Learn how to create effective price alerts that notify you of important trading opportunities. This step-by-step tutorial covers creating your first alerts, avoiding alert fatigue, and building an alert strategy.
Time required: 10 minutes
Prerequisites: Stratify account with at least one watchlist
Let's say you're interested in buying AAPL if it pulls back to $175, and you want to be alerted if it breaks above $185. We'll set up both alerts step-by-step.
Set an alert to notify you when AAPL drops to your buy price:
If not in your watchlist, add it using the "+ Add Symbol" button
This opens the quick alert creation dialog
Alert Type
Select: Price Alert
Condition
Select: Below
Target Price
Enter: $175.00
Frequency
Select: Once (alert only once, then disable)
Notification Method
Check: ✓ Email and ✓ In-App
Note (Optional)
Enter: "Buy signal - consider 100 shares"
Success! You'll now receive a notification when AAPL drops to $175 or below. The alert appears in your Alerts page with "Active" status.
Now set an alert for when AAPL breaks above resistance:
Alert Type
Select: Price Alert
Condition
Select: Above
Target Price
Enter: $185.00
Frequency
Select: Once
Note
Enter: "Breakout signal - check volume"
Smart tip: Always add context notes. When the alert fires weeks later, you might forget why you set it. Notes like "breakout signal - check volume" remind you what action to take.
For more sophisticated alerts, use the advanced builder:
Symbol
Search and select: AAPL
Alert Type
Select: Technical Indicator
Indicator
Select: RSI (14-period)
Condition
Select: Below
Threshold
Enter: 30 (oversold level)
Frequency
Select: Daily (alert once per day if condition met)
Note
Enter: "Oversold - potential bounce setup"
Why this is better: Instead of watching RSI daily, you get notified only when oversold. Saves time and ensures you don't miss opportunities.
Go to Alerts section to see all your alerts organized by status:
Active
Currently monitoring
Triggered
Condition met
Paused
Temporarily disabled
Expired
Already triggered
Click the actions menu (⋮) next to any alert to:
Change the price threshold, notification settings, or notes without recreating the alert.
Temporarily stop monitoring. Useful during earnings or high volatility when you don't want notifications.
Copy to another symbol. Example: Copy AAPL entry alert to MSFT with a different price.
Permanently remove. Use pause if you might want it later - delete is permanent.
Don't just set random alerts. Create a systematic approach for each stock:
Let's say TSLA is currently at $210. Here's a complete alert strategy:
Entry Alert 1: Dip Buy
Price below $195 → "Strong support level - consider buying"
Entry Alert 2: Pullback Buy
Price below $205 AND RSI < 30 → "Oversold in uptrend - momentum setup"
Breakout Alert: Upside
Price above $220 AND Volume > 1.5x avg → "Breakout confirmed - momentum trade"
Stop Loss Alert: Risk Management
If you own at $210, set alert at $205 → "Stop loss level - consider exiting"
Take Profit Alert: Exit Target
If you own at $210, set alert at $221 → "Take profit target reached (+5%)"
Result: Complete coverage from entry through exit with 5 strategic alerts. You're notified at every important price level.
Set entry alerts to trigger once, then auto-disable. After you act on it, it's no longer relevant. Prevents repetitive notifications.
For ongoing conditions like "notify if RSI < 30", use daily frequency. You get one alert per day as long as condition holds.
For each entry alert (buy at $175), set a corresponding stop alert if you're wrong (sell at $170). Complete risk management.
Too many alerts = alert fatigue. Focus on your best 10-15 setups. Delete or pause lower-conviction alerts.
Every Sunday, review your alerts. Delete triggered/expired alerts, update prices based on new levels, pause alerts during earnings.
Don't just track prices - plan actions. "Buy 100 shares" or "Check volume before entering" gives you clear next steps.
Set multiple alerts at key technical levels:
Resistance: $200, $205, $210
Current: $195
Support: $190, $185, $180
→ 6 alerts cover all important levels
Alert on significant moves from a reference price:
Current: $100
+5% move → $105 (breakout alert)
+10% move → $110 (strong momentum)
-5% move → $95 (entry opportunity)
-10% move → $90 (strong buy signal)
Combine multiple conditions to filter noise:
Price above $180 AND
RSI < 70 AND
Volume > 1.5x average
→ High-quality breakout signal only
Too many alerts = you'll ignore them all. Here's how to keep alerts meaningful:
Alerting on every 0.5% move creates hundreds of useless alerts. Set meaningful thresholds: 3-5% for stable stocks, 8-10% for volatile ones.
Old alerts become irrelevant as prices change. Review weekly and delete/update outdated alerts. Fresh alerts = actionable alerts.
Focus alerts on your top 10-15 conviction setups. Having 50 active alerts means you don't actually have priorities.
Learn about all alert types, notification channels, and advanced features
Organize stocks and set alerts directly from your watchlists
Execute trades when your alerts trigger in paper trading
Open the alerts page and set up your alert strategy
