Pivot Order Block Indicator for MT4 and MT5

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 22 Jun 2026 · Last updated 24 Sep 2026

Order blocks often sit right at the swing that started a move. The pivot order block indicator waits for a swing pivot with five bars on each side, finds the last opposite candle leading into it, and boxes that candle as a block. When price later returns to the box and holds, it marks a retest.

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: Pivot High, Pivot Low, OB Buy, OB Sell
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	13

Which plots exist

Boxes, pivot dots and two marks on price.

`Pivot High` dots orange red above swing highs.

`Pivot Low` dots deep sky blue below swing lows.

`InpBullOBColor` `clrLimeGreen` outlines demand boxes.

`OB Buy` prints lime at width 3 on a retest.

`OB Sell` prints red at width 3 on a retest.

• Pivot High: arrow, orange red, width 1, arrow code 119
• Pivot Low: arrow, deep sky blue, width 1, arrow code 119
• OB Buy: arrow, lime, width 3, arrow code 233
• OB Sell: arrow, red, width 3, arrow code 234

How each value gets built

Pivots

`InpPivotLen` `5` bars on each side must stay above a low for it to count as a swing low.

Block candle

The last bearish candle leading into that low becomes a demand block. Swing highs mirror this with the last bullish candle.

Retest

A later bar whose low returns into the block, within 0.15 of a range, and closes above its bottom prints a buy. Blocks expire after `InpOBMaxAge` `100` bars.

Getting a read from it

Dots show every confirmed pivot.

Green boxes are demand, crimson boxes supply.

Lime marks sit under retests that held.

Retests only count after the pivot confirms.

Blocks drop out after a hundred bars.

Warm-up needs about fifteen bars.

Alert channels in this build: popup, push notification, email and sound.

Retests report once per closed bar through `InpEnableAlerts`. The popup and the sound playing `InpSoundFile` start switched on; mobile and email start off.

Every Pivot Order Block Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
InpPivotLen	Pivot lookback (bars each side). Bars on each side of a pivot, `5`.	5
InpOBMaxAge	Max OB age in bars. Bars a block stays live, `100`.	100
InpRetestATR	Retest distance (x ATR). Retest distance in ranges, `1`.	1
InpATRPeriod	ATR period. Range window, `14`.	14

Display settings

Setting	What it does	Default
InpShowBoxes	Draw OB rectangles. Draw block boxes, `true`.	on
InpBullOBColor	Demand box colour, `clrLimeGreen`.	lime green
InpBearOBColor	Supply box colour, `clrCrimson`.	crimson

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
InpEnableAlerts	Master alert switch, `true`.	on
InpEnablePopup	Popup, `true`.	on
InpEnablePush	(see inputs panel)	off
InpEnableEmail	(see inputs panel)	off
InpEnableSound	Sound, ships on, `true`.	on
InpSoundFile	(see inputs panel)	alert.wav

Choosing well

Five-bar pivots give a few blocks a day on the hourly EURUSD screenshot. On M15 blocks crowd the chart. On H4 each block anchors a real swing.

What it misses

Blocks depend on pivots that confirm five bars late.

Many retests fail in a strong trend.

One swing can create overlapping boxes.

The sound route ships on.

Copy the compiled Pivot Order Block 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.

Related on forexmt4systems.com: Pivot Point Strategy.

Download the Pivot Order Block Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled Pivot Order Block 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

Which candle becomes the block at a Pivot Low?

The last bearish candle leading into the swing low, found within a few bars before it. That down candle is where sellers made their final push before the turn.

What counts as an OB Buy retest?

A later bar whose low comes back into the demand box, allowing 0.15 of a range, and closes above the box bottom. The build accepts blocks between six and one hundred bars old.

Why does InpPivotLen 5 delay the blocks?

A pivot needs five closed bars on each side before it counts. The build stores the block behind it only once the pivot confirms, so boxes appear five bars after the turn.

What does InpOBMaxAge 100 remove?

Blocks older than a hundred bars. A return to an old block no longer produces a mark, since the order flow that created it has long gone by then.

Are results guaranteed?

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