Why Does the Sentiment Parameter Sometimes Sell Everything?

Fact checked by
Mike Christensen, CFOA
February 3, 2025
If sentiment = flat is sent, TradersPost closes all positions, ignoring quantity settings. To avoid this, traders should use “action = sell” with a specific quantity for partial exits.

In TradersPost, the sentiment parameter controls trade actions based on overall market positioning. If sentiment = flat is sent, the system closes the entire position, regardless of the specified quantity.

This happens because “flat” overrides any quantity instructions, as the system interprets it as an instruction to exit completely.

How to Prevent Accidental Full Exits

Use explicit “action” commands instead of sentiment

• Instead of relying on sentiment = flat, use “action = sell” with a specific quantity.

Understand TradingView Simulation Behavior

• The sentiment parameter was designed to match TradingView’s backtesting logic, but it may not always behave as expected in live trading.

Only use sentiment if it aligns with your strategy

• If partial position exits are required, manually specify action and quantity instead of using sentiment-based exits.

Key Takeaways

“Sentiment = flat” closes all positions, overriding any quantity settings.

• If partial exits are needed, avoid the sentiment parameter and use “action = sell” with a set quantity.

• Sentiment was designed to mimic TradingView’s simulation behavior, but traders can control execution more precisely by manually specifying orders.

Conclusion

To prevent accidentally closing all positions, traders should avoid using the sentiment parameter when precise trade management is required. Instead, manually set action and quantity to maintain full control over trade execution.

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