Syntax

Syntax refers to the set of rules that dictate the proper construction of an alert message for PineConnector. Getting these rules right ensures your trading signals are understood and executed correctly by the Expert Advisor (EA).

Core Alert Message Principles

Alert Message Guidelines

To create PineConnector-compliant alert messages, please pay close attention to the following guidelines. Failure to adhere to the syntax may result in the EA rejecting your signal.

Components of an Alert Message

Alert messages are made up of distinct components. Here’s what each part means:

Structure of an Alert Message

The components in your alert message must follow this specific order:

LicenseID,Command,Symbol,Others

Key Structural Rules:

1. Order: The sequence (License ID, then Command, then Symbol, then any Other parameters) is mandatory.
2. Commas: Components must be separated by commas (,).
• Spaces around the commas are optional (see "Acceptable Syntax" below).
3. Uniqueness: Each alert message can only contain one License ID, one Command, and one Symbol.

Acceptable PineConnector Syntax Examples:

• LicenseID,Command,Symbol,Others (no spaces around commas)
• LicenseID , Command , Symbol , Others (spaces around commas are acceptable)

Unacceptable PineConnector Syntax Examples:

• Command,LicenseID,Symbol (Incorrect order)
• LicenseID,Command,Command (Multiple Commands)
• LicenseID,LicenseID,Command,Symbol (Multiple License IDs)

Command & Parameter Reference

1. Common Order Parameters

These parameters are used with various order commands (market, pending, and modification commands) to define crucial aspects of an order. They typically follow the Symbol in the alert message.

risk=

Specifies the order volume or risk exposure.

The function of the risk= value depends on the “Volume Type” selected in your PineConnector EA settings on MetaTrader.

Common options include:

• Lots: e.g., risk=0.1 means 0.1 lots.
• Dollar Amount: e.g., risk=100 means the EA will calculate a lot size such that a loss to the stop-loss (if defined) approximates $100.
• Percentage of Balance (Lots): e.g., risk=1 means the lot size is set to 1% of the account balance.
• Percentage of Balance (Loss): e.g., risk=1 means the EA will calculate a lot size such that a loss to the stop-loss (if defined) approximates 1% of the account balance.

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=0.01
LicenseID,sell,EURCAD,risk=2

sl=

Sets the stop-loss for an order.

The interpretation of the sl= value (pips, price level, or percentage) depends on the “Target Type” selected in your PineConnector EA settings.

Common EA options:

• Pips: e.g., sl=50 sets the stop-loss 50 pips away from the entry price.
• Price: e.g., sl=1.12300 sets the stop-loss at the specific price level 1.12300.
• Percentage: e.g., sl=0.5 sets the stop-loss 0.5% away from the entry price.

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,sl=10.5

tp=

Sets the take-profit for an order. Similar to sl=, the value for tp= is interpreted based on the “Target Type” setting in your PineConnector EA (Pips, Price, or Percentage).

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,tp=15

comment=

Adds a custom text comment to the order in MetaTrader. This parameter is valid for entry commands only (e.g., buy, sell, buylimit).

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment=Strategy 1
LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment=Strategy 2

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment= 100 5/6 
LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment= Set=20 

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment=12345678901234567890 (valid, within 20 charactes)
LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,comment=123456789012345678901 (invalid, above 20 charactes)

2. Market Order Commands

These commands are for placing orders that execute immediately at the current market price.

buy

Places a buy (long) order at the current market price. risk= is a required parameter.

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=0.01
LicenseID,long,US30.Cash,sl=100,tp=200,risk=1
LicenseID,bullish,GBPJPY,risk=1,comment=Stategy Alpha

sell

Places a sell (short) order at the current market price. risk= is a required parameter.

LicenseID,sell,EURUSD,risk=0.01
LicenseID,short,DAX30,risk=2
LicenseID,bear,GBPJPY,risk=1

3. Pending Order Commands

Commands for placing orders that execute when the price reaches a specified level.

pending=

Specifies the entry price or offset for a pending order.

The interpretation of the pending= value depends on the “Pending Order Entry Type” selected in your PineConnector EA settings. Common options:

• Pips: e.g., pending=10 means 10 pips away from the current market price.
• Specified Price: e.g., pending=1.12500 sets the entry at this exact price.
• Percentage: e.g., pending=0.1 means 0.1% away from the current market price.

LicenseID,buystop,EURUSD,pending=10,risk=1

buystop

Places a buy stop order, above the current market price. pending= and risk= are required parameters.

LicenseID,buystop,EURUSD,pending=10,risk=1

buylimit

Places a buy limit order, below the current market price. pending= and risk= are required parameters.

LicenseID,buylimit,EURUSD,pending=10,risk=1

sellstop

Places a sell stop order, below the current market price. pending= and risk=are required parameters.

LicenseID,sellstop,EURUSD,pending=10,risk=1

selllimit

Places a sell limit order, typically above the current market price. pending= and risk=are required parameters.

LicenseID,selllimit,EURUSD,pending=10,risk=1

4. Position and Order Management Commands

Commands for closing open positions or cancelling pending orders.

4.1 General Closing & Cancellation

closeall

Closes all open positions and deletes all pending orders that were opened by the specific instance of the PineConnector EA that receives this command. This action applies across all symbols managed by that EA instance.

LicenseID,closeall,ChartSymbol

• ChartSymbol (Mandatory): For this command to be accepted and processed, you must specify the symbol of the chart on which the target PineConnector EA is currently running.
• Example: If your EA is running on a GBPJPY.a chart, your command must be LicenseID,closeall,GBPJPY.a. Using EURUSD in the example below assumes the EA is on a EURUSD chart.
• This requirement acts as a safety measure, ensuring the closeall command is intentionally directed to the correct EA instance.
• This command will only affect positions/orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

cancellong

Cancels all pending buy orders (buystop, buylimit) for the specified symbol.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancellong,EURUSD

cancelshort

Cancels all pending sell orders (sellstop, selllimit) for the specified symbol.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancelshort,EURUSD

4.2 Symbol-Specific Position Closing

closelong

Closes all open buy positions of the specified symbol.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closelong,EURUSD

closeshort

Closes all open sell positions of the specified symbol.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closeshort,EURUSD

closelongshort

Closes all open buy and sell positions of the specified symbol.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closelongshort,EURUSD

4.3 Partial Position Closing

closelongpct

Closes a percentage of total open volume for buy positions of the specified symbol. The percentage is based on your selected "Partial Close Percentage" in the EA settings (e.g., 25%, 34%, 50%).

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closelongpct,EURUSD

closeshortpct

Closes a percentage of total open volume for sell positions of the specified symbol, using the EA's "Partial Close Percentage" setting.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closeshortpct,EURUSD

closelongvol

Closes a specific volume of open buy positions for the specified symbol, up to the value indicated by risk=.

risk= is a required parameter and represents the volume to close

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closelongvol,EURUSD,risk=3
LicenseID,closelongvol,EURUSD,risk=0.5

closeshortvol

Closes a specific volume of open sell positions for the specified symbol, up to the value indicated by risk=.

risk= is a required parameter

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closeshortvol,EURUSD,risk=3
LicenseID,closeshortvol,EURUSD,risk=0.5

5. Order Modification Commands

Commands to change parameters of existing open positions or pending orders.

5.1 Modifying Open Positions

newsltplong

Modifies the stop-loss (SL) and/or take-profit (TP) of all open buy positions for the specified symbol. New SL/TP values are computed based on your selected “Target Type” in the EA.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,sl=1.12345 (price)
LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,sl=1,tp=2 (percentage)

LicenseID,newsltplong,EURUSD,sl=0 (breakeven)

newsltpshort

Modifies the SL and/or TP of all open sell positions for the specified symbol. Works similarly to newsltplong.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,sl=1.12345 (price)
LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,sl=1,tp=2 (percentage)

LicenseID,newsltpshort,EURUSD,sl=0 (breakeven)

(Refer to newsltplong asides for interpretation of values and breakeven conditions.)

5.2 Modifying Pending Orders

newsltpbuystop

Modifies the SL and/or TP of all pending buystop orders for the specified symbol.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltpbuystop,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltpbuystop,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltpbuystop,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

newsltpbuylimit

Modifies the SL and/or TP of all pending buylimit orders for the specified symbol. This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltpbuylimit,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltpbuylimit,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltpbuylimit,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

newsltpsellstop

Modifies the SL and/or TP of all pending sellstop orders for the specified symbol. New SL and TP are computed based on your selected Target Type on the EA.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltpsellstop,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltpsellstop,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltpsellstop,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

newsltpselllimit

Modifies the SL and/or TP of all pending selllimit orders for the specified symbol.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,newsltpselllimit,EURUSD,sl=10
LicenseID,newsltpselllimit,EURUSD,tp=20
LicenseID,newsltpselllimit,EURUSD,sl=30,tp=60

6. Combined Action Commands

These commands perform multiple actions in sequence, such as closing existing positions/orders and then opening new ones.

6.1 Close Position & Open New Market Order

closelongbuy

Closes all open buy positions for the specified symbol and then immediately opens a new buy market order. risk= is required for the new order.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closelongbuy,EURUSD,risk=1

closeshortsell

Closes all open sell positions for the specified symbol and then immediately opens a new sell market order. risk= is required for the new order.

This command will only affect positions opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closeshortsell,EURUSD,risk=1

6.2 Cancel Pending Orders & Open New Pending Order

cancellongbuystop

Cancels all pending buy orders (buystop, buylimit) for the specified symbol and then places a new buystop order. risk= and pending= are required for the new order.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancellongbuystop,EURUSD,risk=1,pending=10,sl=15,tp=20

cancellongbuylimit

Cancels all pending buy orders for the specified symbol and then places a new buylimit order. risk= and pending= are required.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancellongbuylimit,EURUSD,risk=1,pending=10,sl=15,tp=20

cancelshortsellstop

Cancels all pending sell orders for the specified symbol and then places a new sellstop order. risk= and pending= are required.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancelshortsellstop,EURUSD,risk=1,pending=10,sl=15,tp=20

cancelshortselllimit

Cancels all pending sell orders for the specified symbol and then places a new selllimit order. risk= and pending= are required.

This command will only affect orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,cancelshortselllimit,EURUSD,risk=1,pending=10,sl=15,tp=20

7. Advanced Stop-Loss Management Parameters

These are optional parameters that can be added to entry commands (e.g., buy, sell, buylimit) to enable dynamic stop-loss behaviors like breakeven or trailing.

Breakeven Parameters (betrigger=, beoffset=)

Automatically moves the position's stop-loss to breakeven (or a slight offset) once a certain profit is achieved.

To use automatic breakeven, include both betrigger= and beoffset= in your entry command syntax. Ensure beoffset= is less than betrigger=.

• betrigger=: The number of pips a position must gain before the breakeven function is activated. Must be greater than 0.
• beoffset=: The offset in pips from the entry price where the new stop-loss will be placed.
• beoffset=0: SL placed exactly at the entry price.
• beoffset=1: For a buy trade, SL placed 1 pip above entry; for a sell trade, 1 pip below entry (protecting 1 pip of profit).

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,sl=20,betrigger=10,beoffset=2

Ensure that the 2 parameters “betrigger=” and “beoffset=” are present in your syntax if using this feature.

Pip Trailing Parameters (trailtrig=, traildist=, trailstep=)

Automatically moves the stop-loss in the direction of the trade as it becomes more profitable, based on pip values.

• All pip trailing parameters accept integer values; floats will be rounded.
• Trailing computation is based on pips, regardless of the "Target Type" selected in EA settings.

To use pip trailing, include trailtrig=, traildist=, and trailstep= in your entry command.

• trailtrig=: The number of pips a trade must gain before the trailing stop-loss is first activated.
• traildist=: The distance in pips from the current price at which the trailing stop-loss will be maintained. If no initial sl= is set, the first SL will be placed at traildist pips once trailtrig is met.
• trailstep=: The number of pips the price must move further in a favorable direction before the trailing stop-loss is adjusted again (maintaining the traildist).

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,trailtrig=12,traildist=8,trailstep=3

Ensure that the 3 parameters “trailtrig=”, “traildist=” and “trailstep=” are present in your syntax if using this feature.

ATR Trailing Parameters (atrtimeframe=, atrperiod=, atrmultiplier=, atrshift=, atrtrigger=)

Automatically trails the stop-loss based on the Average True Range (ATR) indicator, using MetaTrader's price data (not TradingView's). This allows the SL to adapt to market volatility. Only atrtimeframe= and atrperiod= are mandatory if using ATR trailing; other ATR parameters have defaults.

• atrtimeframe=: The chart timeframe (in minutes) on which the ATR is calculated. The SL updates once per bar close of this timeframe. If an initial sl= is not specified, an SL will be automatically added based on ATR values.
• MT4 Allowable Values: 1 (1 min), 5, 15, 30, 60 (1 hr), 240 (4 hr), 1440 (1 day).
💡
MT5 Allowable Timeframes On MetaTrader 5, there are no limits to the allowable timeframe. You may input any timeframe value you prefer such as “atrtimeframe=10”.
• atrperiod=: The averaging period for the ATR calculation (e.g., 14 for a 14-period ATR).
• atrmultiplier=: The multiple of the ATR value used to calculate the stop-loss distance. Default: 1.
• atrshift=: The bar shift for ATR calculation. 0 uses the most recently closed candle's ATR, 1 uses the second most recent, etc. Default: 0.
• atrtrigger=: The number of pips a trade must gain before ATR trailing is activated. Default: 0 (activates immediately, subject to initial SL placement).

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,sl=10,
atrtimeframe=60,atrperiod=14,atrmultiplier=2,atrtrigger=8

Ensure that the 2 parameters “atrtimeframe=” and “atrperiod=” are present in your syntax if using this feature. Other ATR components are optional and will use their default values if omitted.

8. Trade Entry Filters

Optional parameters that can be added to entry commands to prevent trades unless certain market or account conditions are met.

spread=

Allows an entry order only if the current market spread for the instrument is equal to or less than the specified value in pips.

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,spread=2
LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,spread=1.22

accfilter=

Allows an entry order only if a specified account metric meets a certain value.

The metric checked depends on the Account Filter Type selected in your PineConnector EA settings. EA Options for Filter Type: Account Balance, Account Equity, Margin Percentage and Free Margin

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,accfilter=500

9. EA Management Commands

Commands to control the operational state of the PineConnector EA.

eaoff

Halts the PineConnector EA. If the EA is halted, incoming signals will not be processed.

Note: For the eaoff command, the third parameter (where a symbol typically goes) must also be eaoff. This acts as a specific instruction identifier for the EA.

LicenseID,eaoff,eaoff

eaon

Reactivates a halted PineConnector EA.

• Note: Similar to eaoff, the third parameter must also be eaon.

LicenseID,eaon,eaon

closealleaoff

Closes all open positions and pending orders managed by the specific EA instance (similar to closeall) and then halts that PineConnector EA (similar to eaoff).

This command will only affect positions/orders opened by this PineConnector EA unless Magic Restriction is turned off in the EA.

LicenseID,closealleaoff,ChartSymbol

• ChartSymbol (Mandatory): As with closeall, you must specify the symbol of the chart on which the target EA is running for the command to be accepted.
• Example: LicenseID,closealleaoff,GBPJPY.a if the EA is on a GBPJPY.a chart.

10. Authentication Parameters

secret=

Include this parameter in your alert message to authenticate the signal using a pre-defined secret key. This is only required if you have enabled Signal Authentication in your PineConnector Portal.

LicenseID,buy,EURUSD,risk=1,secret=SECRETKEY

💡

Self-Defined Secret Key The signal will only be relayed to your MetaTrader terminal if the secret= value in your alert matches the secret key you've set in the PineConnector Portal.

11. Sample Combined Syntax

This section provides examples of how different parameters can be combined in an alert message.

Market Orders (buy/sell)

With Pips or ATR Trailing, or Breakeven

Pending Orders (buylimit, selllimit, buystop, sellstop)

On this page

• Syntax
• Core Alert Message Principles
• Alert Message Guidelines
• Components of an Alert Message
• Structure of an Alert Message
• Command & Parameter Reference
• 1. Common Order Parameters
• risk=
• sl=
• tp=
• comment=
• 2. Market Order Commands
• buy
• sell
• 3. Pending Order Commands
• pending=
• buystop
• buylimit
• sellstop
• selllimit
• 4. Position and Order Management Commands
• 4.1 General Closing & Cancellation
• closeall
• cancellong
• cancelshort
• 4.2 Symbol-Specific Position Closing
• closelong
• closeshort
• closelongshort
• 4.3 Partial Position Closing
• closelongpct
• closeshortpct
• closelongvol
• closeshortvol
• 5. Order Modification Commands
• 5.1 Modifying Open Positions
• newsltplong
• newsltpshort
• 5.2 Modifying Pending Orders
• newsltpbuystop
• newsltpbuylimit
• newsltpsellstop
• newsltpselllimit
• 6. Combined Action Commands
• 6.1 Close Position & Open New Market Order
• closelongbuy
• closeshortsell
• 6.2 Cancel Pending Orders & Open New Pending Order
• cancellongbuystop
• cancellongbuylimit
• cancelshortsellstop
• cancelshortselllimit
• 7. Advanced Stop-Loss Management Parameters
• Breakeven Parameters (betrigger=, beoffset=)
• Pip Trailing Parameters (trailtrig=, traildist=, trailstep=)
• ATR Trailing Parameters (atrtimeframe=, atrperiod=, atrmultiplier=, atrshift=, atrtrigger=)
• 8. Trade Entry Filters
• spread=
• accfilter=
• 9. EA Management Commands
• eaoff
• eaon
• closealleaoff
• 10. Authentication Parameters
• secret=
• 11. Sample Combined Syntax
• Market Orders (buy/sell)
• With Pips or ATR Trailing, or Breakeven
• Pending Orders (buylimit, selllimit, buystop, sellstop)