Quick Start for Newbies on TradingView | Understand the Core of Market Analysis in One Article

Why Retail Investors Must Learn TradingView?

Professional investors rely on fundamental analysis for stock selection, but retail investors do not have the time to study financial reports. Technical analysis is the weapon of retail investors – it executes quickly, does not require industry knowledge, and is particularly friendly for intraday trading and swing trading.

TradingView is exactly for this: charting tools + over 150 global markets + 21 languages (Traditional Chinese supported) + free version available. It's cheaper than Bloomberg with a professional level of functionality.

3 Core Functions Every Beginner Must Know

1. Super Chart (Core Position)

• Enter stock code → Select chart frequency → Add indicators → Save layout
• 6 built-in indicator templates for quick start
• The drawing tools on the left highlight key points, and the mouse scroll wheel zooms in and out.
• How many layouts can be saved? It depends on your membership level.

2. Smart Filter (Stock Finding Tool)

• Access to over 60 global markets (stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies)
• 70+ exchanges, 100+ screening criteria (financial + technical indicators)
• Set conditions → Automatically filter stocks that meet the criteria → Drag into the chart

3. Price Alerts (No Fear of Missing Orders)

• Price/Volume-based Alerts
• Alerts based on technical indicators (RSI reaches 70, moving average golden cross, etc.)
• Pop-up + Email + Mobile Push Notifications in three-pronged approach

Practical Example: How to Find Short Selling Opportunities

Combine these 3 indicators:

• 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) = Major Trend Direction
• Support/Resistance Indicator = Key Price Point
• Stochastic Momentum Index (SMI) = Volatility Change

Complete signals before placing orders: Stock price breaks below the 200-day moving average → Breaks support level → SMI shows red bars + midline signal changes color

Once established, set a stop-loss of 1.5% and take profit of 3% using the "short position" tool. As long as the win rate is over 50%, you can make a profit in the long run.

Free Version vs Paid Version, How to Choose?

| Function | Free | Essential | Plus | Premium | |------|------|-----------|------|----------| | Maximum Indicators per Chart | 3 | 5 | 10 | 25 | | Save Layout | 1 | 5 | 10 | ∞ | | Active Alerts | 1 | 20 | 100 | 400 | | Watchlist | 1 | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | | Price | Free | $12.95/month | $28.29/month | $56.49/month |

How to choose:

• Trial phase? Free is enough.
• Frequently open multiple charts + custom indicators? Upgrade to Essential (most cost-effective)
• Professional trader? Starting with Plus

Where are the pitfalls of the free version? You can only save 1 layout, 1 watchlist, and 1 alert - it's a nightmare for active traders.

Popular Technical Indicators Quick Reference

| Indicator | Purpose | |------|------| | Moving Average ( MA ) | Track Major Trends | | RSI Relative Strength Index | Determine Overbought and Oversold | | MACD | Capture Reversal Points | | Bollinger Bands | Discover Overvolatility | | Ichimoku | Support + Resistance + Trend at a Glance | | Volume Profile | Find Resistance/Support Zone |

Advanced Strategies for Veterans

Community Resources at Great Value: Over 100,000 user-written indicators available for free (other platforms charge for them)

Pine Script Programming: Those who can code can write their own strategies and indicators, and can also publish them to the community for fame.

Backtesting Tool: Simulate strategy performance using historical data and output detailed reports on win rate, maximum drawdown, annualized returns, and more.

Common Pitfalls

Q: Is the data in the free version real-time? A: Forex and cryptocurrency are free in real-time. Only part of the US stock market is free (Cboe One quotes), and complete real-time data requires payment.

Q: Can TradingView be used for direct trading? A: Yes. Just connect to the brokerage account that supports it.

Q: What is it lacking? A: There is little fundamental analysis data, suitable for technical analysts. To check a company's fundamentals, you should go to Seeking Alpha or CNBC.

Quick Start Roadmap

1️⃣ Register for the free version, switch to dark mode + Traditional Chinese 2️⃣ Create a watchlist (for stocks you frequently monitor) 3️⃣ Add 3-5 of your most frequently used indicator combinations and save them as a custom template. 4️⃣ Set 2-3 key price alerts 5️⃣ Try the free indicators from community experts 6️⃣ Practice market observation skills using K-line replay 7️⃣ Once you're ready, use the backtesting tool to validate your strategy.

Persist for 1 month, and you will be able to see the patterns in the charts. TradingView is just a tool; the real skill lies in market intuition and discipline.