Send Signals with PowerShell and curl

Send a message straight from your computer to PineConnector, without creating a TradingView alert. You will copy a ready-made command, add your License ID and check that the message reached MetaTrader.

Start with a connection test

The first test does not open a trade. Follow steps 1–4, then stop there or continue with the optional demo trade.

The main instructions are for Windows. Mac/Linux instructions are available beside the steps that differ. Select any screenshot to enlarge it.

What you will do

1. Choose your account

   Find its PineConnector License ID.

2. Send a test message

   Copy, edit and send one command.

3. Check MetaTrader

   Find the matching test in its messages.

Only setting up TradingView alerts? You can use Test your setup instead. This guide is for sending a message yourself or preparing your own integration.

Before you begin

Have these ready

• A connected MT5 account

  Using Edge? Complete the Edge setup first. Running MT5 on your own computer or VPS? Keep MT5 and the PineConnector EA open.

• Your PineConnector Portal

  Keep it open in another browser tab. You will use Connections to find your License ID.

• A demo account for the optional trade

  A demo account uses practice funds. You do not need to send a buy or sell to complete the connection test.

New to PowerShell or curl?Here is what the names mean.

• PowerShell is an app where you run commands: lines of text that tell your computer what to do.
• curl is the tool the Windows command below uses to send your message. You do not need to write a script.
• Webhook means PineConnector’s receiving web address. It is already included in the commands; leave it unchanged.
• EA means Expert Advisor, the PineConnector program running inside MT5 that processes your message. Edge runs it for you.

1. Find your License ID

1. PineConnector Portal
2. Connections
3. Overview

1. Open Connections in Portal.
2. Find the group containing the broker account you want to test.
3. Select the copy icon beside its License ID. This copies the ID, ready to paste later.

Your License ID tells PineConnector which connected accounts should receive the message. It is not your broker account number or password.

Open Connections → Overview. Your License IDs and the accounts grouped under them appear below this header; private details are omitted here.

Open Connections → Overview. Your License IDs and the accounts grouped under them appear below this header; private details are omitted here.Open original Close Esc

Check all the accounts under that ID

One License ID can send the same message to several accounts. Before the optional trade, every account receiving it must be a demo account. If the group includes a live account, pause and use a demo-only connection. How accounts and License IDs are grouped.

Using Edge? Open Portal → Edge, select your instance and check for Running. If you run MT5 yourself, keep that terminal and its PineConnector EA open. Running is a starting check; you will confirm message delivery in step 4.

2. Open PowerShell and Notepad

1

Open PowerShell

Press the Windows key, type PowerShell and open Windows PowerShell or PowerShell. You do not need to run it as administrator.

What you should see

A command window opens. Its input line often begins with PS, followed by a folder location.

2

Open a blank Notepad document

Press the Windows key, type Notepad and open it. Press Ctrl+N for a new document.

Notepad is for editing; PowerShell is for sending. You will prepare the text in Notepad first, so you do not have to edit a long line inside PowerShell. There is no need to save a file.

What you should see

You have somewhere to edit the command before sending it.

Check that curl is available

Select Copy below. Click inside PowerShell, press Ctrl+V to paste, then press Enter.

Check curl on Windows

Paste into PowerShell, then press Enter powershell

curl.exe --version

What you should see

Version information for curl. You do not need a particular version number from this guide.

Does Windows say curl.exe is not recognised?

You can continue without installing it. In step 3, open Other computers and Windows without curl and choose the PowerShell command instead.

Using a Mac or Linux?Open these apps instead, then continue to step 3.

On Mac: press Command+Space, type Terminal and open it. Open TextEdit as your editor; start a new document and choose Format → Make Plain Text. Use Command+C and Command+V to copy and paste.

On Linux: open your desktop’s application search and launch Terminal and a plain-text editor. App names vary by distribution. Many terminal apps use Ctrl+Shift+V to paste, or offer Paste in their right-click menu.

Select Copy below, paste into Terminal and press Enter. Use curl, without .exe. In the later command choices, select macOS / Linux.

Check curl on Mac or Linux

Paste into Terminal, then press Enter bash

curl --version

3. Prepare and send the test

This sends the message test,test, which checks the connection without requesting a buy or sell. The commands are illustrative requests, not executed trades.

1

Copy the command into Notepad

Select Copy on the Windows command below. Click in your blank Notepad document and press Ctrl+V.

Do not send it yet. First replace the License ID and check whether you need a secret key.

Send one connection test

Edit in Notepad first powershell

curl.exe -H "Content-Type: text/plain" -d 'LicenseID,test,test' https://webhook.pineconnector.com/

Other computers and Windows without curlChoose one alternative instead of the Windows command above.

Windows without curl.exe: choose PowerShell. It uses PowerShell’s own sending command, so curl is not needed.

Mac or Linux: choose macOS / Linux. Copy into your plain-text editor first. Then follow the same editing checks below and send it through Terminal.

Other connection-test commands

PowerShell

Notepad → PowerShell powershell

Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri "https://webhook.pineconnector.com/" -ContentType "text/plain" -Body 'LicenseID,test,test'

macOS / Linux

Plain-text editor → Terminal bash

curl -H "Content-Type: text/plain" -d 'LicenseID,test,test' https://webhook.pineconnector.com/

2

Replace LicenseID with your own ID

In Notepad, replace the word LicenseID with the ID from step 1. If copying the command replaced it on your clipboard, return to Portal and copy your License ID again.

Keep the commas and quotation marks in place. Leave test,test and the web address unchanged.

Keep the plain-text setting

The command already includes Content-Type: text/plain. This tells PineConnector how to read your message. Keep it exactly as shown, including when you later send a trading message.

Have you enabled Signal Authentication?

This optional feature checks a secret key, a separate password-like value saved in Portal.

If it is Off: no secret needs to be added. If it is On: add ,secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEY immediately after test,test, before the closing single quote. Replace YOUR_SECRET_KEY with the exact saved key.

Not sure? Check the setting using the instructions below. Keep real keys out of screenshots, shared commands and this documentation site’s fields.

How do I check whether a secret key is needed?Read the setting; do not change it for this test.

1. PineConnector Portal
2. Bridge
3. Modifier
4. Signal Authentication

1. Open Bridge in Portal and select Modifier.
2. Find Signal Authentication and read the On / Off label beside its switch.
3. If it is On, use the matching key already configured for your setup. It is case-sensitive. Do not switch authentication off to get the command to work.

This example shows Off and an empty key field. Read your own setting; the screenshot does not check your account. No settings were changed for this capture.

This example shows Off and an empty key field. Read your own setting; the screenshot does not check your account. No settings were changed for this capture.Open original Close Esc

If you cannot confirm the setting or find the required key, pause and ask Support. The Signal Authentication guide explains the feature in more detail.

Does your secret key contain quotation marks?Only needed for keys with special characters.

The single quotes around the message keep characters such as $ literal. Keep the key itself exactly as saved in Portal.

PowerShell: replace each apostrophe in the key with the two straight characters below, inside the quoted message. If the key contains double quotes, choose the native PowerShell alternative above rather than curl.exe.

PowerShell: characters to insert

Copy into the secret text in your editor. This is not a command to run.

macOS/Linux: replace each apostrophe with the five characters below, inside the single-quoted message. The shell converts this back into one literal apostrophe when it sends the message.

Mac/Linux: characters to insert

Copy into the secret text in your editor. This is not a command to run.

If you are unsure how to prepare your key, ask for help using a redacted example. Never share the real key.

3

Send the finished command once

In Notepad, press Ctrl+A to select the complete command, then Ctrl+C to copy it. Click inside PowerShell, press Ctrl+V, then press Enter once.

Keep the response and note the time. If you see an error, stop and use Something did not work? below.

What you should see

PowerShell displays a response, or an error you can read and investigate.

4. Check that the test arrived

A response from the web address is the first checkpoint. Now check that the connected MT5 setup received your test.

Using Edge: open Portal → Edge, select the same instance, then open Experts. This tab contains the EA’s activity messages, also called logs. Select Refresh and check the time range if needed.

1. PineConnector Portal
2. Edge
3. Your instance
4. Experts

Running MT5 yourself: in that MT5 window, open Toolbox → Experts. Look for the test at the time you sent it. More about reading the logs.

Only checking the connection? You can finish here

Your connection test is complete when you find the matching test in the intended MT5 setup’s messages. It has not requested a trade.

If you cannot find it, check the License ID and the response before continuing. Use Something did not work? below.

This checks your computer’s route to PineConnector and MT5. To check that an actual TradingView alert fires and is delivered, follow Test your setup separately.

5. Optional: send one demo trade

Continue only if you want to check the complete route through to a broker order.

Pause: this next command can place a real trade

Use a demo account with practice funds. If this License ID also reaches a live account, the same command can place a real-money trade there. Check every account under the ID before sending.

Find your broker’s exact instrument name

The command uses EURUSD as its example. Your broker might call it EURUSD.i or EURUSD.mini. This exact name is the symbol; copy it as shown, including capital letters, prefixes and suffixes.

• On Edge: open the same broker account in its supported MT5 mobile app, web terminal or desktop app and find the instrument there.
• In desktop MT5: press Ctrl+U to open Symbols, select the instrument and read the Symbol value.

MT5 desktop example: use the name under Symbol. The longer description beside it is not the name to send.

MT5 desktop example: use the name under Symbol. The longer description beside it is not the name to send.Open original Close Esc

Check the instrument’s permitted trade size and trading session with the broker. 0.01 lots is an example size, not a size every broker accepts. If you cannot confirm a permitted size or whether the market is open, ask your broker before continuing.

Tick only the checks you have confirmed yourself. This list cannot check your accounts for you.

Before you send the demo buy0 of 4

Every account receiving this License ID is a demo account.I have the exact broker symbol and a permitted lot size.The instrument is open for trading.I have added the secret key if authentication is On.

For this visit only. Your progress resets when the page reloads.

Prepare the buy command in Notepad

Select Copy below. In Notepad, press Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+V to replace the earlier connection-test command. Keep just this one command in the document.

Replace LicenseID and, if needed, EURUSD and 0.01. Copy your ID from Portal again if needed. If authentication is On, add ,secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEY after the lot size and before the closing single quote, using your own key.

Request one demo buy

Edit in Notepad · demo accounts only powershell

curl.exe -H "Content-Type: text/plain" -d 'LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,vol_lots=0.01' https://webhook.pineconnector.com/

Other demo-buy commandsFor Windows without curl, or macOS/Linux. Use the same option as your connection test.

Other demo-buy commands

PowerShell

Notepad → PowerShell · demo only powershell

Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri "https://webhook.pineconnector.com/" -ContentType "text/plain" -Body 'LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,vol_lots=0.01'

macOS / Linux

Plain-text editor → Terminal · demo only bash

curl -H "Content-Type: text/plain" -d 'LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,vol_lots=0.01' https://webhook.pineconnector.com/

What this example asks for

The unchanged message requests a buy of 0.01 lots on EURUSD. It includes no stop loss or take profit. These are illustrative values; your EA settings and the broker’s conditions still apply.

For authentication, the message inside the quotes would be LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,vol_lots=0.01,secret=YOUR_SECRET_KEY, with your own values substituted.

When the edited command is ready, select and copy the complete line from Notepad. Paste it into PowerShell and press Enter once. On Mac/Linux, use your editor and Terminal instead. These are illustrative requests, not executed trades.

6. Check the order, then finish

First, find the message in Bridge

1. PineConnector Portal
2. Bridge
3. Logs

Open Bridge. Find the new message by the time you sent it, then check the intended account, symbol, action and processing result. If a response included a Signal ID, that is a reference for the message, not proof of a broker order.

Bridge → Logs shows how a message was processed. Private account and signal rows are omitted from this view.

Bridge → Logs shows how a message was processed. Private account and signal rows are omitted from this view.Open original Close Esc

Then, check the same broker account in MT5

Open that account’s Trade / positions view. In desktop MT5, use the Trade tab in the lower Toolbox panel.

Check	For the unchanged example
Account	Your intended demo account, and each other account sharing the ID.
Instrument	The exact symbol you put in the command.
Trade	Buy, with volume 0.01 lots unless you changed it to a permitted size.
Stop loss / take profit	None requested in this message. Inspect the actual position and applicable EA settings.
Extra orders	No unintended duplicate.

Historical desktop trade view with private/example values hidden. Read your own Volume column: it should show 0.01 for the unchanged test. Enlarge to inspect the column labels; mobile and web layouts differ.

Historical desktop trade view with private/example values hidden. Read your own Volume column: it should show 0.01 for the unchanged test. Enlarge to inspect the column labels; mobile and web layouts differ.Open original Close Esc

No order, a timeout, or an unclear response? Do not send again yet

A successful HTTP response is not a broker execution confirmation. It means the web request received a response, not that the broker opened the expected trade.

Check Bridge, Experts and Journal, then the broker account’s open positions and History. Journal is MT5’s other messages tab. A slow or missing response does not prove the first request failed; repeating it can request another order.

Finish the demo check

When the message, processing record and expected order match on every intended account, close the position created by your demo test through the broker’s interface.

For other commands, sizing options or protective stops, continue to the PineConnector Syntax reference.

Something did not work?

The connection test works, but a buy failsIncluding market-analysis-index-out-of-range-error.

Start here: copy the command from this page again and keep its plain-text setting. In curl that is -H "Content-Type: text/plain"; in the native PowerShell command it is -ContentType "text/plain".

In the investigated curl case, leaving this setting out caused the message to be cut off at its first =. That removed the value from vol_lots=0.01. The connection test could still work because test,test has no equals sign.

Send the comma-separated message as one quoted piece of text. Do not convert it into JSON or put message= in front of it. This addresses the investigated case, not every possible cause of the same error. Before resending a trading command, check for an existing order.

PowerShell does not understand the commandCheck the tool name and copy the whole line.

On Windows, use curl.exe, including the extension. Windows PowerShell 5.1 can treat curl as a different command. If curl.exe is unavailable, use the native PowerShell alternative.

Copy the complete command without a prompt such as PS>. Keep straight quotation marks. Edit in Notepad first, then copy the finished line into PowerShell.

I cannot find my message in BridgeRead the response before looking for an order.

A request rejected before signal creation may have no entry in Bridge or Recent Signals. Check the response, License ID, full command, plain-text setting and any required secret key.

If the message was acknowledged, look in the intended MT5 setup’s activity messages at the same time. Use An alert is missing or EA errors for the recorded problem.

Still stuck? Here is what to send Support

Open Support and include the time and time zone, whether you used Windows/Mac/Linux, the exact error, and a copy or screenshot of the command.

Before sharing: replace your real License ID with LicenseID and your secret with YOUR_SECRET_KEY. If a trading request timed out, check the account for an order before trying again.

Want to understand the command itself?Optional reference after the walkthrough.

-H / -ContentType: sets the message format. -d / -Body: supplies the message. -Method Post: tells native PowerShell to send it. The final web address is PineConnector’s webhook.

See the curl manual and Microsoft’s Invoke-RestMethod reference for tool details. This direct test does not provide market data or check your strategy’s trading decisions.