NinjaTrader Chart Templates Basics
Chart templates let you save an entire chart setup in NinjaTrader—indicators, colors, bar types, scaling, everything. If you rebuild your chart from scratch every session, you're doing it wrong. Templates exist to save you time and keep your workflow consistent.
What a Chart Template Saves
A chart template includes:
- Indicators and their settings
- Bar type and bar value
- Colors, fonts, and plotting styles
- Chart properties
- Drawing tool defaults (if saved)
- Panel layout and panel assignments
It does not save your drawings—those belong to the workspace, not the template.
How to Save a Chart Template
Once your chart looks exactly how you want:
- Right-click the chart
- Go to Templates → Save
- Name it something useful like:
- “ScalpTemplate”
- “5MinClean”
- “Range10Core”
- Click Save
You now have a reusable template for that chart style.
How to Load a Template on Any Chart
To apply a saved template:
- Right-click on the new chart
- Select Templates → Load
- Pick your saved template
The entire chart instantly updates to match the template.
How to Set a Default Template
If you want every new chart to start with your custom layout:
- Right-click the chart
- Templates → Save As Default
Now when you open a chart for ES, CL, MNQ, whatever—it uses your default.
Template Tips for Clean Trading
- Keep templates simple—no 200 indicators
- Have one template per bar style (minute / tick / range)
- Use clear names so you don’t load the wrong one
- Update a template only when your process changes
- Create a backup version if you test new indicators
If your charts start getting messy, reload the template and reset the chaos.
Where NinjaTrader Stores Templates
The file path (Windows):
Documents → NinjaTrader 8 → templates → Chart
If you want to copy templates to another computer, this is where they live.
Common Mistakes With Templates
- Saving templates before removing old indicators
- Forgetting to save after making changes
- Overwriting good templates with sloppy experiments
- Using the wrong template for tick vs minute charts
Templates only help if you're disciplined with them.
Final Thoughts
Chart templates are one of the fastest ways to streamline NinjaTrader. Save your setups, load them instantly, and stop manually rebuilding charts every time you open the platform. This is one of the simplest upgrades you can make to your workflow.