CourseAdvanced Features
Paper Trading on TradingView
Paper trading (also called simulated trading or demo trading) lets you practice placing trades with fake money using real market data. TradingView has a built-in paper trading feature that simulates a real trading account without any financial risk.
Setting Up Paper Trading
- 1Click the "Trading Panel" button at the bottom of the chart
- 2Select "Paper Trading" from the broker list
- 3Your paper trading account starts with $100,000 in virtual funds
- 4The trading panel will appear below the chart showing your balance
- 5Click "Buy" or "Sell" to place trades at the current market price
- 6Set stop-loss and take-profit levels for risk management
Features of Paper Trading
- Real-time market data — trades execute at actual market prices
- Order types — market, limit, stop, and stop-limit orders
- P&L tracking — see your profit/loss in real-time
- Trade history — review all past paper trades
- Position management — modify or close positions anytime
- Multiple assets — paper trade stocks, crypto, forex all from one account
Warning
Paper trading doesn't include slippage, real spread costs, or the emotional pressure of real money. A strategy that works in paper trading may perform differently with real capital. Use paper trading to learn the mechanics, but understand its limitations.
Pro Tip
Paper trade for at least 1-3 months before using real money. Track your results carefully — only move to real trading when you're consistently profitable in your paper trading account.
Key Takeaways
- Paper trading simulates real trades with $100,000 in virtual funds
- Uses real-time market data for realistic practice
- Supports all order types: market, limit, stop, stop-limit
- Paper trade for 1-3 months before risking real money
- Understand limitations: no real slippage, spreads, or emotional pressure