Custom Alerts - Complete Guide
Custom Alerts monitors your Stein Investments indicators and fires notifications when specific market conditions are met. Instead of watching charts all day, you define the conditions once and get alerted when they trigger.
Standard vs. AIO Version
There are two versions:
- Standard: requires separately installed SI indicators (FX Power NG, FX Volume, IX Power, FX Dynamic, FX Levels). You need licenses for each indicator you want to use.
- AIO (All-In-One): all indicators are built into a single file. Everything is enabled by default. No separate installations needed.
Both versions share identical parameters and alert logic. Preset files (.set) are interchangeable between them.
If you are starting fresh, the AIO version is the simpler choice. If you already own the individual indicators and want granular control, the Standard version works well.
Available Strategies
FX Power Strategies (Forex)
| Strategy | What it detects | Key parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Dog Walk | Trend with counter-currency pullback | "Min strength for main trend" (25), "Counter move needs to exceed" (40) |
| Pair Breakout | All 6 FX Power lines separate clearly | "Enable Breakout Alert", "Minimum Dynamic for Breakout Alert", "Check for clear separation" |
| Currency Dynamic | Momentum building across timeframes | "Dynamic Alert threshold for FXP AP1/AP2/AP3" |
| Currency Extreme | Extreme strength or weakness | "Extreme Alert triggers above/below" (40) |
| Line Delta | Significant delta between currency lines | "Min Delta value for Line Delta Alert" (15) |
| Currency Correlation | Correlated currency movements (experimental) | "Currency Correlation Entry triggers above/below", "Currency Correlation Exit triggers above/below" |
IX Power Strategies (Indices, Metals, Crypto)
| Strategy | What it detects | Key parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Scalping | Pullback within a trend | "Min strength for main trend" (25), "Counter move needs to exceed" (40) |
| Dynamic | Momentum across IX Power timeframes | "Dynamic Alert threshold for IXP AP 1/2/3" |
| Extreme | Extreme strength or weakness | "Extreme Alert triggers above/below" (40) |
Volume Strategy (FX Volume)
| Strategy | What it detects | Key parameters |
|---|---|---|
| Rising Interest | Combined NLC + TVC increase | "Min Net Long Change in %" (1.0), "Min Currency Volume Change in %" (1.0), "Filter by dominance" |
Setup & First Steps
AIO Version
- Place the indicator on any stable chart (EURUSD M5 recommended)
- All indicators are already enabled, just configure your alert strategies
- Set your alert channels (popup, push, email, sound)
- Optionally restrict symbols using the currency filters
Standard Version
- Install the SI indicators you want to use
- Place Custom Alerts on a chart
- Enable each indicator: "Use FX Power NG", "Use FX Volume", "Use IX Power", "Use FX Dynamic", "Use FX Levels"
- Activate your chosen strategies
- Configure alert channels
Important: In the Standard version, the analysis periods in Custom Alerts must match the settings of your running indicators. The AIO version handles this automatically.
Key Parameters
ATR Filter (Recommended)
The ATR filter prevents alerts when a move is already extended:
- Enable "Enable ATR filter for alerts"
- Set "Allow alerts up to x % ATR" to 100 (alerts only fire when current move is below 100% of ATR)
Lower values (e.g., 80) are more conservative, you will only get alerts early in a move. This requires "Use FX Dynamic" to be enabled.
Alert Cooldown
"Alert cooldown in minutes (0 = deactivated)" prevents the same strategy-symbol combination from firing repeatedly:
- Set to 0: disabled (every signal triggers)
- Set to 30-60: recommended for mobile push notifications
- Each strategy-symbol pair has its own independent cooldown timer
Currency and Symbol Filters
- Currency toggles ("Enable alerts for USD and USD pairs", "Enable alerts for EUR and EUR pairs", and so on for each of the 8 currencies) disable currencies you do not trade
- "Limit alerts to specific symbols" + "Comma-separated list of symbols" restrict to a specific symbol list
- These filters reduce noise significantly if you focus on a few pairs
Time Schedule
Limit alerts to your trading sessions:
- Enable "Enable processing time schedule"
- Configure up to two time windows in broker time: "Start 1" / "End 1" and "Start 2" / "End 2"
- Example for London + New York: "Start 1" = 08:00, "End 1" = 12:00, "Start 2" = 13:00, "End 2" = 17:00
GVT (Global Variable Trigger)
When "Set GVT" is enabled, each alert sets a MetaTrader Global Variable. Other EAs can read this variable to react automatically to Custom Alerts signals, useful for semi-automated or fully automated workflows.
Strategy Deep Dive
Pair Breakout (Start Here)
The Pair Breakout strategy is the most versatile and produces the most informative alerts. It fires when the FX Power lines of a currency pair separate clearly.
Optional filters improve signal quality:
- "Minimum Dynamic for Breakout Alert" requires momentum confirmation (one-sided or double-sided)
- "Check for clear separation" requires a strong currency above and a weak currency below a threshold ("Strong above, weak below")
- "Use Delta as filter" filters by minimum delta on a specific analysis period
- Volume confirmation via "Confirmed by Net Long Change" and "Confirmed by Total Volume Change" (requires FX Volume)
Dog Walk
Detects a trending currency that experiences a counter-move pullback, a classic continuation setup. The main currency must show strength above the "Min strength for main trend" threshold, while the counter-currency must show a move above the "Counter move needs to exceed" threshold.
Easy Scalping (IX Power)
The scalping strategy for non-forex instruments. Detects pullbacks within an established trend. Can be combined with FX Power clear-separation and delta filters for forex symbols when "Use IX Power" is set to "Use on all symbols".
Rising Interest (Volume)
Combines Net Long Change (NLC) and Total Volume Change (TVC) to detect currencies where positioning is shifting. The dominance filter ("Filter by dominance") can narrow alerts to only the strongest volume movements.
Alert Channels
| Channel | Parameter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Popup | "Alert Message" | Visible in MT5 window |
| Sound | "Alert Sound" | Plays alert.wav |
| "Alert Email" | Requires MT5 email configuration | |
| Mobile Push | "Mobile Notification" | Requires MetaQuotes ID and MT5 mobile app |
| GVT | "Set GVT" | For EA integration |
Tips & Best Practices
- Start with Pair Breakout. It is the most informative strategy and works well as a standalone alert system.
- Enable ATR filter from the start. It prevents chasing moves that are already extended.
- Set a cooldown for mobile alerts. 30-60 minutes prevents notification spam without missing important signals.
- Use the time schedule. Restricting alerts to your active trading hours keeps your phone quiet at night.
- The AIO version enables everything by default. If you are getting too many alerts initially, disable strategies you do not use and set "Alert cooldown in minutes (0 = deactivated)" to 60.
- Delta filter on Breakout improves quality. Enable "Use Delta as filter" with "Minimum value for Delta filter" set to 30 to only get alerts when momentum is significant.
- For volume-based trading, set "Filter by dominance" to "Max Net Long and Total combined" to receive alerts only when a currency shows the strongest combined NLC and TVC movement.
Common Issues
No alerts despite everything being enabled: Check: (1) "Alert On" is enabled, (2) at least one alert channel is active, (3) time schedule covers the current time, (4) required indicators are providing data, (5) monitored symbols are in Market Watch.
Too many alerts: Solutions: increase cooldown, disable currencies you do not trade, enable time schedule, reduce the number of active strategies.
Alerts arrive late: Custom Alerts checks at each new candle of the base timeframe ("Base time frame for checks"). Use M5 or M1 for faster checks.
Mobile push not working: Requires: (1) "Mobile Notification" enabled, (2) MQL5 account connected in MetaTrader, (3) MT5 mobile app installed with push permissions enabled.
"N/A" for ATR in alert text: FX Dynamic is not enabled or not providing data for that symbol. Enable "Use FX Dynamic".