This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about charting in Tradovate, including creating charts, navigation, intervals, styles, crosshair settings, and the Data Box feature.
Chart Module Overview
Charts are the most customizable module in the Tradovate Web App, designed for efficient data analysis and streamlined trading controls.
Creating a New Chart Module
To add a new Chart Module to your Workspace in the Tradovate Web App, click the + (New) button at the top left of the page. Then, click and drag the Chart module to your desired location within the browser window.
Once the Chart module is open, type the instrument symbol or a search term into the Search Bar—such as the symbol, name, or exchange. Tradovate's smart search will automatically display relevant products and contracts as you type.
You can also add new Charts by using the search bar at the top of the page or by right-clicking on an instrument within a Market Analyzer Module.
Navigating Web Charts
To quickly navigate and customize the Chart Module view, you can:
Left-click and drag within the chart to pan in any direction
Scroll up or down with your mouse or touchpad to zoom in or out horizontally
Left-click and drag on the price scale (Y-axis) to adjust the vertical position
Left-click and drag the module's borders to resize it within your workspace or browser window
Clicking the Arrow at the top-right of the Chart module will move your view back to the current bar.
Chart Layout - Contract Details
The Contract Details section in the top-left corner of the Chart Module displays key information for the selected instrument, including the name, contract, last traded price, bid and ask prices, open positions, and unrealized P&L.
To change the instrument, left-click the Instrument Symbol/Contract tab. You can also use the + button to add additional chart tabs within the same Chart Module.
The color-coded dropdown dot next to the Chart Interval allows you to link the chart to other modules by instrument.
Chart Layout - Trade Mode
The Trade Mode section at the top-right allows you to place and manage trades in the Chart Module.
The following buttons are available in the Trade Mode section:
Control | Description |
Buy Mkt / Sell Mkt | Place Buy or Sell Market orders at the current price. |
Buy Bid / Sell Ask | Place Buy Limit order at current Bid price or Sell Limit order at current Ask price. |
Order Quantity | Select an order quantity using your keyboard or the dropdown. |
Close | Close your open position, or Reverse your open position and/or Cancel any pending orders using the dropdown menu. |
ATM | Manage and select your custom ATM Strategies. |
DAY/GTC | Sets the Order Flags, or Time-in-Force, for your next orders. |
You can place Limit and Stop orders at specific prices directly on the Chart by left-clicking at your desired price level.
Chart Layout - Quick Buttons
While hovering over the Chart, numerous Quick Buttons will appear, allowing you to access all other available functions to customize your Chart. The Quick Buttons located at the top from left to right are:
Control | Description |
Zoom In/Out | Manually zoom in and out horizontally on the chart. This can also be done using the scroll wheel on your mouse or touchpad for quick navigation. |
Interval | Choose from predefined bar intervals on your chart, or select Custom Time to set a custom interval using Tick, Volume, Range, Momentum Range, or Seconds. |
Chart Style | Includes Candlestick, OHLC, Line on Close, Bid-Ask Volume, Heikin Ashi, Renko, Point and Figure, and TPO (footprint) chart styles. |
Chart Settings | Customize general settings including Color Scheme, Autofit, and Order Information on the Chart Module. |
Configure | Change settings for specific objects on the Chart. Tip: Double-click on any object in the Chart to quickly access their configurable settings. |
Indicators | Add and manage built-in indicators to the chart as well as search for Community Indicators. |
Templates | Save and load Chart Templates. |
Additional Chart Properties
Some additional chart properties found at the top-right of the Chart Module include:
Control | Description |
H | Toggle Hot Keys in the Chart Module. |
View Settings | Toggle and customize important settings on the chart, including: Show/Hide the Contract Details and Trade Mode sections, Change Stop order type while trading, Configure a custom Bar Countdown, Roll forward or backward through available futures contracts. |
Maximize/Minimize | Maximize the Chart Module to fill the entire available screen space. |
Close | Removes the Chart Module from the visible workspace. |
Chart Intervals
The Interval you select defines what each bar on your Chart represents. In the Tradovate Web App, you can either choose from a predefined list of intervals or create a custom interval directly within your Chart modules.
How to Change Interval
To change the interval on your chart, hover your cursor over the chart and left-click the third button from the left.
This will open the Interval dropdown, where you can select a predefined interval or create a custom one.
Available Interval Types
All historical market data consists of either minute, tick, or daily data. The following Interval Types are available:
Minute
Minute
Hour (60-minute)
Predefined Minute Intervals include 1, 5, 15, 30, and 60-minute charts. Selecting the Custom Time parameter allows you to choose any specific minute-based interval for your Chart. Recent Custom Timeframes will appear at the bottom of the Interval dropdown.
Tick
Ticks
Volume
Range
Momentum Range
Seconds
When selecting any of the Tick-based Interval Types, a pop-up will appear prompting you to choose the specific tick, volume, range, or second amount for each bar.
Day
1 Day
Chart Styles
While Charts in the Tradovate Web App will default to candlestick-style bars, you can change the bar style to fit your preferences at any time using the Chart Style dropdown.
How to Change Chart Style
To change the bar styling in your chart, hover your cursor over the Chart module and click the Chart Style button that appears at the top.
Available Chart Styles
There are eight built-in Chart Styles available for use in the Tradovate Web App:
Candlesticks (Default)
OHLC
Line on Close
Bid-Ask Volume
Heiken-Ashi
Renko
Point and Figure
TPO (also known as Footprint or Volumetric)
Chart Crosshair
The Crosshair feature in the Tradovate Web App offers both visual and global customization parameters for your cursor while hovering over a Chart module.
Customizing the Crosshair
When hovering your cursor over a Chart in the Tradovate Web app, a crosshair will automatically appear that displays the Time (X-axis) and Price (Y-axis) of your cursor's current location.
To customize the crosshair, click the Crosshair icon located on the left side of the Chart.
From the menu that appears, you can choose to:
Toggle the visibility of the crosshair (Show Crosshair)
Enable or disable Snap mode
Turn on the Global Crosshair to sync the crosshair across multiple Chart modules
To sync the crosshair across multiple charts using the same instrument, you must enable the Global Crosshair setting on each Chart module.
Data Box
The Data Box is a Charting feature available in the Tradovate Web App that allows you to view pricing, time, and indicator information at a glance for the bar you are currently hovering your mouse over.
Opening & Customizing the Data Box
To open the Data Box, click the Data Box icon that appears on the left side of the Chart as you hover your cursor over it.
To move the Data Box within the Chart module, left-click and drag the three dots in the upper-right corner.
You can resize it by clicking and dragging the bottom-right corner. To close the Data Box, click the X in the top-right corner.
Data Box Display Overview
The Data Box will display the current Date, Time, and Volume, in addition to the Open, High, Low, and Close prices for the bar you are currently hovering your cursor over in the Chart.
Should you have any Indicators added to your Chart, resizing the Data Box or scrolling down in it will allow you to see all Indicator values at your current cursor location.