How to configure TradingView Pine Script strategies by hand?

TL;DR
Use the strategy Properties tab to adjust capital, order sizing, commission, leverage, and recalculation without editing code.

At a Glance


Difficulty	Beginner
Time to implement	10-15 min
Category	Strategy Basics

Quick Actions

Why It Matters

Not every tweak requires changing code. TradingView’s UI settings let you tailor a strategy to different symbols, capital sizes, or broker conditions while keeping the underlying script identical.

Quick Reference (Properties Tab)

Setting	Purpose
Initial Capital	Starting equity for the backtest.
Base Currency	Currency used for equity, P/L, and commission.
Order Size	Default sizing mode (contracts, cash, percent of equity).
Pyramiding	Max number of entries per direction.
Commission	Per-trade fee model (fixed, per contract, percent).
Verify Price for Limit Orders	Extra ticks beyond price touch before filling limits.
Slippage	Per-order price slippage in ticks.
Margin (Long/Short)	Leverage configuration for both sides.
Recalculate after Order is Filled	Re-run strategy mid-bar once fills occur.
Recalculate on Every Tick	Force intrabar evaluation at tick granularity.

Implementation Blueprint

Open the Properties tab
Right-click the chart → Settings or click the settings gear on the strategy’s legend, then select Properties.
Adjust key parameters
Tune capital, order size, commission, and leverage to match your scenario.
Save presets as needed
The same strategy can run with different settings per chart; use “Make default” if you want new charts to inherit these values.

Example Playbook

//@version=5
strategy("Manual settings demo", overlay=true)

fastLen = input.int(10)
slowLen = input.int(30)

fast = ta.ema(close, fastLen)
slow = ta.ema(close, slowLen)

plot(fast, "Fast EMA", color=color.green)
plot(slow, "Slow EMA", color=color.red)

if ta.crossover(fast, slow)
    strategy.entry("Buy", strategy.long)

if ta.crossunder(fast, slow)
    strategy.entry("Sell", strategy.short)

Why this works.

The same simple EMA strategy can mimic different brokers by altering Properties.
No code changes are required to test cash vs. percent sizing or to add commission and slippage.
Recalculation options let you explore intrabar behaviour without rewriting logic.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

Manual settings override defaults from strategy(); document what you change so others can reproduce results.
Pyramiding affects both code-driven orders and manual overrides—make sure it aligns with your logic.
High slippage or commission values can drastically alter performance; use realistic numbers.
Recalculate on every tick increases computation; reserve it for strategies needing tick-level accuracy.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Why does my strategy stop trading after a few losses?

If order size is cash- or percent-based, equity declines can reduce buying power. Adjust initial capital, leverage, or order sizing to ensure trades can still execute.

Do manual settings persist across charts?

They’re stored per script per chart. Use “Make default” if you want new chart instances to inherit your preferred configuration.

Key Takeaways

The Properties tab offers fast, code-free adjustments to capital, sizing, fees, and margin.
Manual tweaks complement strategy() arguments—use both to build flexible scripts.
Align manual settings with real-world broker conditions for realistic backtests.

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.