NinjaTrader Alerts Basics

Alerts in NinjaTrader let you monitor price levels, indicator conditions, or custom logic without babysitting your chart. Most traders never set them up correctly—they either spam alerts or miss key moves. This guide cuts the nonsense and shows you how to build reliable alerts that actually help you trade.

How to Open the Alerts Menu

You can create alerts two ways:

  • Right-click on the chart → Alerts…
  • Right-click directly on an indicator → Alerts

Both open the same Alert Builder window.

Creating a Price Alert

To create a simple price-level alert:

  1. Right-click chart → Alerts…
  2. Click + Add
  3. Under Conditions, choose:
    • Left operand: Price
    • Condition: Crosses Above or Crosses Below
    • Right operand: type the price
  4. Choose an Action (sound, popup, log, email if configured)
  5. Click OK

You now have a clean, simple price trigger.

Alert Conditions Explained (The Real Ones You Use)

NinjaTrader offers dozens of condition types, but 95% of alerts use these:

  • Price crosses above/below a value
  • Indicator crosses indicator (e.g., SMA 9 crosses SMA 20)
  • Indicator greater/less than (e.g., RSI > 70)
  • Bar closes above/below indicator

If you stick to these, you avoid false triggers and overcomplicated logic.

Creating Indicator-Based Alerts

If you want an alert on an indicator:

  1. Right-click the indicator plot
  2. Select Alerts
  3. Click Add
  4. Choose your condition (example: RSI Greater Than 70)
  5. Pick your action (sound, popup, etc.)
  6. Save it

NinjaTrader automatically links the alert to the correct indicator instance.

Alert Actions (What Happens When It Triggers)

Each alert can perform one or more actions:

  • Sound – play a .wav file
  • Popup – alert window
  • Log – add entry to the Alerts Log
  • Email – only works if email is configured
  • Text message – via email gateway if set up

Most traders use sound + popup.

Re-Arm Settings (Stops Annoying Alert Spam)

Re-arm controls how often an alert can repeat.

  • Re-arm on bar close – triggers once per bar
  • Re-arm after X seconds – limits constant firing
  • No re-arm – one-time alert only

For price levels, “Re-arm on bar close” keeps things clean.

Managing and Editing Existing Alerts

To see all alerts for the chart:

  • Right-click → Alerts…

From here you can:

  • Edit conditions
  • Edit actions
  • Pause alerts
  • Delete alerts

If an alert won’t fire, it’s usually because the condition is impossible or the re-arm setting is too restrictive.

Best Practices for Clean Alerts

  • Don’t create 20 alerts—keep them focused
  • Name your alerts so you know what triggered
  • Use re-arm settings to avoid spam
  • Use indicator alerts sparingly—too many = noise
  • Never rely on alerts for risk management (use ATMs)

Alerts are for awareness, not protection.

Final Thoughts

Alerts in NinjaTrader are powerful when you use them correctly. Stick to simple conditions, keep your alert list clean, and use re-arm rules to avoid noise. If you combine price alerts with basic indicator conditions, you’ll stay ahead of key moves without staring at your charts nonstop.

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