Connect cTrader

PineHook connects through your cTrader ID. You choose which broker accounts PineHook may access on cTrader's own authorization page, then assign one of those accounts to a cTrader license.

Choosing a platform for TradingView alerts? Read our cTrader vs MT5 comparison for the setup, hosting, and timing tradeoffs.

PineHook is an independent integration and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Spotware or your broker.

What you authorize#

PineHook requests cTrader's trading permission, as described in cTrader's Open API documentation. For the accounts you select on cTrader's authorization page, this permits access to account information and statistics and all trading operations that cTrader and your broker allow. The authorization can cover more than one account, even if you assign only one to a PineHook license.

PineHook receives access and refresh tokens, not your cTrader password. We store the tokens encrypted, along with identifiers and details for each authorized account, including its broker, login number, demo or live status, mode, currency, and a balance snapshot. PineHook uses the connection to process your alerts and account controls. The tokens and account details remain while the connection exists; see Remove or revoke access below.

Before you connect#

You need:

• A PineHook account with an available license slot.
• A cTrader ID that can access the broker or prop-firm account.
• A demo, live, challenge, or funded account that allows automated trading.
• A paid TradingView subscription with access to webhook alerts.

Use a demo account for the first connection when your broker offers one. Before risking real money, check whether the account is hedged or netted, how the broker names each symbol, the minimum trade size and volume step, minimum stop distances, and trading hours. These rules can differ between brokers and even between demo and live accounts at the same broker. Prop-firm challenge and funded accounts may add their own trading restrictions.

Connect while creating a license#

Create the license and connect its account in the same window.

1. Open Dashboard > Licenses.
2. Click New License.
3. Enter a name and choose cTrader as the platform.
4. Select a broker account from the list. If none is available, click Connect another account.
5. Read the access summary and click Continue to cTrader.
6. On cTrader's page, sign in and choose the trading accounts PineHook may access.
7. Return to PineHook. Your unfinished license form is restored.
8. Select the account, then create the license.

The account picker shows the broker, account number, demo or live status, account mode, currency, and balance recorded when the connection was made. That balance is a connection-time snapshot, not a live quote.

Assign an account to an existing license#

1. Open Dashboard > Licenses.
2. Open the license's three-dot menu.
3. Click Manage broker account.
4. Select an available account with the radio button.
5. Click Link account.

Each cTrader license can use one broker account. An account already assigned to another license is shown but cannot be selected. You can still connect more accounts without leaving the modal.

Manage connections in settings#

Open Dashboard > Settings > Platform connections to:

• Connect another cTrader ID.
• See every account shared by each connection.
• Refresh access when a connection needs attention.
• Unlink an account from its license.
• Remove a cTrader connection.

Accounts that you normally open through a broker's website can still work. They must appear under the cTrader ID you authorize. If your accounts belong to different cTrader IDs, connect each ID separately.

Remove or revoke access#

These actions have different effects:

1. Unlink account in PineHook detaches one broker account from its license. The cTrader connection and its grant remain. PineHook can still see the accounts you authorized on that connection.
2. Remove connection in Dashboard > Settings > Platform connections deletes PineHook's stored tokens and account details for that connection. Its accounts stop being used by PineHook licenses once the service detects the change. Open positions and pending orders remain at your broker.
3. To withdraw the authorization at cTrader as well, sign in to your cTrader ID Open API settings and revoke PineHook under authorized applications. PineHook cannot do this on your behalf.

Deleting your PineHook account also deletes its cTrader connection records. Removing a connection does not erase separately retained alert or trade history; see the privacy policy.

Check the connection#

Return to Licenses and look at the cTrader license:

Do not send live alerts until the license shows Connected.

Configure trading settings#

cTrader gets its trading settings from the PineHook dashboard. You do not configure them in the cTrader app.

Default trading settings apply to every license that has not replaced that particular value. To change one license, open its three-dot menu and choose License Settings. Only the fields you change become overrides. The rest continue to follow your defaults.

For example, a license can have its own spread limit and still inherit your default lot size. Changing the default lot size updates that license too, because it only overrides the spread limit.

Read Trading settings on the Licenses page for the full explanation, including how to reset one field or all overrides.

Default Magic is the strategy ID used when an alert does not include magic=. Include a different magic=N when several strategies share one hedging account. Use ticket= when an alert must manage one specific trade inside a strategy.

Netting accounts still keep one combined position per symbol. Magic numbers can identify where an order came from, but they cannot split that broker position into independently managed pieces.

Keep Signal Syntax Mode set to PineHook for Default Mode commands. Select PineConnector only when your alerts use PineConnector commands and units. When using Trade Copier, every destination must understand the copied alert's syntax.

Read Hedging and netting accounts before changing Default Magic or running several strategies through one license.

Set up a TradingView alert#

Your cTrader connection is ready. Continue with the TradingView integration guide to configure the webhook, write the message, and test the alert. For alerts generated by a Pine strategy, see Strategy alerts.

Troubleshooting#

No accounts appear after authorization. Reconnect and make sure you select the trading accounts on cTrader's authorization page.

An account is unavailable in the picker. It is already assigned to another PineHook license. Manage that license first.

The account details are missing. Reconnect the cTrader ID to refresh the mode, currency, and balance snapshot.

The license says Reconnect needed. Use Reconnect in Platform connections and approve access again.

An alert is accepted but no trade opens. Check Signal Logs for the broker response, then confirm the symbol spelling, market hours, volume limits, margin, and stored risk settings.

Keep going#

• Trade Copier for MT5 and cTrader: distribute one alert across your connected accounts.

• Broker symbol mapping

• Lot size conversion

• Default Mode commands

• Signal Logs