Technical Indicators

PriceSignal includes a comprehensive technical analysis engine that calculates popular indicators in real-time as price data streams in. Use these indicators to create sophisticated alert rules based on market momentum, trends, and volatility.

Supported Indicators

PriceSignal currently supports three core technical indicators, with more being added regularly:

RSI

Relative Strength Index - momentum oscillator

SMA

Simple Moving Average - trend indicator

EMA

Exponential Moving Average - weighted trend

RSI (Relative Strength Index)

The RSI is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and magnitude of price changes. It oscillates between 0 and 100, with traditional interpretations:

Above 70: Overbought conditions (potential sell signal)
Below 30: Oversold conditions (potential buy signal)
50: Neutral momentum

RSI Alert Example

Create an alert when RSI enters oversold territory:

mutation CreateRSIAlert {
  createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BTC RSI Oversold"
    description: "Alert when Bitcoin RSI drops below 30 (14-period)"
    instrumentId: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"
    notificationChannel: "TELEGRAM"
    isEnabled: true
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "TECHNICAL_INDICATOR"
      value: 30
      additionalValues: "{\"indicator\": \"RSI\", \"period\": 14, \"comparison\": \"below\"}"
    }]
  }) {
    id
    name
    conditions {
      nodes {
        conditionType
        value
        additionalValues
      }
    }
  }
}

RSI Configuration

Oversold Alert
Overbought Alert
Custom Period

{
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "comparison": "below",
  "value": 30
}

Triggers when 14-period RSI falls below 30

{
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 14,
  "comparison": "above",
  "value": 70
}

Triggers when 14-period RSI rises above 70

{
  "indicator": "RSI",
  "period": 21,
  "comparison": "below",
  "value": 35
}

Uses a longer 21-period RSI with custom threshold

The RSI calculation requires at least period + 1 price data points. For a 14-period RSI, you need at least 15 historical prices.

SMA (Simple Moving Average)

The Simple Moving Average calculates the arithmetic mean of prices over a specified period. It’s useful for:

Identifying trend direction
Support and resistance levels
Crossover strategies
Smoothing price noise

SMA Usage

SMA is typically used in crossover conditions rather than direct indicator alerts:

{
  "conditionType": "PRICE_CROSSOVER",
  "value": 0,
  "additionalValues": "{\"type\": \"price_ma\", \"ma_type\": \"SMA\", \"period\": 50, \"direction\": \"above\"}"
}

Common SMA Periods

Short-term (5-20 periods)

Use Case: Day trading and short-term swing trading

5 SMA: Very responsive to price changes, generates many signals
10 SMA: Balanced short-term trend indicator
20 SMA: Popular for identifying short-term support/resistance

Good for volatile markets where you want quick signals.

Medium-term (21-100 periods)

Use Case: Swing trading and position management

50 SMA: Standard medium-term trend indicator
100 SMA: Intermediate trend confirmation

Provides a balance between responsiveness and noise filtering.

Long-term (100-200 periods)

Use Case: Position trading and trend confirmation

200 SMA: The most widely watched long-term indicator
Price above 200 SMA = bullish trend
Price below 200 SMA = bearish trend

Best for identifying major trend changes and long-term positioning.

EMA (Exponential Moving Average)

The Exponential Moving Average gives more weight to recent prices, making it more responsive to new information than the SMA.

EMA vs SMA

SMA Characteristics

Equal weight to all periods
Smoother line
Slower to react
Better for long-term trends

EMA Characteristics

More weight to recent data
More responsive
Faster signals
Better for short-term trading

EMA Alert Examples

Price Above EMA
EMA Crossover
Price Below EMA

mutation CreateEMABullishAlert {
  createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "ETH Above 20 EMA"
    description: "Alert when Ethereum price crosses above 20 EMA"
    instrumentId: "..."
    notificationChannel: "EMAIL"
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "PRICE_CROSSOVER"
      value: 0
      additionalValues: "{\"type\": \"price_ma\", \"ma_type\": \"EMA\", \"period\": 20, \"direction\": \"above\"}"
    }]
  }) { id name }
}

mutation CreateEMACrossAlert {
  createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BTC EMA Cross Strategy"
    description: "Alert when 12 EMA crosses above 26 EMA"
    instrumentId: "..."
    notificationChannel: "TELEGRAM"
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "PRICE_CROSSOVER"
      value: 0
      additionalValues: "{\"type\": \"ma_cross\", \"fast_ma\": 12, \"slow_ma\": 26, \"ma_type\": \"EMA\", \"direction\": \"above\"}"
    }]
  }) { id name }
}

mutation CreateEMABearishAlert {
  createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BNB Below 50 EMA"
    description: "Alert when Binance Coin drops below 50 EMA"
    instrumentId: "..."
    notificationChannel: "WEBHOOK"
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "PRICE_CROSSOVER"
      value: 0
      additionalValues: "{\"type\": \"price_ma\", \"ma_type\": \"EMA\", \"period\": 50, \"direction\": \"below\"}"
    }]
  }) { id name }
}

Crossover Strategies

Crossover strategies are among the most popular technical analysis approaches. PriceSignal supports two types:

1. Price-MA Crossover

Triggers when the price crosses above or below a moving average:

{
  "type": "price_ma",
  "ma_type": "EMA",
  "period": 20,
  "direction": "above"
}

Interpretation:

Bullish Signal: Price crosses above MA (upward momentum)
Bearish Signal: Price crosses below MA (downward momentum)

2. MA-MA Crossover

Triggers when a fast-moving average crosses a slow-moving average:

{
  "type": "ma_cross",
  "ma_type": "SMA",
  "fast_ma": 50,
  "slow_ma": 200,
  "direction": "above"
}

Famous Crossovers:

Golden Cross

50 MA crosses above 200 MAStrong bullish signal indicating potential long-term uptrend

Death Cross

50 MA crosses below 200 MAStrong bearish signal indicating potential long-term downtrend

Complete Crossover Example

mutation CreateGoldenCrossAlert {
  createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BTC Golden Cross"
    description: "Alert on bullish 50/200 SMA crossover"
    instrumentId: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"
    notificationChannel: "TELEGRAM"
    isEnabled: true
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "PRICE_CROSSOVER"
      value: 0
      additionalValues: "{\"type\": \"ma_cross\", \"ma_type\": \"SMA\", \"fast_ma\": 50, \"slow_ma\": 200, \"direction\": \"above\"}"
    }]
  }) {
    id
    name
    conditions {
      nodes {
        conditionType
        value
        additionalValues
      }
    }
  }
}

Indicator Calculation

All indicators are calculated using the battle-tested Skender.Stock.Indicators library, ensuring:

Accuracy: Industry-standard calculations
Performance: Optimized for real-time processing
Reliability: Extensively tested and validated

How Indicators Are Calculated

Price Collection: Historical prices are retrieved from the database
Period Validation: System ensures sufficient data points exist
Calculation: Indicator library processes the price series
Result Extraction: Latest indicator value is returned
Comparison: Value is compared against your configured threshold
Trigger: Rule triggers if condition is met

All calculations happen in real-time as new price data arrives.

Technical Requirements

Data Requirements: Each indicator needs a minimum number of historical data points:

RSI: period + 1 prices (15 for RSI-14)
SMA: period prices (50 for SMA-50)
EMA: period prices (20 for EMA-20)
Crossovers: Enough data for both moving averages

Rules won’t trigger until sufficient historical data exists.

Data Availability

Before creating indicator-based rules:

Ensure the instrument has been tracked for the required period
Consider creating a simple price alert first to verify data flow
Monitor the activation logs to confirm indicator calculations are working
Start with shorter periods during testing

Advanced Strategies

Multi-Indicator Confirmation

Create separate rules for different indicators and correlate their signals:

mutation CreateMultiIndicatorStrategy {
  # RSI oversold alert
  rsi: createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BTC RSI Oversold"
    instrumentId: "..."
    notificationChannel: "TELEGRAM"
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "TECHNICAL_INDICATOR"
      value: 30
      additionalValues: "{\"indicator\": \"RSI\", \"period\": 14, \"comparison\": \"below\"}"
    }]
  }) { id }
  
  # Price above 200 EMA (trend confirmation)
  ema: createPriceRule(input: {
    name: "BTC Above 200 EMA"
    instrumentId: "..."
    notificationChannel: "TELEGRAM"
    conditions: [{
      conditionType: "PRICE_CROSSOVER"
      value: 0
      additionalValues: "{\"type\": \"price_ma\", \"ma_type\": \"EMA\", \"period\": 200, \"direction\": \"above\"}"
    }]
  }) { id }
}

When both alerts trigger within a short timeframe, you have confirmed confluence: oversold RSI in an uptrend.

Period Optimization

Test different periods to find what works for your strategy:

Fast (High Frequency)
Standard (Balanced)
Slow (Low Frequency)

RSI: 7-9 period
EMA: 8-12 period
SMA: 10-20 period

Pros: Quick signals, catches short-term movesCons: More false signals, requires active monitoring

Always backtest your indicator settings on historical data before relying on them for trading decisions. What works for one asset may not work for another.

Best Practices

Start Simple: Begin with standard periods (RSI-14, 50/200 SMA)
Combine Indicators: Use multiple indicators for confirmation
Consider Timeframes: Match indicator periods to your trading style
Monitor Performance: Review activation logs to tune settings
Avoid Over-Optimization: Don’t curve-fit to historical data
Account for Volatility: Adjust thresholds for different market conditions

Technical indicators are tools, not crystal balls. Always use proper risk management and never rely on a single indicator for trading decisions.

Getting Started

Core Features

User Guides

Deployment

Supported Indicators

RSI

SMA

EMA

RSI (Relative Strength Index)

RSI Alert Example

RSI Configuration

SMA (Simple Moving Average)

SMA Usage

Common SMA Periods

EMA (Exponential Moving Average)

EMA vs SMA

SMA Characteristics

EMA Characteristics

EMA Alert Examples

Crossover Strategies

1. Price-MA Crossover

2. MA-MA Crossover

Golden Cross

Death Cross

Complete Crossover Example

Indicator Calculation

Technical Requirements

Data Availability

Advanced Strategies

Multi-Indicator Confirmation

Period Optimization

Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Core Features

User Guides

Deployment

​Supported Indicators

RSI

SMA

EMA

​RSI (Relative Strength Index)

​RSI Alert Example

​RSI Configuration

​SMA (Simple Moving Average)

​SMA Usage

​Common SMA Periods

​EMA (Exponential Moving Average)

​EMA vs SMA

SMA Characteristics

EMA Characteristics

​EMA Alert Examples

​Crossover Strategies

​1. Price-MA Crossover

​2. MA-MA Crossover

Golden Cross

Death Cross

​Complete Crossover Example

​Indicator Calculation

​Technical Requirements

​Data Availability

​Advanced Strategies

​Multi-Indicator Confirmation

​Period Optimization

​Best Practices

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Supported Indicators

RSI (Relative Strength Index)

RSI Alert Example

RSI Configuration

SMA (Simple Moving Average)

SMA Usage

Common SMA Periods

EMA (Exponential Moving Average)

EMA vs SMA

EMA Alert Examples

Crossover Strategies

1. Price-MA Crossover

2. MA-MA Crossover

Complete Crossover Example

Indicator Calculation

Technical Requirements

Data Availability

Advanced Strategies

Multi-Indicator Confirmation

Period Optimization

Best Practices