradovate or Rithmic) submits the order to the CME exchange.
5. Your prop firm account sees it as a normal order — no different from a manual click.

You never have to click a button. Once configured, the entire chain runs automatically every session — entries, exits, and stop management included.

1 Load the Pine Script on TradingView

2 Set up TradersPost and connect your broker

Broker compatibility by prop firm

3 Set up TradingView alerts

{"ticker": "{{ticker}}", "action": "{{strategy.order.action}}", "quantity": "{{strategy.order.contracts}}"}

4 Test with paper trading before going live

Prop firm-specific notes

Apex Trader Funding

Apex has no daily loss limit during the evaluation, but uses intraday trailing drawdown — your floor moves every time your account equity peaks intraday. The Pine Script's daily kill switch is a redundant safety measure. Apex's own platform enforces the trail independently. Both run in parallel. For the funded account, Apex permits automation — verify in their current terms before connecting.

Topstep

Topstep has a $1,000 daily loss limit on a 50k account. The Pine Script kill switch is configured to halt new entries at 80% of this ($800) to leave buffer for any open-trade slippage. TradersPost itself does not enforce daily loss limits — enforcement is in the script and in Topstep's own platform. Both are independent layers. Topstep explicitly permits automated trading on funded accounts.

MyFundedFutures

MFFU uses a $500 daily loss limit on a 50k account — tighter than most. In the Pine Script settings, reduce the kill switch threshold to $400 (80% of $500) to ensure the script halts well before the platform limit triggers. MFFU uses Tradovate; the TradersPost connection is the same as for Apex.

Tradeify

Tradeify's Growth plan has no daily loss limit — the kill switch in the script is still recommended as a safety net. Tradeify uses Tradovate; same TradersPost setup applies.

Common mistakes that break the automation

1. Wrong ticker symbol format. Use MNQ1! — not MNQ, not /MNQ. TradersPost expects the continuous contract format with the 1! suffix. A mismatch causes TradersPost to reject the signal silently.
2. Alert expiration. TradingView free-plan alerts expire. Even on paid plans, always set expiry to Open-Ended. A lapsed alert means missed signals — your eval keeps running but no trades fire.
3. Hardcoded quantity in the JSON. Using "quantity": "3" instead of "quantity": "{{strategy.order.contracts}}" overrides the Pine Script's position sizing. Always use the TradingView placeholder.
4. Forgetting to exit paper mode. Double-check the account selector in TradersPost every time you start a new session. Paper and live accounts look identical in the UI.
5. Alert not set to "order fills only". If the alert condition is set to a price level or indicator value instead of the strategy's order fills, TradersPost will receive signals at wrong times or with missing data.

Frequently asked questions

Does TradersPost work with all prop firms?

TradersPost works with any prop firm that clears through Tradovate or Rithmic. That covers the major names: Apex Trader Funding, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, Tradeify, Bulenox, and TradeDay. FTMO uses MetaTrader (MT4/MT5) for forex and index products — for those, PineConnector is the appropriate bridge instead of TradersPost.

Do I need a paid TradingView plan to use webhooks?

Yes. TradingView webhook alerts are only available on paid plans — Essential or higher, starting around $12.95/month. The free TradingView plan supports email and browser push notifications only. If you create an alert and don't see a Webhook URL field, your plan doesn't support it. Upgrade before attempting to connect TradersPost.

Can I use TradersPost on a funded account, not just the evaluation?

Yes, and most major prop firms permit it. Topstep explicitly allows automated trading on funded accounts. Apex permits automation — confirm in their current terms. When in doubt, email the firm's support team and save the response. Keep automation enabled transparently rather than hiding it — prop firms have no way to distinguish automated orders from manual ones at the broker level, but the terms matter for account security.

What happens if my TradersPost connection drops mid-trade?

The open position stays at the broker with its stop-loss order intact. Because the Pine Script places a stop at entry, the trade is protected regardless of what happens to the webhook connection afterward. TradersPost will attempt to reconnect automatically. If a close signal fires while disconnected, you may need to close the position manually — check TradersPost's Order log after any connectivity interruption.

Can I use a different automation tool instead of TradersPost?

Alertatron and PineConnector are the main alternatives. TradersPost is what we build and test with because it has the cleanest Tradovate/Rithmic integration and native support for CME futures contracts. If you use a different tool, the alert message JSON format may differ — refer to that tool's documentation for the exact payload structure, and update the TradingView alert message field accordingly.