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Trading alerts
RSI and MACD Cross Alerts: What to Check in Any Trading App
It depends on the app and plan, so no single list holds. In the documentation checked on 10 November 2026, TradingView describes technical alerts on indicator values. The MetaTrader 5 alerts page gives price levels and a news timer as examples and does not mention indicator conditions. For any other app, use the checklist below.
In brief
Do trading apps send alerts when RSI or MACD crosses a level?
A cross alert tells you when an indicator line crosses a set level or another line. It needs more detail than a price alert, because the same RSI or MACD cross can fire on a different bar depending on how the alert is built.
Key takeaways
- Alerts fall into a few groups: price, indicator or technical conditions, and trade events. Platforms name and group them differently, so read each app's own terms.
- An RSI or MACD cross alert needs a fixed indicator, its settings, a cross type, a chart interval and a bar-state rule before it means anything.
- StockCharts gives 14 periods for RSI, and MetaTrader 5 cites the same 14 as Wilder's recommendation. Both give 12, 26 and 9 for MACD, but they differ on the signal line: a 9-day EMA on StockCharts and a 9-period SMA on MetaTrader 5.
- The MetaTrader 5 alerts page cited in this guide lists price and news-timer conditions, not indicator conditions. Confirm any feature in the version you use.
- On its own, an alert is a notification. It does not place, change or close an order.
Three kinds of trading alert
An alert is a rule that watches a market or account and sends a notification when its condition is met. This guide groups alerts into three broad kinds. The names differ from app to app, so use the groups as a checklist rather than a product list.
- Price alerts notify you when price reaches a level, or moves above or below one.
- Indicator or technical conditions notify you when a calculated value reaches a level or crosses another line. RSI and MACD cross alerts belong to this group.
- Trade event alerts notify you about an order or position, such as a fill. Whether an app offers them is a question for its own documentation.
TradingView's support article on alerts uses a different grouping: price alerts, technical alerts and watchlist alerts. Its technical alerts cover value changes and custom conditions. The grouping differs, but the same questions apply to each group. For background on the indicators themselves, see the stochastic oscillator.
What an RSI or MACD cross alert must specify
- 01
Step 1: indicator and settings
Name the indicator and every input. Settings change the values, so the alert and the chart must use the same ones. TradingView's article says that if you change an indicator's parameters after creating an alert, 'the alert will still trigger using the original settings'. Check the defaults in the variants table below before you accept them.
- 02
Step 2: cross type
For RSI, the cross is usually a value moving above a level such as 70, or below a level such as 30. For MACD, name the MACD line crossing above or below its signal line, and the direction of that cross. Read what is MACD for what the lines show.
- 03
Step 3: timeframe and bar state
TradingView says the interval matters because it 'directly affects indicator calculations'. Bar state is the second half of this step. A cross can appear during a bar that is still forming and then reverse before the bar closes. Check whether your app tests the rule on every price update, once per bar or once per closed bar, using the alert options it shows.
- 04
Step 4: delivery and expiry
TradingView's article lists app notification, toast notification, email, webhook URL, sound and plain text as delivery methods. It also says the maximum lifetime of a standard alert is two months. MetaTrader 5's alerts page describes sound, email and mobile push notifications. Confirm which channel reaches the device you watch, and whether the alert stops when it expires.
Worked example: a closed-bar RSI cross
The table uses illustrative RSI readings to show why bar state matters. These numbers are not market data. The rule tests whether RSI crosses above 70.
| Example | Previous closed bar | Current bar | Closed-bar test | Intrabar test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example A | RSI 68.2 | RSI 71.5 at close | Crosses above 70 | Crosses above 70 during the bar |
| Example B | RSI 68.2 | RSI 70.6 during the bar, 69.4 at close | No cross at close | Crosses above 70, then reverses |
Example arithmetic only. In Example A, 68.2 is below 70 and 71.5 is above it on the closed bar. In Example B, the intrabar reading passes 70, but the closed bar finishes at 69.4, below the level.
The same rule can produce an alert in Example B when it is tested during the bar, and no alert when it is tested on the closed bar. Check which test your app runs, because it matters as much as the level. A closed-bar test may give fewer alerts, but each one is tied to a finished bar.
Defaults and variants across the references
Every default in this guide comes from a named source. Where two references give different values, the table shows both rather than choosing one.
| Item | Reference | What it says | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI period | StockCharts ChartSchool | RSI featured in J. Welles Wilder's 1978 book, New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems; 14 periods is the default | Credits the book, not an introduction date |
| RSI period | MetaTrader 5 help | Says Wilder recommended 14 periods; says 9- and 25-period versions have also gained popularity | No MetaTrader 5 default is stated; check the input |
| RSI levels | StockCharts ChartSchool | Overbought above 70, oversold below 30 | Conventions for describing RSI, not signals |
| RSI levels | MetaTrader 5 help | Mentions 70 and 30; RSI 'usually tops above 70 and bottoms below 30' | Same levels, described without the terms overbought and oversold |
| MACD periods | StockCharts ChartSchool | 12, 26 and 9 periods; signal line is a 9-day EMA | Signal line smoothed with an EMA |
| MACD periods | MetaTrader 5 help | 12, 26 and 9 periods; signal line is a 9-period SMA | Signal smoothing differs from StockCharts |
Verified on 10 November 2026 from the StockCharts ChartSchool and MetaTrader 5 help pages listed under sources.
What two platforms document about indicator alerts
The table reports what two platforms' own documentation says about alerts on indicator values. It is not a ranking and it is not a list of every app. A page that does not mention a feature is not proof that the platform lacks it.
| Platform | Indicator-value alerts | What the page says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TradingView | Described | Technical alerts cover value changes and custom conditions for drawing tools, Pine indicators and strategies, and chart patterns. They trigger when a value reaches, exceeds or falls below a level. | TradingView support: Introduction to TradingView alerts |
| MetaTrader 5 | Not mentioned on the page checked | Gives Bid and Ask prices passing preset values, and a timer for exchange news releases, as examples of alert conditions. | MetaTrader 5: alerts (trading platform page) |
Checked 10 November 2026. Both pages are listed under sources. Confirm any feature in the plan and version you use.
What to check in any app's documentation
No app's feature list is treated here as proof of what it offers. Use the questions below on any app's own documentation. The TradingView article is a useful example of the detail to look for, because it covers alert types, indicator settings, the interval effect and expiry.
- Can an alert be set on an indicator value, not only on price?
- Which indicator inputs are fixed when the alert is created, and can they be changed later?
- Is the test run on every update, once per bar, or once per closed bar?
- Does the alert expire, and how is it renewed?
- Which delivery channels are included, and which need a setting on your phone or account?
- Does the alert need the app or terminal to be running? The MetaTrader 5 alerts page cited in this guide does not say.
- Which plan, device or platform version does the feature need?
Limits of RSI and MACD cross alerts
- An alert reports that a condition has been met. It does not confirm a trend, a reversal or a result.
- RSI and MACD describe past bars. A cross can be frequent in sideways markets, which can produce many alerts with little meaning.
- Delivery depends on the app, the device, the network and the data feed. Test each channel before you rely on it.
- Indicator values depend on settings, bar data and gaps. Compare the chart with the alert's settings before you act on a notification.
- A notification is not an order. On its own it does not place, change or close a trade. TradingView's article says a webhook alert sends a request to a URL you choose, which can trigger external bots or scripts; what such a system does is separate from the alert and carries its own risk. For protective orders, read what is a stop-loss order and confirm which order types your broker accepts.
Risk disclosure
- This guide is educational and is not personal financial advice. It does not recommend any app or alert setting.
- An RSI or MACD cross describes past prices. It does not show what price will do next, and it says nothing about win rates.
- Cross alerts can fire often in sideways markets, and a cross can reverse after the alert. Expect false alarms.
- Alert delivery can fail or lag because of the app, device, network or data feed. Do not rely on an alert as your only way to manage a position.
- Trading CFDs, forex and other leveraged products can lose money quickly. Read margin in trading before you use leverage.
RTX5 status
This guide explains RSI and MACD cross alerts in general and does not describe an RTX5 feature. No RTX5 release record confirms which indicators, chart types or alerts the product includes. Its Windows desktop client is in preview, and the web and mobile clients are planned. A Google Play listing for Android is published, but the mobile client has no approved release record yet; check the product-availability record before relying on any RTX5 feature.
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Evidence you can inspect
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Primary references
Sources were checked on 10 November 2026. They explain market rules and concepts; they do not certify RTX5 or provide individual financial advice.
TradingView support: Introduction to TradingView alertsChecked 10 November 2026. Describes price, technical and watchlist alerts; indicator alerts keep their original settings after an edit; the interval affects indicator calculations; delivery methods; and a maximum two-month duration for standard alerts.MetaTrader 5: alerts (trading platform page)Checked 10 November 2026. Lists Bid and Ask levels and the timer of exchange news release as alert conditions, with notification by sound, email or mobile push. It does not list indicator conditions and does not say whether alerts need the terminal running.StockCharts ChartSchool: Relative Strength Index (RSI)Checked 10 November 2026. Gives the 14-period default and the overbought above 70 and oversold below 30 levels. Says J. Welles Wilder featured RSI in his 1978 book, New Concepts in Technical Trading Systems. It does not say RSI was introduced in 1978.StockCharts ChartSchool: MACD (Moving Average Convergence/Divergence Oscillator)Checked 10 November 2026. Gives the MACD line as the 12-day EMA minus the 26-day EMA, a signal line that is a 9-day EMA of MACD, the bullish and bearish crossover description with its caution at extremes, and credits Gerald Appel with developing MACD in the late seventies.MetaTrader 5 Help: Relative Strength IndexChecked 10 November 2026. Says Wilder recommended a 14-period RSI, mentions 9- and 25-period versions, and mentions the 70 and 30 thresholds. It does not state a MetaTrader 5 default.MetaTrader 5 Help: Moving Average Convergence/DivergenceChecked 10 November 2026. Gives 12-period and 26-period EMAs for the MACD line and a 9-period SMA for the signal line. It does not mention Gerald Appel.
Questions readers ask
Do all trading apps send RSI or MACD cross alerts?
Not necessarily. Alert features differ between apps and plans. TradingView's documentation describes technical alerts that can use indicator values. The MetaTrader 5 alerts page cited in this guide gives Bid and Ask levels and a news release timer as examples and does not mention indicator conditions, which is not proof either way. Check the current documentation of the app and version you use.
What are the default RSI and MACD settings?
StockCharts gives 14 periods for RSI, with overbought above 70 and oversold below 30, and says J. Welles Wilder featured RSI in his 1978 book. For MACD it gives 12, 26 and 9, and credits Gerald Appel. The sources differ on the signal line: StockCharts uses an EMA, while the MetaTrader 5 page uses an SMA.
Why did my alert fire on a bar that did not close above the level?
A cross can appear during a bar that is still forming and then reverse before the bar closes. Check whether your app lets you choose between open and closed bars and which option is the default, then compare the alert with the chart's closed bars before you rely on the notification.
Does an alert protect an open position?
No. On its own, an alert is a notification that a condition has been met, and it does not place, change or close an order. Protective orders are a separate broker feature. See what is a stop-loss order for how they work, and check which order types your broker accepts.
Does RTX5 send RSI or MACD cross alerts?
This guide does not describe an RTX5 feature. No RTX5 release record confirms which indicators, chart types or alerts the product includes. Check the product-availability record before you rely on any RTX5 feature, and treat this page as general education.
Keep learning
What is MACD?The MACD line, signal line and histogram that the cross alerts in this guide watch.Stochastic oscillatorAnother bounded oscillator, with its own level and cross conventions.Stock Alerts in Trading Apps: Price and Push AlertsOur review of notification workflows, with a closer look at delivery and timing.What is a trading terminal?The software layer where alerts are usually set up and received.