What it does
EMA Cross plots two exponential moving averages of different lengths and highlights the points where they cross. Because EMAs weight recent prices more heavily, their crosses react faster than SMA crosses of the same lengths. The crossing points are marked on the chart as potential trend-change signals.
Typedraws on the price chart
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “EMA Cross” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Fast EMA crossing above the slow EMA is a buy signal; crossing below is a sell signal — popular pairs are 9/21 for swing timing and 50/200 for major trend.
- Trade crosses in the direction of a higher-timeframe trend and skip counter-trend crosses to cut whipsaw dramatically.
- Use the slow EMA as the stop/invalidations line after a cross, and consider pyramiding on pullbacks to the fast EMA.
- The distance between the EMAs after a cross gauges follow-through: quickly widening separation confirms the new trend.
- Filter with ADX (above about 20-25) or volume so crosses in dead, flat markets are ignored.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short | number | 9 | 1–2000 |
| Long | number | 26 | 1–2000 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| Short | line | #FF6D00 |
| Long | line | #43A047 |
| Crosses | cross | #2196F3 |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision, price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Tips
- Double-click any of its lines to jump straight into the settings dialog.
- Save the configured chart as a study template (Indicators menu) to reapply this exact setup elsewhere.
- Right-click the indicator's line for quick actions — settings, visibility and removal without hunting through menus.
Watch out for
- In sideways markets the EMAs braid and cross repeatedly, producing strings of small losing signals.
- Every cross is late by construction; by the time a 50/200 cross confirms, a substantial part of the move has already happened.