nz() - Pine Script Function

nz()

Overview

nz() protects your logic from na values by substituting a default. The helper supports both simple and series arguments, and it preserves the type of its input (numbers, colors, etc.). Without a replacement argument, it falls back to a sensible zero-value for the type (e.g., 0.0 for floats, color.new(color.black, 100) for colors).

`nz()` is fast and lightweight. Use it when you want to replace missing values, and reach for fixnan() when you prefer to carry forward the last known value instead.

Syntax

nz(source, replacement) → simple/series type

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
source	simple/series int/float/bool/color	Value to sanitize.
replacement	simple/series int/float/bool/color (optional)	Value to substitute when source is na. Defaults to the type-specific zero.

Returns

simple/series type — The original source when available; otherwise the replacement or type default.

Remarks

• Use nz(series, seriesReplacement) to replace missing values with another series (e.g., nz(close[1], close)).
• For color series, nz() defaults to a fully transparent black; pass your own color when you need a visible fallback.
• On the first bar of a script, many ta.* functions output na. Wrap them in nz() before plotting so your chart remains visible through warm-up periods.

Example

//@version=5
indicator("nz() example", overlay=false)

length = input.int(14, "RSI length", minval=2)
rsi = ta.rsi(close, length)

defaultedRsi = nz(rsi, 50.0)  // center RSI when it is not available yet

plot(rsi, "Raw RSI", color=color.new(color.blue, 60))
plot(defaultedRsi, "RSI with fallback", color=color.orange, linewidth=2)

bgcolor(na(rsi) ? color.new(color.red, 90) : na,
    title="Highlight RSI warm-up bars")

See Also

• na()
• fixnan()
• float()
• int()