Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about setup, accounts, alerts, logs and trade handling, with links to the full guides.
Need a log now? Open Experts, Journal, saved Experts logs, or TradingView’s Alerts log.
For a failed request, use EA Errors. For an alert that never reaches the next stage, use Missing signals.
Getting started
Section titled “Getting started”The basics
What is PineConnector?
PineConnector connects TradingView alert messages to supported MetaTrader accounts. Your message describes the action; PineConnector and the EA process it using your setup and the broker’s trading rules. Start with Connect MT5 to choose Edge hosting or your own PC/VPS.
Link to this answerHow do I contact support?
Open PineConnector Support chat here in the docs. For a trading issue, include the event time, Signal ID, full error and what you expected to happen. Share private account information only in the support conversation.
Link to this answerWhat are your support hours?
The published support schedule follows the trading week, with business-day and local-public-holiday exceptions. Check the support channel for current availability. Do not use the live status of a documentation page as proof that an agent is available.
Link to this answerDoes PineConnector offer a trial?
Eligible customers can try Core through the paid trial offered in Portal. Before subscribing, review the upfront payment, trial duration, renewal price and eligibility shown there. Cancel before renewal if you do not want the subscription to continue.
The Core trial includes 3 broker connections and up to 1 hosted Edge instance. London and Virginia are available hosting choices.
The homepage’s interactive demos use sample data. To evaluate your own connected setup, use a broker demo account and follow the setup verification guide. Continued access after the trial depends on successful payment.
Link to this answerMy earlier trial or subscription expired. How do I get access again?
Sign in to the Portal subscription page and review Core, Plus or Pro. After subscribing, check your connection and complete a new demo test alert before resuming an old automation.
Link to this answerAccount and billing
Section titled “Account and billing”Plans and payment
Which plan should I choose, and what plans are available?
Choose according to how many trading accounts must be connected at the same time:
- Core: up to 3 connections, including 1 hosted Edge instance.
- Plus: up to 10 connections, including 3 hosted Edge instances.
- Pro: up to 25 connections, including 5 hosted Edge instances.
Edge instances count towards the total connection allowance. You can mix Edge and self-hosted accounts. For example, Core can run 1 account on Edge and 2 on your own PC or VPS. You can also self-host all 3.
Need more hosted instances? Check the options on your Subscription page or ask Support. Compare current prices on the plans page.
Legacy subscriptions: Starter, Advanced and Professional have documented concurrent-account allowances of 1, 3 and 10. Check your actual Portal subscription before switching; these are not renamed Core, Plus and Pro plans.
Link to this answerWhat costs should I check before setting up?
Check your PineConnector subscription and a TradingView plan with webhook access. If you choose your own Windows VPS, check that provider’s charges and any conditions for keeping the VPS active.
Edge is included with current Core, Plus and Pro plans and uses the plan’s connection allowance. Legacy subscriptions can differ. Check current plans and the terms shown in Portal before subscribing. For a trial, review the upfront payment, duration and renewal price.
Also confirm your broker’s charges and automated-trading conditions. Follow Connect MT5 for setup requirements or Windows VPS setup for the self-hosted path.
Link to this answerWhich payment methods are accepted?
The published subscription guide lists credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express, plus PayPal. The payment methods offered at your checkout are the applicable options for that subscription.
Link to this answerWhere do I check my subscription and payment status?
Open Subscription in Portal. An account without an active plan shows No active plan on file; the sidebar shows No Active Plan after the plan has ended. Review the plan and access dates before relying on a connected setup.
When moving from a legacy plan to Edge, review the first payment date before checkout. If no payment is due immediately, the Nothing to pay until banner shows that date on Subscription. Read the displayed date in your local time zone.
If a payment-method change fails, read the message and follow its next step. If the result is unclear, contact Support with the time and message before starting another payment attempt. Do not share card details or trading passwords.
Link to this answerHow do I cancel a subscription?
Manage cancellation on the Portal subscription page. Cancel before the next renewal to stop the next billing cycle, and check the confirmation and access end date.
Cancellation or a stopped hosted terminal does not close broker positions for you. Review open positions and pending orders directly with your broker. See the Terms of Service for the subscription and Edge end-of-service rules.
Link to this answerWhat is the refund policy?
PineConnector does not offer refunds for partial billing periods or unused portions of the service. Cancellation stops future renewals according to the subscription terms. Read the full payment and refund policy before subscribing.
Link to this answerAccounts, instances and License IDs
What is the difference between an account, an instance and a License ID?
- Trading account: the broker account where orders are placed, with its own login and balance.
- Connection: one trading account connected at a time, through Edge or a self-hosted terminal.
- Edge instance: one MT5 terminal hosted by PineConnector for one account. It uses both an Edge slot and a connection.
- License ID: the PineConnector identifier used to route alert messages to the connected account or group.
Count accounts, not symbols or strategies, when working out your connection needs. An ID can have several accounts attached. Portal may use “instances” when allocating connections to IDs.
Link to this answerWhere do I find my License ID, and how many digits should it have?
Open Portal Connections and use the copy control beside the License ID for your intended account. It is not the broker account login.
Current IDs are normally 13–14 digits; some legacy IDs differ. Copy the complete value shown in Portal rather than adding digits, shortening it or guessing a prefix. Its format alone does not prove it belongs to you or is connected.
Link to this answerHow many connections and Edge instances do I need?
You need one connection per trading account running at the same time. Each account hosted on Edge also needs an available Edge instance; self-hosted accounts use only the connection allowance.
| Your setup | Connections |
|---|---|
| One account, two strategies and 50 symbols | 1 |
| Two accounts running together | 2 |
| Five accounts running together | 5 |
| Switch from a challenge to a funded account, one at a time | 1 |
The number of computers does not change the count. For several accounts on one device, use separate terminals. For several strategies on one account, see strategy separation.
Link to this answerShould my accounts share one License ID or use separate IDs?
Use one ID for accounts that should receive the same alerts; use separate IDs for different destination groups. For example, a group might have two connections under ID A and one under ID B. This illustrates routing, not an extra allowance. Check the allocation available to your subscription and ask Support if you need it changed.
A signal to a shared ID can reach every account attached to it. Check the actual group in Connections before testing. Multi-Instance Signals explains the account-by-account results.
Link to this answerCan I use my licence with a different trading account?
Yes, licences are not permanently tied to one trading account. You can switch to another supported account when a connection is available, subject to your subscription and setup. Switching between accounts one at a time differs from running both together.
After switching, check the new account and License ID in Portal, then verify the destination before relying on existing alerts.
Link to this answerHow do I use a separate License ID?
Open Connections. Each License ID groups the accounts that receive its alerts.
- Find an unused ID labelled No trading account is using this License ID yet.
- For Edge, select that ID when adding the instance. For your own MT5 terminal, use Copy LicenseID and paste it into the EA’s License ID input.
- Return to Connections and check that only the intended account or group appears under that ID.
An unused ID does not add connection capacity. If you need another ID or a different allocation and your Portal does not offer it, ask Support. Review a running account’s automation before disconnecting it to make room.
Link to this answerWhat should I check after changing an account or License ID?
- The intended broker account is under the intended License ID.
- Your alert uses that same ID; other accounts are in the group only if they should receive it.
- The demo test workflow produces the expected account, symbol, direction and size, without unintended duplicates.
Changing the ID saved in these docs changes future copied examples only. It does not change your EA or existing TradingView alerts. Update the actual setup too; recreate a TradingView alert when its script or inputs change.
Link to this answerHow does the license expiration date work?
The published licensing guide uses UTC. An expiry at 1 January, 00:00 UTC is the start of 1 January, not the end of that day. Check the actual date and time shown in your Portal and convert it to your local timezone when planning access.
Link to this answerConnections and installation
Section titled “Connections and installation”Where your setup runs
Can my trading accounts run on separate computers?
Yes. Self-hosted terminals can run on separate computers or VPS machines. Each intended account still needs the appropriate available connection within the subscription allowance. Use Multi-Terminal Setup when several terminals share one device.
Link to this answerDo I have to leave TradingView or Chrome open?
No. TradingView runs created alerts on its servers. In a self-hosted setup, your MetaTrader terminal and PineConnector EA must remain running and connected on your computer or VPS. With Edge, the hosted MT5 terminal runs remotely; your local browser is not that terminal.
Link to this answerCan I run PineConnector on a VPS?
Yes, using a supported Windows environment that permits the EA’s required DLL imports. The published self-hosted guidance specifies Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016 and newer supported versions, rather than Windows 8 or Server 2012. Follow VPS Setup and the platform installation guide for the actual requirements.
Link to this answerWhy are license details missing after I enter my License ID?
First check the Experts output for the connection or loading error. Then confirm the ID, compatible operating system, required EA files, DLL permissions and trading permissions. The current MT5 guide does not require a WebRequest URL. An unsupported Windows version is one possible cause, not the only diagnosis. Follow the MT5 or MT4 setup guide.
Link to this answerCan I use MetaTrader downloaded from my broker?
The published guide supports either the standard MetaTrader desktop terminal or your broker’s distribution. Use the correct MT4/MT5 version for your account, log in to the intended broker server, and confirm it satisfies the PineConnector setup requirements.
Link to this answerAlerts, logs and terminal tools
Section titled “Alerts, logs and terminal tools”Find the evidence
How do I open the Symbols list?
- View
- Symbols
Use the name in the Symbol column exactly, including capitalisation and prefixes/suffixes. A TradingView ticker is not necessarily the same name. Inspect the symbol’s specification for volume, trading-session and stop-distance rules.
Link to this answerHow do I open the Experts tab?
On Edge, select your hosted instance in Portal → Edge, then select Experts. You can read the logs in your browser without opening MT5. See the Edge log walkthrough.
In MT5, open View → Toolbox, then select Experts. In MT4, open View → Terminal, then Experts. This is where the EA prints its processing and diagnostic messages.
Link to this answerHow do I open the Journal tab?
On Edge, select your hosted instance in Portal → Edge, then select Journal to read the terminal’s logs in your browser.
Open the same lower panel: Toolbox in MT5 or Terminal in MT4. Select Journal for the terminal’s connection and trading messages. For an error such as 4756, inspect Journal and Experts at the matching time.
Link to this answerHow do I find Experts logs after closing MetaTrader?
Reopen that terminal and choose File → Open Data Folder. For MT5 EA logs, open MQL5/Logs; for MT4, open MQL4/Logs. Choose the file for the event date, typically named YYYYMMDD.log. Terminal Journal logs are in the data folder’s separate Logs directory.
Use the correct terminal’s data folder when several are installed. On Edge, use the Portal’s available connection/signal detail or contact support if the needed terminal log is not available to you.
Link to this answerHow do I open MetaTrader’s Global Variables?
- Tools
- Global Variables
This opens the terminal’s stored global variables. Inspect them when a troubleshooting instruction requires it; do not delete or edit unfamiliar values as a general reset.
Link to this answerWhat is the PineConnector Signals log?
The Signals log records messages received by PineConnector and the processing information available for them. Use its message, status, timestamps and account context to follow a request. A received signal is not, by itself, proof that the broker filled an order.
Link to this answerWhere do I find the Signal ID of an order?
Check the order or position’s comment when the default PineConnector comment is retained. A custom comment= can replace that display. Use the Portal’s Signals log and event time to locate the relevant record if the ID is not shown in the trade comment.
Where is TradingView’s Alerts log?
Open the chart’s Alerts panel and select its log/history view. Inspect the triggered event’s time and message, then compare it with the PineConnector Signals log and MetaTrader output. Comparing only a chart arrow with a broker trade can miss alert-configuration or script issues.
Link to this answerWhy did TradingView stop an alert for triggering too often?
TradingView documents a limit of 15 triggers in 3 minutes for a regular alert. Watchlist alerts also have a per-symbol limit and a separate overall limit. Review frequent conditions or repeated calls before restarting it; TradingView’s current limits cover each case.
Link to this answerEA behaviour and multiple accounts
Section titled “EA behaviour and multiple accounts”Understand the resulting trade
Do I need to install every EA update immediately?
Review the release notes for fixes and the minimum version required by features you use. Plan updates when you can verify the setup afterwards, using the current Portal download. Do not assume an older version supports a newly documented feature.
Link to this answerDo I need an EA on every symbol or timeframe?
No. One connected PineConnector EA instance can process messages for the broker symbols available to that terminal. Attaching extra copies to every chart is unnecessary and can introduce duplicate or conflicting processing. Follow the instance arrangement in your setup guide.
Link to this answerHow do I avoid unwanted multiple trades?
Check for duplicate TradingView alerts and unintended duplicate EA/connection instances first. Then review Pyramiding and Close on Reverse in EA settings for how repeated or opposite entry signals should behave. These settings are not a substitute for removing duplicate sources.
Link to this answerHow is the final trade volume handled?
The EA derives a target lot size from the message and selected sizing method, then checks the broker’s minimum, maximum and volume step. The EA’s rounding direction is not established in this reference; do not assume that an in-range target rounds up, down or to the nearest step.
For example, with a 0.01 lot step, a target of 0.029 lies between 0.02 and 0.03. This comparison does not establish which volume the EA submits. Follow the broker-constraint checks, then compare the calculated and submitted volume in Experts with the volume accepted by the broker.
Link to this answerWhat is Signal Authentication?
It checks an additional signal credential according to your configured authentication settings. Use the Signal Authentication guide to set it up and understand failed checks. A License ID saved in this documentation does not verify or change your account’s authentication settings.
Link to this answerWhat is Symbol Mapping?
It translates an incoming symbol name into the name required by your destination broker. Follow Symbol Mapping, then inspect the resolved symbol in your test result.
Link to this answerAn error appeared after a signal. What should I do?
Read the full message and choose the matching MT4 or MT5 case in EA Errors. If no trade appears and there is no error, use Missing signals to identify the last confirmed stage.
Link to this answerData, timing and price differences
Section titled “Data, timing and price differences”Know the limits
What data is used by PineConnector?
Data needs depend on the features you use. Signal processing, the Portal, hosted terminals and Analytics are not the same data flow. For example, Analytics describes trading-history processing and its EA opt-out control.
Read the Terms of Service and contact Support for a specific privacy or data-handling question. Avoid putting passwords or secrets into public screenshots, shared code, or a copied page sent to another service.
Link to this answerWhat is repainting, and how can it affect alerts?
Repainting means the script’s historical output can differ from what it showed in real time. Intrabar price changes, other-timeframe requests, historical plotting and data revisions can contribute. Waiting for bar close helps with some intrabar changes, but does not fix every cause. Review the script author’s warnings and TradingView’s explanation.
Link to this answerWhat latency should I expect?
Measure the path you are actually using: TradingView webhook delivery, PineConnector receipt and forwarding, terminal processing, and broker execution. A fast internal server stage is not the same as end-to-end execution time. Use the available signal timestamps and terminal/broker logs; market conditions, hosting and broker execution can change the result.
The old FAQ’s version-specific median samples are historical measurements, not a guarantee for your current setup. Test the actual broker/account and connection you intend to use.
Link to this answerWhy do TradingView and MetaTrader show different prices?
They can use different data feeds, bid/ask quotes, spreads and timestamps. That matters when you send a fixed price for an entry, stop loss or take profit. Confirm the broker’s current quote and symbol rules before using that level.
Distance-based targets can avoid some fixed-price mismatches when they fit your strategy. They still need valid units and broker-accepted distances; changing order type is a strategy decision, not a universal error fix.
Link to this answer