MT4 Alligator Alert Indicator: Jaw, Teeth And Lips

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 16 Jun 2026 · Last updated 9 Sep 2026

The mt4 alligator alert indicator draws the three shifted averages Bill Williams described, then watches for the moment they line up. Jaw runs at 13 bars pushed 8 forward, Teeth at 8 pushed 5, and Lips at 5 pushed 3. A stack in either direction places an arrow and raises an alert.

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	Main price chart
Plots	5: Jaw, Teeth, Lips, Buy, Sell
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	13

What the Mt4 alligator alert Indicator draws on the chart

Jaw is the dodger blue line, slowest of the three.

Teeth is the red line sitting in the middle.

Lips is the lime line and reacts fastest.

Buy and Sell place lime and red arrows offset by `ArrowOffsetPts` points from the bar.

• Jaw: line, dodger blue, width 2
• Teeth: line, red, width 2
• Lips: line, lime, width 2
• Buy: arrow, lime, width 3, arrow code 233
• Sell: arrow, red, width 3, arrow code 234

How the Mt4 alligator alert Indicator calculates its values

Building the three smoothed averages

Each line uses a smoothed moving average at `JawPeriod` `13`, `TeethPeriod` `8` and `LipsPeriod` `5`. Those are the classic lengths. Smoothed averaging sits between a simple and an exponential average, which is what gives the lines their slow, rolling shape.

Applying the forward shifts

`JawShift` `8`, `TeethShift` `5` and `LipsShift` `3` push each line forward in time. The code reads the source value at i plus the shift, so what you see at the current bar was calculated some bars back. That staggering is what makes the three lines separate cleanly when a trend starts.

Detecting the stack

A bullish stack needs Lips above Teeth and Teeth above Jaw. The bearish case is the mirror. The code also reads the previous bar, so an arrow marks the bar where the order first became correct rather than every bar of the trend. Buy writes low minus the offset and Sell writes high plus it.

How to read the signals

Three lines twisted together mean no trend, which is the sleeping phase.

Lines fanning apart in the right order mean the stack has formed.

The arrow marks the first bar of the stack, not the best entry.

Watch the gap between Lips and Teeth, because it closes before the stack breaks.

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

`EnableAlerts` ships on with `EnablePopup`, `EnablePushNotify` and `EnableSound` true and `EnableEmail` false. `SoundFile` names the clip. The check reads bar 1, so one message follows each closed bar.

Every Mt4 alligator alert Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
JawPeriod	Jaw period (SMMA). Slow line length, default `13`.	13
JawShift	Jaw forward shift. Forward displacement of the slow line, default `8`.	8
TeethPeriod	Teeth period (SMMA). Middle line length, default `8`.	8
TeethShift	Teeth forward shift. Forward displacement of the middle line, default `5`.	5
LipsPeriod	Lips period (SMMA). Fast line length, default `5`.	5
LipsShift	Lips forward shift. Forward displacement of the fast line, default `3`.	3

Display settings

Setting	What it does	Default
ArrowOffsetPts	Arrow offset (points). Arrow clearance from the bar in points, default `30`.	30

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	Master alert switch. Master alert switch, default `true`.	on
EnablePopup	Popup alert. Terminal popup, default `true`.	on
EnablePushNotify	Push notification. Mobile push, default `true`.	on
EnableEmail	Email alert. Mail delivery, default `false`.	off
EnableSound	Sound alert. Sound playback, default `true`.	on
SoundFile	Clip played when sound is on, default `alert.wav`.	alert.wav

Settings that fit your chart

This tool was built for trending markets and shows it. EURUSD H1 is the reference chart, where `JawPeriod` `13` plus `JawShift` `8` covers most of a day. On M5 the three lines cross constantly and a stack rarely lasts. H4 and daily suit the lengths best, because a stack there tends to hold for a while.

When the Mt4 alligator alert Indicator fails

Smoothed averages lag by design, so the stack forms well after a move begins.

The forward shift means the line at the current bar rests on older data, which feels wrong until you expect it.

In a range the three lines cross repeatedly and produce arrows in both directions.

Copy the compiled Mt4 alligator 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.

Download the Mt4 alligator alert Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled Mt4 alligator 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

What do JawPeriod, TeethPeriod and LipsPeriod set?

The three smoothed average lengths, at `13`, `8` and `5`. Those are the original numbers for this tool. Jaw is the slow line, Teeth sits in the middle and Lips reacts fastest. Change them together if you change them at all, since the stack test depends on their ordering.

Why does JawShift push the line forward?

Because these lines are meant to be read ahead of price. `JawShift` at `8` displaces the slow line eight bars to the right, `TeethShift` five and `LipsShift` three. That staggering is what makes the three separate visibly when a trend begins, rather than overlapping in a knot.

What must Lips, Teeth and Jaw do for a Buy?

On the first bar where Lips sits above Teeth and Teeth above Jaw, having not been in that order on the bar before. The mark lands at low minus `ArrowOffsetPts` points, which defaults to `30`. It records the formation of the stack, not the start of the move.

Does H4 suit JawPeriod better than M5?

H1 works and is the reference chart, though H4 fits the lengths better. On M5 the three lines cross so often that a stack rarely survives more than a few bars. The longer the timeframe, the more clearly the quiet and trending phases separate.

Are results guaranteed?

No. Trading involves risk. Results are not guaranteed; past performance is not indicative of future results. Use the Mt4 alligator alert Indicator as one input. Always backtest before trading live.