CCI Channel Indicator: Six Levels, Four Nested Lines

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 3 Jun 2026 · Last updated 9 Sep 2026

The cci channel indicator turns one reading into a set of nested channels. The same 14-bar CCI feeds four plots. Reference levels sit at 100, 200 and 300 either side, so how far the reading has travelled reads at a glance.

This build ships as a compiled .ex4 for MT4 and .ex5 for MT5; the screenshots below come from EURUSD H1.

Platforms	MT4 (.ex4) + MT5 (.ex5)
Chart window	Separate window (levels 100 / -100 / 200 / -200 / 300 / -300)
Plots	4: CCI Inner, CCI Middle, CCI Outer, CCI Extreme
Alerts	popup, push notification, email
Inputs	5

What the Cci Channel Indicator draws on the chart

`CCI Inner` runs lime and marks the innermost band.

`CCI Middle` runs orange and `CCI Outer` runs red.

`CCI Extreme` runs magenta at the widest band.

Six reference levels sit at 100, 200 and 300 on both sides of zero.

• CCI Inner: line, lime, width 2
• CCI Middle: line, orange, width 2
• CCI Outer: line, red, width 2
• CCI Extreme: line, magenta, width 2

How the Cci Channel Indicator calculates its values

One reading, four plots

iCCI runs once at `CciPeriod` `14` on typical price. All four buffers derive from that single value, so the bands can never contradict each other.

The levels do the work

CCI has no fixed bounds, so 100 and 300 mean very different things. Drawing six levels turns an open-ended number into a scale you can read without measuring.

Alerts watch two thresholds

A message fires when the reading crosses 200 or 300 in either direction. The check compares the last two completed bars, so a value already beyond a level produces nothing new.

How to read the signals

Readings past 100 are common, and past 300 are rare.

`CCI Extreme` reaching magenta territory usually marks a strong move rather than an ending one.

The reading is unbounded, so there is no ceiling to lean on.

Typical price feeds the calculation, meaning high plus low plus close over three.

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

Three routes only. `EnableAlerts` heads them and arrives true with `EnablePopup`. `EnablePush` covers a handset and `EnableEmail` covers mail, both starting false. Crossings of 200 and 300 are what raise a message, once per closed bar.

Every Cci Channel Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
CciPeriod	CCI calculation period. Bars in the reading, default `14`.	14

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	alert on outer band crossings. Overall control of the three routes, default `true`.	on
EnablePopup	popup alert. Terminal window on a band crossing, default `true`.	on
EnablePush	push notification. Handset message on a band crossing, default `false`.	off
EnableEmail	email alert. Mail on a band crossing, default `false`.	off

Settings that fit your chart

An unbounded reading behaves similarly across instruments. EURUSD H1 is the reference chart, where a visit past 300 happens a few times a month. On M5 the extremes arrive weekly. Daily bars make them rare events.

When the Cci Channel Indicator fails

CCI has no upper limit, so a strong trend can park the reading past 300 for a long stretch.

This build carries fewer delivery routes than most tools in the library.

Four nested lines from one value can look busier than the information warrants.

Copy the compiled Cci Channel 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 Cci Channel Indicator: Commodity Channel Index CCI at StockCharts ChartSchool, Keltner channel on Wikipedia.

Download the Cci Channel Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled Cci Channel 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

What price does CciPeriod 14 read?

Typical price is high plus low plus close over three, which is how Donald Lambert defined the study. Using it rather than the close alone means each bar contributes its whole range to the reading.

What does the CCI Extreme band mark?

The widest of the four plots, drawn in magenta. It comes from the same reading as the other three, so it exists to make a very stretched value obvious rather than to add new information.

Which levels trigger an alert?

Two hundred and three hundred, in both directions. The hundred level gets drawn for reference but raises nothing, which keeps the messages down to genuinely stretched readings.

Which routes does EnableAlerts cover?

Three. `EnablePopup` gives the terminal window, `EnablePush` reaches a handset and `EnableEmail` sends mail. Those are the only delivery options this build carries, so watch the terminal alerts tab as well.

Are results guaranteed?

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