Independent PineHook setup guide. PineHook is not affiliated with or endorsed by IC Markets.
Can You Automate IC Markets with TradingView? MT5 & cTrader Setup (2026)
Yes, you can automate a TradingView strategy on an IC Markets MT5 or cTrader account by sending the strategy's alerts to PineHook. IC Markets supports automated trading and Expert Advisors on MT5 and offers cTrader accounts. PineHook routes each alert to the platform assigned to its license.
IC Markets also connects cTrader Raw accounts to TradingView, but that connection is for orders placed through the Trading Panel. The cTrader Raw requirement belongs only to IC Markets' direct TradingView integration. PineHook still supports IC Markets through its MT5 EA and authorized cTrader connection. TradingView does not support automated Pine strategy trading through a connected brokerage account, so PineHook receives the strategy alert through its separate webhook route.
IC Markets platform, account, and pricing details verified against the linked official sources on September 19, 2026. Products, platforms, pricing, and eligibility can vary by entity, account, and country.
How IC Markets automation works#
Automation follows four steps:
- A Pine strategy creates an order message inside a TradingView alert. TradingView documents these messages in its strategy alert guide.
- TradingView sends the message to PineHook's webhook URL. The Creating alerts guide provides the URL and message format.
- The license key or Copier ID identifies the IC Markets account and platform.
- PineHook executes through the MetaTrader 5 EA or an authorized cTrader account, then records the command and result in Signal Logs.
IC Markets binds each trading account to one platform. Its Help Centre says an MT5 account cannot be viewed in cTrader and a separate account is required for each platform.
| Route | Connection | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| IC Markets MT5 | Sign in to MT5, install the PineHook EA, and attach it to one chart. | Use this for a Standard or Raw Spread MT5 account when the terminal, EA, and internet connection can remain active. IC Markets documents MT5 accounts and automated trading; PineHook's steps are in Connect MetaTrader 5. |
| IC Markets cTrader | Authorize the cTrader ID from PineHook and select the intended IC Markets account. | Use this when the account appears under your cTrader ID. The desktop application does not need to remain open. See IC Markets' cTrader account steps and PineHook's Connect cTrader. |
| IC Markets TradingView | Connect an IC Markets cTrader Raw account through TradingView's Trading Panel. | Use this for manual chart orders. It cannot automate a Pine strategy. See IC Markets' TradingView requirements and TradingView's automation limitation. |
Connect IC Markets to PineHook#
Start with Choose a platform in PineHook's Platform setup documentation, then follow the guide for the platform assigned to the IC Markets account.
Connect IC Markets MT5#
- Open a Standard or Raw Spread MT5 account. IC Markets lists the account details in its Secure Client Area after registration.
- Download IC Markets MT5 and sign in with the assigned login and server.
- Follow Connect MetaTrader 5 to install the PineHook EA. One chart is enough, as long as algorithmic trading is on.
- Create an MT5 license in PineHook and copy its key into the EA inputs.
- Add the PineHook webhook URL and a supported command to the TradingView alert.
The broker login remains in MT5. PineHook uses the license configured in the EA and does not need the IC Markets password. Keep the terminal, EA, and internet connection active while alerts need to execute, as explained in Connect MetaTrader 5.
Watch strategies that modify orders often. IC Markets' Help Centre says an account becomes hyperactive above 3,000 server requests in one day and may trigger an email warning. Each request consumes part of that allowance, so repeated order changes can reach it faster than entry alerts alone.
Connect IC Markets cTrader#
- Confirm that the intended IC Markets account appears under your cTrader ID. IC Markets explains in its Help Centre that approved cTrader accounts link to one cTID and appear automatically after sign-in.
- Create a cTrader license in PineHook and approve the connection on cTrader's authorization page.
- Return to PineHook, select the exact IC Markets account, and finish creating the license.
- Add the new license key to the TradingView alert.
cTrader reads its PineHook settings from the dashboard, so there is no EA to install and the cTrader application does not need to remain open. Revoking the authorization stops future PineHook execution. Positions already open at IC Markets remain in the account. PineHook documents this connection in Connect cTrader.
Include the entity, platform, account type, and account purpose in the license name when the IC Markets client area contains several accounts.
Verify the symbol and lot size before testing an alert#
Open the instrument in MT5 Market Watch or cTrader and compare its name with the ticker used by the TradingView strategy. If IC Markets uses another symbol, configure symbol mapping so PineHook sends the exact destination symbol.
Next, compare the strategy's quantity with the lot size expected by the account. IC Markets' forex specification sheet lists a 100,000-unit contract for one forex lot, a 0.01-lot minimum, and a 0.01-lot volume step. If TradingView reports units rather than lots, configure lot size conversion before testing.
Symbol mapping changes the instrument sent to IC Markets, while lot size conversion changes the quantity. If TradingView sends 100000 units for EURUSD and those units represent one broker lot, a conversion factor of 0.00001 produces 1.00 lot. PineHook applies that factor to explicit lot-based entries, partial closes, and fixed-lot targets, as explained in the lot size conversion guide.
The Australian forex specification provides useful reference values:
| Forex setting | Published value |
|---|---|
| Contract size | 100,000 units per 1.00 lot |
| Minimum and step | 0.01 lot |
| Maximum | 200 lots, or 50 lots for exotic pairs |
| Stops level | 0 |
| Maximum leverage | 1:30 for major pairs and 1:20 for minor pairs |
Treat those values as an entity-specific reference. IC Markets' trading-hours page says the electronic trading system has the most accurate instrument details because specifications can change. It also shows that forex, metals, energies, and other CFDs follow different sessions. Confirm the contract size, minimum volume, step, stop distance, leverage, and session on the account that will execute.
Test a TradingView alert#
IC Markets says hedging is allowed, and its forex specification sheet also marks hedging as permitted. On a hedging account, one strategy can hold several positions in the same symbol at once. Each position can keep its own stop-loss and take-profit levels, including its own multi-level TP and SL schedule. The magic= and ticket= parameters group the strategy's positions and identify one position inside that group. Reuse the ticket in a later modify or close command to manage only that position. The other positions retain their own stops and targets.
A PineHook ticket is separate from the broker's order and position numbers. Tickets work only on hedging accounts; netting accounts combine each symbol into one position and reject ticket parameters. See Hedging and netting accounts and Common parameters for the targeting rules.
Use this minimum-size EURUSD command to test an IC Markets hedging account:
YOUR_LICENSE_KEY,buy,EURUSD,size_lots=0.01,magic=1001,ticket=eur-long-001,sl_pips=50,tp_pips=100
The Creating alerts guide provides the webhook URL and message format, while the Default Mode reference defines size_lots, sl_pips, and tp_pips. When the alert fires, confirm in MT5 or cTrader that the symbol, side, volume, stop loss, and take profit match the command. Then compare the result with Signal Logs.
Match the strategy costs to the account#
IC Markets publishes three pricing routes for its Australian entity. Its account comparison lists MetaTrader Raw Spread at US$3.50 per lot per side, cTrader Raw Spread at US$3 per US$100,000 per side, and Standard MetaTrader with no separate commission and spreads from 0.8 pip. Use the rate and currency shown for the entity and account that will run the strategy.
Record the spread during the strategy's actual trading hours. Add the account's commission and a realistic slippage allowance to TradingView's broker emulator. IC Markets' forex specification sheet lists variable swaps with a triple charge or credit on Wednesday, so include financing when the strategy holds forex positions through rollover.
Configure risk controls for the account#
Set account limits before the strategy trades at its normal size. PineHook's risk-management controls apply independently of the TradingView script. Use them to stop new entries at the account's loss limit and to reject alerts outside the strategy's session, spread, or news rules.
| PineHook control | How it works and why it helps |
|---|---|
| Daily loss limit | Measures the day's loss from the higher of balance or equity at the UTC reset. Use it to stop one poor session from consuming the account's wider risk budget. End of Day drawdown mode already provides a daily guard. |
| Overall drawdown limit | Watches equity against a longer-term floor. Static protects a fixed starting level, while trailing modes and Relative can protect gains as the account grows. Use it to catch a decline that develops across several days. |
| Active trading sessions | Allows new entries only during chosen UTC hours while exits and management remain available. Use it to keep the strategy inside the sessions and liquidity conditions it was tested on. The optional cutoff can flatten positions and remove pending orders. |
| Maximum spread | Refuses a new entry when the live spread exceeds a pip or percentage ceiling. Use it to avoid an abnormal entry cost during rollover or thin markets. It cannot lock the final fill price. |
| News filter | Holds new entries around selected economic releases. Close and cancel commands remain available during the window. |
The risk-management reference explains what PineHook can do when a drawdown limit is breached: stop new entries, close open positions, or close them and keep further trading blocked. Place the threshold inside the maximum acceptable loss because a market exit can fill beyond the trigger.
These controls do not replace broker margin. IC Markets' Australian forex specification sheet lists a 100% margin call and 50% stop-out level, but those values and the available leverage can vary by product and entity. Note the free margin used by the minimum-size test and leave room for wider spreads and other positions that the strategy may open at the same time.
Use the news calendar before volatile sessions#
IC Markets provides a Trading Central economic calendar for scheduled market events. PineHook's News Filter adds an execution rule that can hold new strategy entries around selected releases.
Set the before-and-after window globally or as a per-license override for the IC Markets account. The News Filter settings explain that inheritance. Select the license in the News Calendar to preview the releases covered by its saved window.
During the configured window, PineHook holds matching new entries. Close and cancel commands still run, while stop and target changes are held only when that option is enabled. Maximum-spread protection can add another cost check when entries resume.
Copy one strategy to IC Markets and other brokers#
A PineHook Trade Copier sends one TradingView alert to several licenses. Its destinations can mix IC Markets MT5, IC Markets cTrader, other IC Markets accounts, and accounts at completely different brokers. The strategy does not need a separate alert for each account.
Each license receives the alert with its own size multiplier. The screenshot below shows the same three trades on three licenses at 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. PineHook applies the multiplier to fixed lots and volume calculated from risk, as documented in the Trade Copier reference.
Compare the live IC Markets contract specification with every other destination before setting its multiplier. Equal lot values can represent different exposure across instruments, platforms, and brokers.
Frequently asked questions#
Does IC Markets support both MT5 and cTrader?
Yes. IC Markets offers MT5 and cTrader, although availability can vary by entity and account.
Can IC Markets' TradingView connection automate a Pine strategy?
No. The IC Markets TradingView route connects a cTrader Raw account for Trading Panel orders. TradingView says Pine strategies cannot trade automatically through a connected brokerage account. PineHook uses strategy alerts and a separate MT5 or cTrader execution connection.
Must MT5 or cTrader stay open?
The MT5 route needs the PineHook EA running in the terminal, as described in Connect MetaTrader 5. Connect cTrader uses an authorized account connection, so the cTrader desktop application does not need to remain open.
Does PineHook need my IC Markets password?
No. MT5 credentials remain in the terminal, as described in Connect MetaTrader 5. The cTrader route uses cTrader's authorization page, as described in Connect cTrader.
Can one IC Markets strategy hold several positions in the same symbol?
Yes, when the destination uses hedging. IC Markets says it allows hedging. Give each PineHook position a unique ticket= when the strategy must modify or close it independently.
Can one alert reach IC Markets MT5, cTrader, and another broker?
Yes. Add each license to a PineHook Trade Copier, set its multiplier, and send the alert to the Copier ID.
Create a PineHook account without payment details, or compare this setup with the other broker and prop firm guides.
IC Markets is a trademark of its owner. PineHook is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IC Markets, TradingView, MetaQuotes, or Spotware. Leveraged trading carries a high risk of loss.
