Sierra Chart Formula Generator

Sierra Chart Formula Generator

Build Alert Condition Formulas for Sierra Chart visually: study crossovers, price and volume conditions, Renko and Volume at Price logic. Free, no signup, and the result pastes straight into any study's Alerts tab. These are alert formulas, not Spreadsheet Study files.

Root Logic:

Your Alert Formula:

Where to paste this?
  • Study Settings >> Alerts tab >> Alert Condition box.
  • Or inside the "Color Bar Based on Alert Condition" study inputs.

The Logic Guide

How to build formulas for Sierra Chart Alerts & Conditional Studies.

1. What is an Alert Formula?

An Alert Formula is a line of logic that tells Sierra Chart when to notify you or paint a color bar. It is not a Spreadsheet Study file. It is a direct instruction entered into the settings of a chart study.

The Syntax It looks like Excel, but it works on Chart Data.

Excel: =A1 > B1 (Cell vs Cell)
SC Alert: =ID1.SG1 > ID2.SG1 (Study vs Study)
The Outcome The formula must always result in TRUE (1) or FALSE (0).

If the result is TRUE, the Alert Sound plays, or the Color Bar paints.

2. Understanding ID & SG

To compare indicators, you must use their "Address". Every study on your chart has a unique ID, and every line inside that study has a Subgraph (SG) number.

ID1.SG1 // Study #1, Subgraph Line #1

3. State vs. Event (Crucial!)

This is the most common reason alerts fail or spam you.

A. The "State" (Is it?)

Formula: =ID1.SG1 > ID2.SG1

Meaning: "Is the Fast MA currently above the Slow MA?"

Result: Returns TRUE on every single bar while the trend is up. Causes repeating alerts.

B. The "Event" (Did it?)

Formula: =CROSSFROMBELOW(ID1.SG1, ID2.SG1)

Meaning: "Did the Fast MA just now cross?"

Result: Returns TRUE only on the specific bar where the cross happened.

4. Renko Charts

For accurate alerts on Renko bricks, use these reserved codes. The generator uses these automatically when you select "Renko Open/Close".

  • ID0.SG22: The Open price of the Renko Brick.
  • ID0.SG23: The Close price of the Renko Brick.

5. Volume at Price (VAP)

To compare current volume against historical Volume-at-Price data (like comparing to yesterday's POC or Volume Profile), you use the VAP function.

=V > VAP(C, -1) // "Is current Volume (V) higher than the VAP of the previous bar?"

6. Copy-ready examples

Four formulas traders build most often. Paste them as they are, then adjust the ID and SG numbers to match your chart.

=CROSSFROMBELOW(ID1.SG1, ID2.SG1) // Fast average just crossed above the slow one
=AND(C > ID1.SG1, V > 2000) // Price above the study line on real volume
=AND(BARTIME >= TIME(9,30,0), BARTIME < TIME(16,0,0), CROSSFROMABOVE(ID3.SG4, ID3.SG5)) // The cross, but only during regular hours
=BV > AV * 2 // Bid volume doubled ask volume in this bar

Frequently asked questions

Is this free?Yes, completely, with no signup. It exists because we build Sierra Chart tools all day and this saves everyone time.
Where do I find my ID and SG numbers?Open Analysis, then Studies: the order in the Studies to Graph list gives the ID. Each line a study draws is a Subgraph, SG1 being the first.
Does this work for Spreadsheet Studies?The syntax family is the same, but this tool targets the Alert Condition box inside study settings, which is the simpler and more common use.
Why does my alert fire on every bar?You wrote a state, not an event. Use the cross functions for one time triggers, explained in section 3 above.

Put the formulas to work

Alert formulas shine on charts built to be read: our footprint setup guide builds the chart most alert conditions live on, the Sierra Chart indicators collection covers signals that do the reading for you, and complete tuned workspaces live in our Sierra Chart templates.