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Pine Script Breakeven Stop

Q: How do I move my stop to breakeven in Pine Script?

Track strategy.position_avg_price, and once close is a set number of ticks beyond it, switch the stop price you pass to strategy.exit from the initial stop to the entry price (plus an optional offset). A persistent var bool records that breakeven is active so the stop never drops back to the initial level.

Q: What is a breakeven stop?

A breakeven stop is a stop-loss moved to your entry price after the trade reaches a profit trigger. From that point the worst case is roughly a scratch — commissions and slippage aside — which matters on prop accounts where every avoidable loss eats trailing drawdown.

Moves your stop to entry once a trade is a set number of ticks in profit, cutting the worst case to roughly a scratch.

//@version=6
strategy("Breakeven Stop", overlay=true, calc_on_every_tick=false)

// ── Inputs ──────────────────────────────────────────────
triggerTicks = input.int(30, "Breakeven Trigger (ticks)", minval=1,
     tooltip="Move stop to entry once price is this many ticks in profit.")
offsetTicks  = input.int(2, "Breakeven Offset (ticks)", minval=0,
     tooltip="Lock in this many ticks beyond entry when the stop moves.")
initialStop  = input.int(40, "Initial Stop (ticks)", minval=1)

// ── State ────────────────────────────────────────────────
var bool beActive = false
if strategy.position_size == 0
    beActive := false

// ── Entry logic (replace with your own conditions) ───────
longCondition = ta.crossover(ta.ema(close, 9), ta.ema(close, 21))
if longCondition and strategy.position_size == 0
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)

// ── Breakeven logic (long side) ──────────────────────────
avg  = strategy.position_avg_price
tick = syminfo.mintick

if strategy.position_size > 0
    if not beActive and close >= avg + triggerTicks * tick
        beActive := true
    stopPrice = beActive ? avg + offsetTicks * tick : avg - initialStop * tick
    strategy.exit("Long Exit", "Long", stop=stopPrice)

// Visual
bgcolor(beActive ? color.new(color.teal, 90) : na, title="Breakeven Active")

Settings

triggerTicks — profit in ticks that triggers the move to breakeven. Default 30.
offsetTicks — ticks beyond entry locked in when the stop moves. Default 2.
initialStop — stop distance in ticks before breakeven triggers. Default 40.

How to use

Paste into the Pine Editor and replace the EMA-crossover placeholder with your own entry conditions.
The beActive flag is persistent, so the stop never falls back to the initial level once moved.
Mirror the block with strategy.position_size < 0 and flipped signs to cover shorts.
Teal background = breakeven is active on the open trade.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I move my stop to breakeven in Pine Script?

Track strategy.position_avg_price, and once close is a set number of ticks beyond it, switch the stop price you pass to strategy.exit from the initial stop to the entry price (plus an optional offset). A persistent var bool records that breakeven is active so the stop never drops back to the initial level.

What is a breakeven stop?

A breakeven stop is a stop-loss moved to your entry price after the trade reaches a profit trigger. From that point the worst case is roughly a scratch — commissions and slippage aside — which matters on prop accounts where every avoidable loss eats trailing drawdown.

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