TradingView-specific operating skill. Use this with browser-operations, surfagent-perception, and surfagent-mcp-selection.

This skill teaches agents how to work TradingView without treating a live chart like a generic webpage, guessing at chart state, or claiming technical-analysis results without proof.

1. Use this skill for

• chart state inspection
• symbol, timeframe, and chart-type changes
• quote and OHLCV reads
• indicator and study-value inspection
• screenshots and export flows
• alert setup support
• drawing workflows
• Pine editor workflows
• watchlist reads and updates
• deciding when to use the TradingView adapter instead of generic browser control

2. Tool preference

Use this order:

• TradingView adapter state/data tools
• TradingView adapter action tools
• SurfAgent perception for visual confirmation
• targeted browser evaluation only when needed
• raw generic browser actions as fallback

Verdict: if the task is about chart state, market data, indicators, Pine, alerts, or drawings, the TradingView adapter should usually win.

3. TradingView truths that matter

TradingView is not a normal DOM-first app.

It has:

• chart widget state hidden behind app internals
• dynamic panes, dialogs, and side panels
• editor surfaces that are not plain textareas
• actions where a visible chart is not proof the requested state applied
• premium-gated features that can look like broken automation

Important: clicking around the UI is usually the dumbest path. If the adapter can read or set chart state directly, use it.

4. Core TradingView loop

Default loop:

• confirm TradingView is open and chart-ready
• read current chart state
• apply one chart change or extract one data view
• verify the changed state or rendered chart
• continue only if the chart settled into the expected mode

5. Verified chart workflow

Known-good pattern:

• run tv_health_check
• inspect tv_chart_state
• set symbol, timeframe, or chart type with adapter verbs
• re-read tv_chart_state
• if the task is visual, capture tv_screenshot or use perception
• if the task is analytical, pull tv_quote, tv_ohlcv, tv_indicators, or tv_study_values

Do not claim a chart change succeeded from navigation alone.

6. Proof rules

For TradingView, success requires evidence from the right layer.

• state proof

- tv_health_check says TradingView is open and chart-ready - tv_chart_state shows the expected symbol, interval, or chart type

• data proof

- quote, OHLCV, indicator, study, alert, drawing, or watchlist output matches the requested target

• visual proof when the task is visual

- tv_screenshot, tv_export_image, or perception confirms the rendered chart or dialog

Good proof examples:

• timeframe change verified by tv_chart_state
• support line creation verified by tv_drawings_list plus screenshot
• Pine compile verified by compile result and error-free editor state
• alert setup verified by visible alert dialog or tv_alert_list

Bad proof:

• page loaded
• click succeeded
• a toolbar button existed
• no exception was thrown

7. When to use the TradingView adapter

Prefer the TradingView adapter for:

• opening TradingView
• health/readiness checks
• chart state reads
• symbol, timeframe, and chart-type changes
• price and OHLCV extraction
• indicator and study-value reads
• chart screenshots and export attempts
• alert listing and alert-dialog opening
• drawing creation/listing/clearing
• Pine editor open, source set, compile, and error inspection
• watchlist reads and watchlist add flows

Current adapter verbs include:

• tv_health_check
• tv_open
• tv_chart_state
• tv_set_symbol
• tv_set_timeframe
• tv_set_chart_type
• tv_quote
• tv_ohlcv
• tv_indicators
• tv_study_values
• tv_screenshot
• tv_export_image
• tv_alert_list
• tv_alert_create
• tv_draw_horizontal
• tv_drawings_list
• tv_drawings_clear
• tv_pine_open_editor
• tv_pine_set_source
• tv_pine_compile
• tv_pine_get_errors
• tv_watchlist
• tv_watchlist_add

8. When generic browser control is still acceptable

Use targeted browser control when:

• you need a one-off UI probe the adapter does not expose
• you must inspect a premium/paywall/modal surface visually
• you need narrow confirmation of a rendered label, menu, or pane
• the adapter returned ambiguous state and a screenshot can settle it

Even then:

• keep the scope narrow
• do not rediscover chart state from scratch if adapter state exists
• return to adapter-level proof after the UI step when possible

9. Chart workflows

Symbol/timeframe/chart type

Use:

• tv_chart_state
• tv_set_symbol or tv_set_timeframe or tv_set_chart_type
• tv_chart_state again
• optional screenshot if the chart appearance matters

Data extraction

Use:

• tv_chart_state
• tv_quote or tv_ohlcv
• tv_indicators or tv_study_values if the task depends on studies

Visual chart evidence

Use:

• adapter state/data first
• tv_screenshot for browser render proof
• tv_export_image when native export quality matters and the flow is supported

10. Pine workflows

Use the adapter, not raw typing, for Pine work.

Default loop:

• tv_pine_open_editor
• tv_pine_set_source
• tv_pine_compile
• tv_pine_get_errors
• screenshot or perception if the rendered study placement matters

Proof standard:

• source actually set
• compile attempted
• error state captured
• if successful, resulting indicator/study is visible in chart state or chart render

11. Alerts and drawings

For alerts:

• use tv_alert_list to inspect current state
• use tv_alert_create to open the flow
• verify the dialog or resulting alert state visibly
• do not pretend the alert is fully created if the UI still needs human confirmation

For drawings:

• use tv_draw_horizontal for support/resistance style actions
• verify with tv_drawings_list
• add screenshot proof when line placement matters

12. Common blockers

Watch for:

• TradingView tab not open
• chart widget not ready yet
• wrong symbol namespace or malformed ticker
• delayed chart settlement after symbol/timeframe changes
• paywalled indicators or alerts
• editor panel not actually open
• compile errors in Pine
• modal or side-panel state obscuring the chart
• stale or poisoned tab after retries

When blocked:

• name the blocker plainly
• say whether it is retryable, adapter-gap, account-tier-limited, or human-blocked
• do not quietly downgrade the proof bar

13. Token-efficiency rules for TradingView

Prefer:

• adapter state over DOM scraping
• adapter market data over screenshot-reading for numeric values
• one post-action verification read over repeated broad chart probes
• screenshots only when a visual claim must be proven

Avoid:

• giant DOM dumps for chart data
• reading candles from pixels when tv_ohlcv exists
• clicking through menus to discover state already exposed by the adapter
• repeated full visual passes when a state re-read would prove the change faster

14. Minimal TradingView checklist

Before claiming a TradingView task done, confirm:

• correct tab
• chart ready
• correct symbol/timeframe/chart type
• requested action executed
• adapter state or data confirms it
• visual proof captured if the task was visual
• blockers, limits, or human-confirm steps called out explicitly

15. Relationship to other docs

Use alongside:

• browser-operations for universal browser rules
• surfagent-perception for screenshots and visual state diffing
• surfagent-mcp-selection for layer choice discipline
• the surfagent-tradingview adapter docs for concrete MCP setup and verb behavior