How to Use TradingView Paper Trading (Full Setup Guide)
TradingView's built-in paper account lets you place, manage and review orders on live charts for free. Here's how to set it up and how to keep the results meaningful.
How to Use TradingView Paper Trading (Full Setup Guide)
Paper trading is the step between backtesting and risking money: live prices, live emotions, no capital at stake. TradingView includes it free on every plan.
Turning it on
The panel now shows Positions, Orders, History and Account Summary, exactly as a live broker connection would.
Placing an order
Drag the resulting lines on the chart to modify the order. Right-click a position → Close position to exit.
Resetting the account
Account Summary → the settings icon → Reset Paper Trading Account clears balance, positions and history. Useful between experiments, but don't reset after every losing week: the drawdown periods are the data.
real slippage, partial fills in thin markets, and the feeling of a live account. Fills assume you get the price you clicked. Treat results as optimistic.
Making the results mean something
A paper account only tells you something if you run it like a real one:
Paper trading vs bar replay vs backtesting
| Method | Speed | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Backtest | Instant | Whether the rules had an edge historically |
| Bar replay | Fast | Whether you can execute the rules candle by candle |
| Paper trading | Real time | Whether you can execute them while waiting, in real hours |
Use all three in that order. Most plans die at step three, when the waiting starts — which is exactly why it's worth finding out for free.
When to go live
Move to real money when you've completed a full sample under fixed rules, your risk per trade never exceeded your own limit, and you can describe your entry criteria in one sentence. Start smaller than feels meaningful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TradingView paper trading free?
Yes. Paper trading is available on free TradingView accounts and uses virtual money, so no real funds are at risk.
Can I reset my TradingView paper trading account?
Yes. In the Paper Trading panel settings you can reset the account balance and start again.
Educational content only. Nothing here is financial advice, and trading carries a substantial risk of loss.
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Written by
Nikolas MetreveliFounder of SimpleAlgo
Nikolas wrote his first real code at 12 and freelanced software tools and websites for small businesses before finding the markets at 15. He builds and maintains every SimpleAlgo indicator and writes these guides from hands-on use of the tools.
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