4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator: Four Pivot Depths

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 21 May 2026 · Last updated 9 Sep 2026

The 4 level zz semafor alert indicator grades swings instead of treating them all alike. Four fractal tests run at once, from a two-bar pivot to a twelve-bar one. Each level gets its own colour and its own height.

This build ships as a compiled .ex4 for MT4 and .ex5 for MT5; the screenshots below come from EURUSD H4.

Platforms	MT4 (.ex4) + MT5 (.ex5)
Chart window	Main price chart
Plots	8: L1 Hi, L1 Lo, L2 Hi, L2 Lo, L3 Hi, L3 Lo, L4 Hi, L4 Lo
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	11

What the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator draws on the chart

`L1 Hi` and `L1 Lo` mark the shallowest pivots in light yellow.

`L2 Hi` and `L2 Lo` use light green at `Level2Depth` `4`.

`L3 Hi` and `L3 Lo` use light coral, and `L4 Hi` and `L4 Lo` use deep pink.

Each level sits further from the candle, at one to four times `OffsetPoints` `25`.

• L1 Hi: arrow, light yellow, width 1
• L1 Lo: arrow, light yellow, width 1
• L2 Hi: arrow, light green, width 2
• L2 Lo: arrow, light green, width 2
• L3 Hi: arrow, light coral, width 3
• L3 Lo: arrow, light coral, width 3
• L4 Hi: arrow, deep pink, width 4
• L4 Lo: arrow, deep pink, width 4

How the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator calculates its values

Four independent fractal tests

Depths run `Level1Depth` `2`, `Level2Depth` `4`, `Level3Depth` `7` and `Level4Depth` `12`. A bar can satisfy several at once, which is exactly when it matters most.

Height encodes importance

A level one mark sits twenty-five points away and a level four mark sits a hundred. Stacking them means a major pivot shows several markers at increasing distance.

Depth also sets the delay

A two-bar pivot confirms two bars later. A twelve-bar pivot needs twelve. So the shallow markers appear quickly and the deep ones arrive well after the turn.

How to read the signals

A pivot showing all four colours is the strongest turn on the chart.

A lone light yellow mark is a minor wiggle.

The deepest markers confirm last, so read them as history rather than signals.

The screenshot note picks H4, where swing structure reads cleanly.

Alert channels in this build: popup, push notification, email and sound, one message per closed bar.

`EnableAlerts` is the master toggle and starts true with `EnablePopup`. `EnablePushNotify` handles the handset, `EnableEmail` handles mail and `EnableSound` plays `SoundFile`. Those three begin false. A pivot reports once per closed bar.

Every 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
Level1Depth	Bars either side for the shallowest pivot, default `2`.	2
Level2Depth	Bars either side for the second level, default `4`.	4
Level3Depth	Bars either side for the third level, default `7`.	7
Level4Depth	Bars either side for the deepest pivot, default `12`.	12
OffsetPoints	Base gap between a mark and the candle, default `25`.	25

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	master toggle. Overall control of the four routes, default `true`.	on
EnablePopup	MT4 popup dialog. Terminal window on a new pivot, default `true`.	on
EnablePushNotify	mobile MT4 push notification. Handset message on a new pivot, default `false`.	off
EnableEmail	SMTP email (configure in MT4 Tools > Options > Email). Mail on a new pivot, default `false`.	off
EnableSound	play sound file from MT4/Sounds/. Clip on a new pivot, default `false`.	off
SoundFile	(see inputs panel)	alert.wav

Settings that fit your chart

The screenshot note picks EURUSD H4 for clean swing structure. On H1 the shallow levels fill the chart quickly. Higher timeframes suit this best, since a twelve-bar pivot then describes a genuinely large turn.

When the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator fails

A two-bar pivot marks almost every wiggle, so level one is noisy by design.

The deepest level confirms twelve bars late, which is a long wait.

Eight arrow plots on one chart is a lot of drawing.

Copy the compiled 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator file into your MQL4/Indicators folder, and the MT5 build into MQL5/Indicators, then restart the terminal and drag it onto a chart. The step-by-step guide with screenshots is at how to install MT4 and MT5 indicators.

Background reading on the method behind the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator: Volume–price trend on Wikipedia, Chande Trend Meter Ctm at StockCharts ChartSchool.

Download the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator build for MT4 and MT5, plus a short README. Compiled files only, no source. Enter your email below and the download link arrives in your inbox.

FAQ

Why does Level1Depth 2 produce so many marks?

A two-bar fractal only needs the bar to beat its immediate neighbours on each side. That happens constantly, so level one marks minor wiggles. It exists as context for the deeper levels rather than as a signal.

What does OffsetPoints 25 scale?

The base gap between a mark and its candle. Level one sits at twenty-five points, level two at fifty, and so on to a hundred at level four. That staircase is how the chart shows importance.

How late is a Level4Depth 12 pivot?

Twelve bars, always. The bar must beat twelve neighbours on each side, so twelve newer bars have to close first. On H4 that is two days after the turn actually happened.

Can one bar satisfy Level1Depth and Level4Depth?

Yes, and that is the most useful case. A genuine swing high often satisfies all four depths, so it shows four stacked markers at increasing distance from the candle.

Are results guaranteed?

No. Trading involves risk. Results are not guaranteed; past performance is not indicative of future results. Use the 4 Level ZZ Semafor Alert Indicator as one input. Always backtest before trading live.