Installing a strategy in NinjaTrader 8 takes about five minutes. Here's the full process, plus fixes for the problems people hit most.
Import the strategy file
- Download the strategy .zip file. Don't unzip it.
- Open NinjaTrader 8 and go to Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On.
- Select the .zip and confirm. Restart NinjaTrader if asked.
Add it to a chart
- Open a chart for the instrument and timeframe the strategy is built for.
- Right-click the chart and choose Strategies.
- Find the strategy in the list and click Add.
- Set the account (start with Sim101), contract size and any limits.
- Tick Enabled and click OK.
Common problems
The strategy shows yellow and won't trade
It's waiting for your account position to match the strategy position. Flatten the account or change Start behavior to "Immediately submit".
Import failed: "contains programming errors"
Another add-on on your machine has a compile error. Open the NinjaScript Editor, press F5 and fix or remove the file it points to.
Nothing happens all session
Check that the chart timeframe and instrument match what the strategy expects, that you're connected to data, and that the session times are in your time zone.
Test before you go live
Run any new strategy on Sim101 for at least a week of live sessions before you trade it with real money.