Get the number of closed trades from a Pine Script strategy

Get the number of closed trades from a Pine Script strategy

TL;DR
Track strategy.closedtrades so you know exactly how many trades have completed and can react when new ones close.

At a Glance

Difficulty	Beginner
Time to implement	5-10 min
Category	Strategy Basics

Quick Actions

• Open in AI Editor
• Browse PineScript Examples
• Connect to Live Trading

Quick Start

//@version=5
strategy("Closed trades counter", overlay=false)

plot(strategy.closedtrades, "Closed trades", color=color.blue)

if strategy.closedtrades > 50
    alert("Strategy has closed more than 50 trades.")

Tip. `strategy.closedtrades` is cumulative and only increments when a position is fully closed (either profit or loss).

Why It Matters

The number of closed trades is a core metric for evaluating sample size, calculating win ratios, or enforcing rule-based limits (e.g., stop trading after N trades). Because Pine Script exposes it as a series, you can inspect previous values to detect when the latest trade and its P/L finalised.

What You’ll Learn

• Checking the current count of closed trades
• Detecting new closures by comparing with prior bars
• Using the count for win-rate or drawdown rules
• Visualising trade counts over time

Quick Reference

Call	Purpose
strategy.closedtrades	Returns the cumulative number of completed trades.
strategy.closedtrades[1]	Previous bar’s total—use to detect newly closed trades.
strategy.wintrades / strategy.losstrades	Split counts for win-rate analysis.
strategy.closedtrades.profit(trade_num)	Accesses P/L values of past trades when you need more detail.
strategy.close_all()	Useful when you want to halt trading after a maximum number of trades.

Implementation Blueprint

1. Read the current trade count
   Use simple comparisons to guard against running too many backtest trades.

   maxTrades = input.int(100, "Max trades", minval=1)
   if strategy.closedtrades >= maxTrades
       strategy.close_all("Trade limit hit")

2. Detect a new closed trade
   Compare current and previous values to trigger logic on closure.

   newTradeClosed = strategy.closedtrades > strategy.closedtrades[1]
   if newTradeClosed
       alert("New trade closed! Total trades: " + str.tostring(strategy.closedtrades))

3. Compute win rate using trade counts
   Combine strategy.closedtrades with winning trade counts.

   winRate = strategy.closedtrades > 0
       ? strategy.wintrades / strategy.closedtrades
       : na
   plot(winRate, "Win rate", color=color.green)

Example Playbook

//@version=5
strategy("Breakout with trade counter", overlay=true, pyramiding=1)

length = input.int(20, "Breakout length")
highBreak = ta.highest(high, length)
lowBreak  = ta.lowest(low, length)

plot(highBreak, "High breakout", color=color.orange)
plot(lowBreak, "Low breakout", color=color.blue)

if high > highBreak
    strategy.entry("Breakout Long", strategy.long)

if low < lowBreak
    strategy.entry("Breakout Short", strategy.short)

// Detect new closed trades
newClosed = strategy.closedtrades > strategy.closedtrades[1]

if newClosed
    lastProfit = strategy.closedtrades.profit(strategy.closedtrades - 1)
    label.new(bar_index, high, "Trade #" + str.tostring(strategy.closedtrades) +
        "\nP/L: " + str.tostring(lastProfit, format.mintick),
        style=label.style_label_down, textcolor=color.white, bgcolor=color.new(color.blue, 65))

plot(strategy.closedtrades, "Closed trades", color=color.new(color.purple, 0))

Why this works.

• The counter increments immediately when a trade exits, enabling timely annotations.
• We store the latest P/L to provide context for each label.
• Plotting the cumulative count reveals how frequently the strategy trades over time.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• strategy.closedtrades resets only when the strategy restarts (backtest or live). Track deltas if you need session-based metrics.
• Combine with strategy.closedtrades.exit_bar_index(trade_num) to see when the trade closed.
• For performance, avoid looping over every closed trade on every bar; store information as it becomes available.
• Use alerts or conditional logic to pause trading if too many losing trades occur within a fixed window.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

The count seems to skip values—why?

strategy.closedtrades increments by one per closed position, including partial exits treated as separate trades. Verify how you structure entries/exits and pyramiding rules.

Can I differentiate long vs short closed trades?

Yes—check strategy.closedtrades.entry_direction(trade_num) or the profit value sign to infer direction.

Key Takeaways

• strategy.closedtrades provides a bar-by-bar snapshot of completed trades.
• Comparing current and previous values detects when a new trade finishes.
• Combine trade counts with win/loss breakdowns and alerts to supervise strategy behaviour.
• Plotting the count helps visualise strategy cadence and identify periods of inactivity or churn.

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Keep Going

• Open AI Editor to apply the pattern with guided assistance
• Browse PineScript Examples for ready-to-run templates
• Connect to Live Trading when you are ready to automate

Adapted from tradingcode.net, optimised for Algo Trade Analytics users.