How to use plot placeholders with TradingView's strategy alerts?

How to use plot placeholders with TradingView’s strategy alerts?

TL;DR
Name the plots that contain the data you want, then reference them in alert messages using {{plot("Plot Name")}}; TradingView swaps the placeholder for the current plot value at trigger time.

At a Glance

Difficulty	Beginner
Time to implement	10-15 min
Category	Alerts

Quick Actions

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

Quick Start

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

stopLevel   = ta.lowest(low, 10)
targetLevel = ta.highest(high, 10)

plot(stopLevel,   "Stop")
plot(targetLevel, "Target")

//@strategy_alert_message Stop: {{plot("Stop")}} | Target: {{plot("Target")}}

Tip. Plot names are case-sensitive. Check the Data Window (⌘+I / Ctrl+I) to confirm each plot’s exact title before referencing it in `{{plot("…")}}`.

Why It Matters

Alerts that include live price levels remove guesswork—trade management levels arrive with every notification. Plot placeholders are the simplest way to achieve that: expose the numbers via plot, then pull them into alert messages without extra state management or custom strings.

What You’ll Learn

• Publish the required values via plot so TradingView can surface them in alerts.
• Reference those plots with the {{plot("Name")}} placeholder syntax.
• Provide a default alert body using //@strategy_alert_message, or type placeholders manually when creating alerts.
• Validate the output to ensure rounding, formatting, and precision meet your needs.

Quick Reference

Call	Purpose
plot(series, title)	Exposes a value that placeholders can reference.
{{plot("Name")}}	Inserts the latest value of the plot named Name into an alert.
//@strategy_alert_message ...	Sets the default alert message for the strategy.
alertcondition(condition, title, message)	Optionally pair placeholders with indicator-style alerts.
tostring(value, format)	Use inside labels if you also display the value on-chart for verification.

Implementation Blueprint

1. Publish the values via plots
   Plot every number you want to include in alerts and give each plot a unique, descriptive title.

   stop  = ta.lowest(low, 14)
   limit = ta.highest(high, 14)
   plot(stop,  "Stop price")
   plot(limit, "Target price")

2. Reference plots in the alert message
   Use //@strategy_alert_message to define a default message, or type placeholders manually when creating an alert.

   //@strategy_alert_message Stop: {{plot("Stop price")}} | Target: {{plot("Target price")}}

3. Create the alert (and test)
   Add the strategy to a chart, open Create Alert, and confirm the placeholders resolve correctly. Trigger a test alert to validate formatting.

Example Playbook

//@version=5
strategy("Breakout with dynamic alert", overlay=true, pyramiding=0)

len        = input.int(20, "Lookback")
bufferTick = input.int(2, "Buffer (ticks)")

float tickToPrice(int t) => t * syminfo.mintick

rangeHigh = ta.highest(high, len)
rangeLow  = ta.lowest(low, len)
stopLevel   = rangeLow - tickToPrice(bufferTick)
targetLevel = rangeHigh + tickToPrice(bufferTick * 2)

plot(rangeHigh, "Range high")
plot(rangeLow,  "Range low")
plot(stopLevel,   "Stop level")
plot(targetLevel, "Target level")

longBreakout  = ta.crossover(close, rangeHigh)
shortBreakout = ta.crossunder(close, rangeLow)

if longBreakout
    strategy.entry("Long", strategy.long)
if shortBreakout
    strategy.entry("Short", strategy.short)

//@strategy_alert_message {{strategy.order.action}} {{strategy.order.contracts}} @ {{strategy.order.price}}\nStop: {{plot("Stop level")}} | Target: {{plot("Target level")}}

Why this works.

• Plots expose every relevant level so placeholders can pull them into alerts.
• The default alert message combines built-in strategy variables (`strategy.order.*`) with custom plots for full context.
• Tick buffers show how to prepare values that need minor adjustments before plotting.

Pro Tips & Pitfalls

• Placeholders resolve to raw numbers. If you need formatting (e.g., two decimals), use Alert formatter rules in the UI or round the plotted series beforehand.
• The alert message runs once when the alert is created. Updating the script (or changing plot names) requires recreating the alert so placeholders stay in sync.
• Strategy placeholders support both plots and built-in variables such as {{strategy.order.contracts}}. Mix and match for richer notifications.
• Indicator alerts work the same way—just ensure the indicator also exposes the series via plot.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

My alert shows n/a

The plot returned na on that bar. Guard the plotted series (e.g., plot(condition ? value : na)) so placeholders only fire when meaningful data exists.

The placeholder text appears literally

Double-check spelling and case sensitivity. The placeholder must match the plot title exactly, including spaces and capitalisation.

Can I include multiple plots in one placeholder?

No—use separate placeholders (e.g., Stop: {{plot("Stop")}} | Target: {{plot("Target")}}). Each resolves independently when the alert triggers.

Key Takeaways

• Plot placeholders bridge your chart logic with alert notifications—all you need is a named plot and a matching {{plot("Name")}} reference.
• Define a default alert body with //@strategy_alert_message so every alert includes the dynamic values automatically.
• Validate the final alert output with a quick test trigger to confirm formatting and precision.
• Keep plot titles stable; renaming them requires updating every placeholder that references them.

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Keep Going

• Open AI Editor to apply the pattern with guided assistance
• Browse Strategy 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.