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Getting Started with CrossTrade

CrossTrade connects TradingView alerts to NinjaTrader 8 for automated futures trading. This guide covers the basics: what CrossTrade does, the setup flow, and where to go for help.

What is CrossTrade?​

CrossTrade is an NT8 desktop add-on that receives webhook alerts (typically from TradingView) and executes them as orders in NinjaTrader 8. It also includes an Account Manager for session P&L monitoring and auto-flatten, and a Trade Copier for multi-account replication.

CrossTrade's role is simple: it transmits what is sent, when it is sent. It specializes in executing orders and account management for the NT8 desktop platform.

How do I get started with CrossTrade?​

Follow the full Setup Guide — it walks through installation, connecting to data, and sending your first alert in a few minutes:

https://crosstrade.io/docs/readme/set-up-guide

There's also a quick-start video that covers the same flow: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fRMV66-gZyk

If you follow the whole guide, the full process takes roughly 5 minutes start to finish.

What's the overall workflow?​

TradingView (or another alert source) fires a webhook to your CrossTrade URL. CrossTrade validates the payload, applies any rules (rate limits, trade windows, etc.), and forwards the order instructions to your NT8 add-on, which executes the trade on the specified account.

TradingView alert  →  CrossTrade webhook  →  NT8 add-on  →  Order executed

The only things you need to make CrossTrade work are a running NT8 platform with the XT add-on connected, and TradingView alerts pointed at your XT webhook URL and saved.

Does CrossTrade work with Tradovate, NinjaTrader Web, or other platforms?​

CrossTrade works exclusively with the NinjaTrader 8 desktop platform. It is not compatible with Tradovate, NT Web, WealthCharts, or other platforms.

If you need a Tradovate/NT Web workaround for manual trading from TradingView, see the Tradovate/NT Web API add-on documented here: https://crosstrade.io/docs/trade-copier/overview/tradingview-manual-trading

Tradovate and NT Web native support is planned for a future release.

What are the setup steps at a high level?​

  1. Sign up at crosstrade.io and log into your dashboard
  2. Download the NT8 add-on from https://crosstrade.io/download
  3. Install the add-on in NT8 (instructions: https://crosstrade.io/docs/getting-started/installation)
  4. Log into the add-on using your CrossTrade credentials
  5. Connect NT8 to a data feed (Simulated Data Feed for testing, or a live/prop feed for live trading)
  6. Enable NT8's Automated Trading Interface (ATI)
  7. Send a test alert from the web dashboard to Sim101 to confirm the connection
  8. On TradingView, paste your webhook URL and a CrossTrade-formatted alert message, then save the alert

The full guide lives at https://crosstrade.io/docs/readme/set-up-guide.

Where do I find my webhook URL and secret key?​

Both are on your CrossTrade dashboard (https://app.crosstrade.io/user/dashboard) and in your Settings page (https://app.crosstrade.io/user/my-account). You paste the webhook URL into the TradingView alert's notification/webhook field, and you include the secret key in the alert message body as key=....

What does a basic alert message look like?​

A minimal market buy in the CrossTrade format:

key=your-secret-key;
command=PLACE;
account=sim101;
instrument=ES1!;
action=BUY;
qty=1;
order_type=MARKET;
tif=DAY;

For a TradingView strategy using dynamic variables:

key=your-secret-key;
command=PLACE;
account=sim101;
instrument=ES1!;
action=\{\{strategy.order.action\}\};
qty=\{\{strategy.order.contracts\}\};
order_type=MARKET;
tif=DAY;

Every line must end with a semicolon, including the last one. Common errors like Improperly formatted request usually trace back to a missing = or ;. CrossTrade does not accept JSON — it must be the semicolon-separated key=value format.

How do I enable NT8's Automated Trading Interface (ATI)?​

ATI must be enabled in NT8 for CrossTrade to place orders. If you see Automated Trading Interface (ATI) is disabled. Please enable ATI before using CrossTrade in the XT log, follow the instructions here:

https://crosstrade.io/docs/readme/set-up-guide#enable-the-ninjatrader-ati

After enabling ATI, restart NT8.

Do I need to connect NT8 to a data feed?​

Yes. For order execution to work, NT8 needs a connected data feed — either a purchased NT8 data subscription or one provided by a prop evaluation/funded account. For initial testing you can use the Simulated Data Feed.

Make sure all data feeds are connected under NT8's Control Panel > Connections dropdown. This section of the docs has details: https://crosstrade.io/docs/readme/set-up-guide#connect-to-live-data

How do I send a test alert without using TradingView?​

Use the Manual Trader (formerly Command Tester) on your CrossTrade web dashboard. Click "Send to NT8" on a basic PLACE command against Sim101 to confirm the pipeline works end-to-end. The behavior is identical to an external webhook — it's just TV → XT → NT8 vs. dashboard → XT → NT8.

If you want to test alert execution when the market is closed, enable the Simulated Data Feed in NT8 and send test payloads from the dashboard's command tester.

What's the most minimal NT8 setup I need running?​

Just the NT8 Control Panel and the CrossTrade XT Window. You don't need charts open for CrossTrade to execute orders. A VPS Lite tier is sufficient if you're running only these.

Do I need a VPS?​

A VPS is not required. Many traders run CrossTrade on their home machines without issue. That said, traders running live prop accounts often use a VPS for 24/7 uptime and reliability.

CrossTrade has a partnership with QuantVPS — discount link: https://crosstrade.io/vps. A Chicago-based VPS is generally recommended for futures latency.

Do I need to keep NT8 and my computer running for alerts to execute?​

NT8 must be running with the XT add-on connected to receive and execute signals — it is desktop software. TradingView alerts, however, live on TV's servers, so TV does not need to be open for alerts to fire. If NT8 (or the machine running it) is off, CrossTrade will still log received alerts but won't be able to execute them.

Can I use CrossTrade for manual trading only (no automation)?​

CrossTrade is primarily built for automated trading through alerts. You can manually send alerts through the web dashboard's Manual Trader, but that's really meant for testing alerts before deployment.

For TradingView-style manual order entry, the Trade Copier combined with the Tradovate/NT Web API add-on provides a workaround — see https://crosstrade.io/docs/trade-copier/overview/tradingview-manual-trading.

Is there a free trial?​

Yes, CrossTrade offers a 7-day free trial. If you sign up late in the week and miss market hours, support can extend it — email support@crosstrade.io. Note that if you've already taken a trial in the past, you'll need to purchase a subscription at https://crosstrade.io/pricing to continue.

Can I manage multiple accounts (including Apex, prop firms, etc.) through CrossTrade?​

Yes. CrossTrade supports multiple NT8 accounts simultaneously, including prop firm accounts like Apex, Bulenox, Topstep, MFF, Tradeify, and others. You can list multiple accounts in an alert by comma-separating them in the account= field, or use the Trade Copier for leader/follower relationships.

For Apex WealthCharts specifically, make sure you choose the Rithmic credentials option — those are the ones usable directly in NT8.

Which instrument formats does CrossTrade accept?​

Any of the following formats will work (e.g. for Micro Gold April 2026):

MGC1!
MGC APR26
MGC 04-26
MGCJ6

If you use a TradingView format like MGC1! or MGCJ2026, CrossTrade automatically converts it to whatever you have saved in your NT8 instrument settings. You can also hard-code an NT8 format like MGC 04-26.

A common pitfall: the alert uses the numerical ticker format (e.g. ES 06-25) but NT8 is set up for the month-abbreviation format (e.g. ES JUN25), or vice versa. Match your NT8 database format, or use ES1! and let CrossTrade convert.

For prop firm accounts, what should I enter in the account= field?​

Enter the account name exactly as it appears in NT8. For Bulenox and similar prop accounts, the account is everything up to the first exclamation point — typically remove anything after the !.

Where do I see alert history and troubleshoot missing signals?​

The Alert History page is the source of truth for whether CrossTrade received an alert:

https://app.crosstrade.io/user/history

If an alert is not showing up there, CrossTrade never received it — the issue is on the TradingView side. Common causes: the webhook URL is not set on the alert, the alert wasn't re-saved after edits, or the alert message is empty/in a non-XT format. Re-save the alert on TV.

If the alert shows up in Alert History but didn't execute in NT8, the XT add-on may have been disconnected, NT8 may have been missing a data feed, or the payload may have had a validation error. The response on the Alert History entry will tell you why.

Where can I get help?​

CrossTrade is a small team and does not offer phone support or one-on-one screen-sharing sessions, but the docs, videos, and chat/email support cover the full setup flow.