How I Use TradingView to Uncover High-Probability Swing Trades — A practical guide to building a cleaner, smarter, and more effective charting workflow
- Kavita Agrawal
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 25
The Essential TradingView Setup for Swing Traders
Introduction: A Journey to Clarity in Trading
When I first started trading, I used TradingView like most beginners—sticking to default templates, adding too many indicators, and creating excessive screen clutter. Over time, I realized that a chart is not just a space to observe prices; it reflects how you think about trading. Once I cleaned up my layouts and streamlined my tools, my perspective changed dramatically. The clarity I gained was remarkable.
This guide shares the exact setup I now use for swing trading on TradingView. I'll explain what I changed, why I made those changes, and how these adjustments have boosted both my conviction and clarity in trading.
1. Cleaning the Canvas: My Workspace Setup
Dark Mode Isn’t Just Aesthetic—It’s Essential
The first significant change I made was switching to a black chart background. It may sound trivial, but after hours of analyzing candles, your eyes will appreciate the reduction in strain. I learned this lesson the hard way. After an intense week of charting, my vision blurred for three days, and I developed a small blood vessel in my eye.
⚠️ Pro tip: Overexposure to bright charts without taking breaks can lead to dry eyes, headaches, and long-term fatigue. Prioritize clarity over color.

2. The Power of Fractals: Why I Always Use Multiple Timeframes
Trends don’t exist in isolation; they unfold in a fractal manner across various timeframes. Hence, I never analyze a single chart. Instead, I utilize a multi-chart layout that includes:
Weekly chart: This helps me understand the macro perspective.
Daily chart: It aligns with the prevailing swing trend.
75-minute chart: I use this for precise entry and exit timing.
When all three timeframes align, I feel more confident in my trades.

3. Why Log Scale is My Default
For stocks that experience exponential moves, using a linear scale can obscure critical details. Therefore, I always switch to a logarithmic scale. This enables me to view price action relative to percentage changes, which is crucial when analyzing long-term trends.
“The log scale reveals the rhythm of the move. Without it, trendlines can deceive you.”
4. My Core Indicator Set (and Why I Use So Few)
I don’t subscribe to the idea of cluttering charts with ten indicators. I focus on three, each serving a specific purpose.
4.1 RSI: The Psychology Beneath the Price
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a powerful tool that reveals emotional rhythms in trading. I use it to identify overbought or oversold conditions and to read the power shift between bullish and bearish sentiment.
By utilizing a 25-period RSI, a custom adjustment from the default 14, I can filter out noise while accurately reflecting trend-based ranges.
“RSI doesn’t just tell you what’s happened—it whispers what’s building.”


4.2 EMAs: Why I Use the 20, 100, and 250
My preferred exponential moving averages (EMAs) are the 20, 100, and 250-day averages:
20 EMA: Indicates the short-term trend.
100 EMA: Reflects the mid-trend structure.
250 EMA: Provides a smooth, long-term reference.
While many traders use the 200 EMA, I prefer the 250 because it filters out more noise and tends to align better with both SMA and EMA watchers.
Crucially, I don't recalculate EMAs on every timeframe. Instead, I overlay Daily EMAs on my 75-minute and weekly charts for consistency. This helps avoid misleading duplicates, like when the 100 EMA on the 75-minute chart looks identical to the 20 EMA on the daily chart.

4.3 MACD on Volume: The Twist That Changed How I Read Participation
Instead of using MACD to analyze price, I apply it to volume.
Here’s my setup:
Source: Volume
Fast Length: 100
Slow Length: 20
Smoothing: 9
This configuration reveals volume momentum, indicating how aggressively buyers or sellers are entering the market relative to recent behavior. It's one of my favorite methods to confirm conviction behind a move.
“If the price is pushing higher but the volume MACD is weakening, I take a step back. But if both move in sync, I lean in.”
5. Common Mistakes I See (And Avoid)
Through my experience, I’ve noted several mistakes traders often make:
📉 Using arithmetic scale on long-term charts.
📊 Randomly switching indicator settings across timeframes.
🧩 Cluttering charts with conflicting tools.
🔍 Ignoring alignment across timeframes.
6. Final Thoughts: TradingView as an Extension of Your Thinking
Your chart layout reflects your mental framework. It should be clear, purposeful, and aligned with how you process information. My TradingView setup has evolved over time, not just to help me perceive the market, but to help me trust what I see.
“Clean charts. Consistent tools. Clear signals. That’s where confidence begins.”
✅ Want More?
I share real-time setups, trades, and advanced breakdowns in my Trade Together Program: https://exp-invest.in/subscription
I also share educational videos on using technical analysis for swing trading. You can join me for my 100 days of Stock Analysis Series on YouTube.
Join my Telegram channel for regular and quality Stock Market Updates.
Thanks for reading!
-Kavita Agrawal
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