Parabolic SAR Alert Indicator: Every Route Ships On

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 22 Jun 2026 · Last updated 9 Sep 2026

The parabolic sar alert indicator takes the standard study and builds an alert system around it. The dots change colour with the side they sit on. Every flip earns an arrow. Unusually, all four delivery routes ship switched on.

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	4: SAR Up, SAR Down, BUY, SELL
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	10

What the Parabolic sar alert Indicator draws on the chart

`SAR Up` draws dodger blue dots below price using code 159.

`SAR Down` draws orange red dots above it.

`BUY` uses arrow 233 and `SELL` uses 234 on the flip bar.

Marks sit `ArrowDistancePts` `12.0` points from the candle.

• SAR Up: arrow, dodger blue, width 1, arrow code 159
• SAR Down: arrow, orange red, width 1, arrow code 159
• BUY: arrow, lime, width 3, arrow code 233
• SELL: arrow, red, width 3, arrow code 234

How the Parabolic sar alert Indicator calculates its values

The terminal supplies the dots

iSAR runs at `SAR_Step` `0.02` and `SAR_Max` `0.20`, which are Wilder’s published figures. Whether the value sits above or below the close decides which dot buffer gets it.

A flip is a change of side

The code compares the side on this bar against the side on the previous one. When they differ, the trend has reversed and an arrow fills. Nothing else counts as a signal.

Confirmation spaces the marks

`ConfirmationBars` `1` sets the minimum distance between events. At one it barely filters, since two flips in consecutive bars are rare anyway. Raising it removes the closest pairs.

How to read the signals

Dot colour tells you the current side without counting positions.

An arrow marks the exact bar where the side changed.

The dots keep drawing between flips, so the trail is continuous.

Standard step settings here, unlike some other builds in this library.

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

This build is unusual. `EnableAlerts`, `EnablePopup`, `EnablePushNotify`, `EnableEmail` and `EnableSound` all arrive true, so a fresh install alerts on four routes at once. Turn off what you do not want before leaving it running.

Every Parabolic sar alert Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
SAR_Step	SAR Step (acceleration). Acceleration added at each new extreme, default `0.02`.	0.02
SAR_Max	SAR Maximum acceleration. Ceiling on that acceleration, default `0.20`.	0.20
ConfirmationBars	Bars to confirm a flip. Minimum bars between two flip events, default `1`.	1

Display settings

Setting	What it does	Default
ArrowDistancePts	Arrow offset in points. Points between a mark and the candle, default `12.0`.	12.0

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	Master alert toggle. Master toggle over every route, default `true`.	on
EnablePopup	Popup alerts. Popup in the terminal, default `true`.	on
EnablePushNotify	Mobile push notifications. Push to the mobile app, default `true`.	on
EnableEmail	Email alerts. Mail from the terminal, default `true`.	on
EnableSound	Sound alerts. Sound clip on a flip, default `true`.	on
SoundFile	Sound file. Which clip plays, default `”alert.wav”`.	alert.wav

Settings that fit your chart

Standard settings suit a trending chart. EURUSD H1 is the reference chart, where flips arrive every day or two. On M5 they come constantly and the alerts become noise. H4 and daily give a handful a month.

When the Parabolic sar alert Indicator fails

All four routes ship on, so a fresh install will mail and buzz you on every flip.

The study is always in the market, so a flip is an exit and an entry at once.

Sideways conditions produce flips that reverse almost immediately.

Copy the compiled Parabolic sar 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 Parabolic sar alert Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled Parabolic sar 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

Do all the alert routes really ship on?

Yes, which is unusual and worth knowing. `EnablePushNotify`, `EnableEmail` and `EnableSound` are all true out of the box. Most builds ship those three off, so check them before you leave it running.

What does ConfirmationBars 1 actually filter?

Very little at the default. It sets the minimum gap between two flip events, and consecutive-bar flips are rare in the study anyway. Raise it to three or four if you want the tightest reversals removed.

How does SAR_Step 0.02 compare to other builds?

It matches what Wilder published, with `SAR_Max` at 0.20. Some builds here ship faster figures, which trail tighter and flip more often. This one keeps the original behaviour.

Why do SAR Up and SAR Down both exist?

So the colour can change with the side. `SAR Up` takes the value when it sits below the close and `SAR Down` takes it when above, which lets you read the current trend without measuring against price.

Are results guaranteed?

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