Tradovate Charting Basics: Open & Use Advanced Charts
Before you click buy or sell, you need to actually read the price action. This guide walks you through the essentials in Tradovate, opening the Chart module and dialing in your timeframes, styles, and indicators one step at a time.
Before you click buy or sell, you need to actually read the price action. Whether you're scalping ES, pressure-testing a new setup, or wiring up automation with PickMyTrade, it starts on the chart. This guide walks you through the essentials in Tradovate, opening the Chart module and dialing in your timeframes, styles, and indicators one step at a time.
What Is Advanced Charting in Tradovate?
Advanced Charting comes baked into the Tradovate web, desktop, and mobile apps at no extra cost, you're not bolting on a separate charting service. You get the full spread of chart styles (candlestick, bar, Heiken-Ashi, Renko, Point & Figure, and more), volume tools, and 40+ built-in indicators, which is plenty for reading futures. A chart opens as a module inside your workspace, and you can stack as many as your screen will hold.
Opening Tradovate Charts: Step by Step
Add a Chart Module to Your Workspace
In the Tradovate web app, click the + (New) button in the top-left corner of the screen. Then grab the Chart module and drag it into your workspace, dropping it wherever you want it to live.
Load a Contract Symbol
Click into the chart's search bar and start typing a symbol or product name, say ES or "E-mini S&P." Tradovate's smart search surfaces matching contracts as you type, so you just pick the front-month contract you want on screen.
Change the Timeframe (Interval)
Hover over the chart and click the interval button in the top toolbar to open the Interval dropdown. Pick one of the minute presets, 1, 5, 15, 30, or 60, or hit Custom if you want to build your own interval.
Switch the Chart Style
Hover over the chart and click the Chart Style button at the top of the module. You've got eight styles to choose from: Candlesticks (the default), OHLC, Line on Close, Bid-Ask Volume, Heiken-Ashi, Renko, Point & Figure, and TPO (Footprint). Some styles need a little tuning, for Point & Figure, open Configure Chart Elements to set your box size and reversal.
Add and Configure Indicators
Hover over the chart and click the Indicators icon on the toolbar. Search the list, 40+ built-ins, plus community customs, and click one to drop it on the chart. Use the settings gear to tweak its properties and Save. Want it out of the way? Hide any indicator with the eye icon, or wipe it entirely with the trash icon.
Why You'd Need This
- Read live futures price action before you enter from the chart or the DOM.
- Compare timeframes, a 1-minute for entries, something higher for the trend.
- Try styles like Renko or Heiken-Ashi to strip out the noise.
- Layer on indicators, moving averages, VWAP, volume, that fit your setup.
- Build a clean chart you can trade from directly or feed into automation.
Automate This with PickMyTrade
Reading the chart is the easy part. Acting on it fast, before the move gets away from you, is where most traders lose ground. PickMyTrade wires your TradingView alerts straight into your Tradovate account, so the setups you spot on the chart fire as real orders automatically. No scramble, no manual clicks.
Turn Your Chart Setups Into Automatic Orders
Reading the chart is the easy part. Let PickMyTrade wire your TradingView alerts straight into your Tradovate account so setups fire automatically.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
No. Charting, advanced styles and all 40+ indicators included, is built into the web, desktop, and mobile apps. You may still need a real-time market-data subscription for live quotes, and those costs vary by exchange and account type, so check what your current plan covers.
Yes. Once chart trading is switched on, you can place, drag, and cancel orders right on the price axis.
The chart still draws, but live quotes need a market-data subscription. If a symbol comes up delayed, check your data entitlement, the requirements shift by firm and account size, so confirm your firm's current rules.
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures and other leveraged products carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. PickMyTrade is an independent third-party automation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tradovate, Inc. "Tradovate" and all related names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Platform features and steps change over time, so always confirm the current process in the official Tradovate platform and documentation before acting.