If you're learning to trade and you haven't set up TradingView yet, you're about to make your trading life significantly easier. It's the platform most women in TFW Global use to analyse charts — and for good reason.
TradingView is free to start, works directly in your browser, and is the most widely used charting platform in the world. You don't need to download software or pay a subscription to get started with the basics. Here's how to get up and running on TradingView for beginners — step by step.
What Is TradingView and Why Do Women Traders Use It?
TradingView is a web-based charting platform where you can view price charts, add technical indicators, draw support and resistance levels, and set price alerts — for any market, including forex, stocks, crypto, commodities, and indices.
It's not a broker. You won't usually place trades directly through it. Instead, it's where you do your analysis, then head to your broker platform to execute.
What makes it so popular with women who are new to trading:
- Clean, intuitive interface that doesn't require a finance degree to navigate
- A massive free library of technical indicators
- Works on any device — laptop, tablet, or phone
- An active community sharing chart ideas and setups
- Alerts that notify you when price hits your level (so you're not glued to the screen)
- Built-in paper trading for practising without real money
The free plan is genuinely enough to learn on. Paid plans unlock more indicators per chart and extra saved layouts — but as a beginner, you won't need them yet.
How to Create Your Free TradingView Account
Getting started takes about two minutes:
- Go to TradingView.com
- Click "Get started — it's free" or "Sign up"
- Enter your email address and create a password
- Check your email and click the verification link
- Log in — you'll land on the main chart view
No credit card required. You're in.
Tip from Amanda: Use TradingView in Chrome or Firefox for the best experience. If charts load slowly, try clearing your browser cache — it usually sorts it immediately.
How to Navigate the TradingView Interface
The first time you open TradingView, the screen can feel like a lot. Here's what each section actually does:
The chart area takes up most of the screen. Price is on the right axis; time is on the bottom. This is where you'll spend most of your time.
The symbol search bar (top left) is where you type the market you want to analyse. Type "EURUSD" for the Euro/Dollar pair, "XAUUSD" for gold, "GER40" for the German index, and so on.
The timeframe buttons (top centre) let you switch between chart periods — 1 minute, 5 minute, 15 minute, 1 hour, 4 hour, daily, and more. Click any timeframe to instantly update the chart.
The drawing tools (left sidebar) are your trendlines, horizontal lines, shapes, and text boxes. These are how you mark up support and resistance levels and chart patterns.
The Indicators button (top toolbar) opens the full indicator library. This is where you add RSI, moving averages, Bollinger Bands, MACD, and hundreds of other tools.
Give yourself a few minutes to just click around. You can't break anything — everything can be reset or undone.
How to Set Up Your First Chart on TradingView
Let's walk through getting a clean, useful chart set up from scratch:
Step 1: Search for your market. Click the symbol search box at the top left. Type the pair or market you want — for beginners, EUR/USD or GBP/USD are clean starting points. Select it from the dropdown.
Step 2: Choose your timeframe. Look for the timeframe buttons at the top of the chart. As a beginner, the 1-hour chart (1H) gives you a clean view that isn't too noisy. You can always zoom in or out.
Step 3: Switch to candlestick view. If you see a line chart, look for the chart type dropdown (it looks like a small candlestick icon near the top). Select "Candles" — candlestick charts give you far more price information than a simple line.
Step 4: Save your chart layout. Once you have your setup, click the cloud/save icon at the top right to save your layout. This means your chart settings, indicators, and drawings are there next time you log in.
You now have a working chart. This is your analysis workspace.
How to Add Indicators to TradingView
TradingView has thousands of built-in indicators. Here's how to add them:
- Click the blue "Indicators" button at the top of the chart
- The indicator library opens — search for what you want
- Type the indicator name: "Moving Average", "RSI", "Bollinger Bands", etc.
- Click on the indicator name to add it to your chart
- It appears either on the main price chart or in a separate panel below
To adjust an indicator's settings (period length, colours, etc.), hover over it and click the settings gear icon that appears.
For beginners, start with just two or three indicators maximum:
- 20 EMA (Exponential Moving Average) — shows short-term trend direction
- RSI (Relative Strength Index) — shows momentum and potential exhaustion points
That's enough. Resist the urge to add everything — more indicators create more confusion, not more clarity. Once you understand these well, you can explore Bollinger Bands and MACD explained for beginners.
"When I first opened TradingView I genuinely didn't know where to start. My advice to every woman getting started: pick one chart, one timeframe, and spend a week just watching. Before adding indicators or drawings — just observe how price moves. That patience builds intuition that no tutorial can teach you."
How to Set TradingView Alerts (So You're Not Chained to Your Charts)
This is one of the most powerful features for busy women — and one of the most underused by beginners.
TradingView alerts notify you (by email, browser notification, or in-app) when price reaches a specific level. That means you can step away from your screen and only check the chart when something relevant happens.
How to set an alert:
- Right-click anywhere on your chart at the price level you want to watch
- Select "Add alert on [market name]"
- Choose your condition: "Price is greater than", "Price is less than", or "Crossing"
- Enter the exact price level
- Choose your notification method — email works on the free plan
- Click "Create"
That's it. You'll receive a notification when price hits your level. No need to stare at the chart all morning.
This is particularly useful for setting alerts at key support/resistance levels so you only sit down to trade when price is near a setup you've already identified.
Does TradingView Work on Mobile?
Yes — and it works well. The TradingView mobile app (iOS and Android, both free) lets you view charts, check your alerts, and draw basic levels on the go.
Most experienced traders use the desktop version for serious analysis and the mobile app to monitor markets while away from their desk. We actually have a full post on trading forex from your phone if you're wondering how far mobile trading can go.
For drawing detailed support/resistance zones or setting up chart templates, the desktop browser version is easier. For checking if your alert triggered while you're at school pickup, the app is perfect.
TradingView Free vs Paid Plans: Do You Need to Upgrade?
Short answer: not as a beginner.
The free plan gives you:
- Up to 3 indicators per chart
- 1 saved chart layout
- Standard price alerts
- Built-in paper trading
- Access to most of the indicator library
The Essential plan (~$12.95/mo) adds 5 indicators and more saved layouts. Pro adds more chart tabs, faster data, and unlimited alerts.
Most beginners are absolutely fine on the free plan for their first six to twelve months. Don't spend money on the platform until you've built a consistent practice with the free version. Skill matters far more than the subscription tier.
How TFW Global Uses TradingView
At TFW Global (formerly Forex for Women), the majority of our coaches and members use TradingView as their primary charting platform. During live coaching sessions, Amanda and Jenn share their TradingView screens in real time — you're seeing the exact same platform, the same indicator layouts, the same chart setups that your coaches use.
There's no translation required between what the coach is showing and what's on your screen. When Amanda says "price is walking the upper band on the four-hour" — you'll know exactly what she means and where to look.
If you're still deciding between platforms, we've published a full comparison of TradingView vs TradeStation that breaks down which platform suits different trading styles and goals.
"I spent two weeks confused by MetaTrader before someone in the community suggested TradingView for analysis. It changed everything. I could finally see what the coaches were showing in the live calls — on my own screen, in the same layout."
Ready to Start Trading With Real Coaching?
TradingView gives you the charts. Knowing what to DO with those charts — how to read price, where to find entries, how to manage risk — is the part that takes time and the right guidance alongside it.
That's exactly what TFW Global provides. You'll learn to read charts with coaches who trade them every day, in a community of women who are on the same journey. No jargon, no ego, just practical education designed for women who are serious about building a real trading skill.
Join TFW Global from just $35 a month and get access to live coaching calls, a structured learning path, and a community of 2,000+ women traders. TFW Global (formerly Forex for Women) was built because women deserve a trading education that actually makes sense — from coaches who understand where you're starting from.
The charts make a lot more sense when someone who knows what they're looking at is right there with you.
Ready to put this into practice?
Browse our vetted broker & prop-firm rankings, or join the community.
