Pine Script First X Minutes Filter

Blocks — or exclusively allows — entries during the first X minutes after the open, where spreads and slippage are at their worst.

Copy//@version=6
strategy("First Minutes Filter", overlay=true, calc_on_every_tick=false)

// ── Inputs ──────────────────────────────────────────────
skipMins = input.int(5, "Minutes After Open", minval=1, maxval=120)
onlyMode = input.bool(false, "Only Trade This Window",
     tooltip="Off = skip the first X minutes. On = trade ONLY the first X minutes.")
openHr   = input.int(9,  "Session Open Hour (ET)", minval=0, maxval=23)
openMin  = input.int(30, "Session Open Minute", minval=0, maxval=59)

// ── Minutes since session open (NY clock) ────────────────
nyMins        = hour(time, "America/New_York") * 60 + minute(time, "America/New_York")
minsSinceOpen = nyMins - (openHr * 60 + openMin)
inOpenWindow  = minsSinceOpen >= 0 and minsSinceOpen < skipMins
pastOpen      = minsSinceOpen >= skipMins

tradeOK = onlyMode ? inOpenWindow : pastOpen

// ── Entry logic (replace with your own conditions) ───────
longCondition  = ta.crossover(ta.ema(close, 9), ta.ema(close, 21)) and tradeOK
shortCondition = ta.crossunder(ta.ema(close, 9), ta.ema(close, 21)) and tradeOK

if longCondition
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
    strategy.exit("Long Exit", "Long", profit=20, loss=10)

if shortCondition
    strategy.entry("Short", strategy.short)
    strategy.exit("Short Exit", "Short", profit=20, loss=10)

// Visual
bgcolor(inOpenWindow ? color.new(color.yellow, 92) : na, title="Opening Window")

Settings

• skipMins — length of the opening window in minutes. Default 5.
• onlyMode — off skips the window, on trades only inside it. Default off.
• openHr / openMin — session open on the NY clock. Default 9:30.

How to use

• Paste into the Pine Editor and replace the EMA-crossover placeholder with your own entry conditions.
• In skip mode (default), no entry fires until skipMins minutes after the open; pair with an end-of-window filter if you also cap the session.
• Yellow shading marks the opening window on the chart.
• Note that in skip mode entries remain enabled for the rest of the day — combine with the time of day filter to also set a cutoff.

Frequently Asked Questions

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