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Before you start
Four quick things. Tick them as you go.
Words you'll see. Sim = practice account with pretend money. Chart = prices drawn over time. Control Center = NinjaTrader's main window. We'll point to each one.
Guide · NinjaTrader 8 · about 20 minutes
Get NinjaTrader and a Sim account.One calm step at a time.
By the end, NinjaTrader 8 is installed, connected to free data, and showing your first chart on a practice account. Sim accounts use pretend money, so nothing here can cost you anything. Take your time. There's no wrong speed.
~20 minstart to finish
7 stepstick each one off
Sim onlypretend money
Freeto download and try
✓
You can't break anything doing this.
You're installing a normal Windows program and using its practice account. No money moves and no broker is involved. If a step doesn't look like the picture, that's normal: open the "Not seeing it?" box under it.
1
Download NinjaTrader 8
From NinjaTrader's own website.
- Open NinjaTrader's download page Affiliate.
- Choose the NinjaTrader 8 download for Windows. It's free to download and use on a simulated account.
- Wait for the installer to finish downloading. It lands in your Downloads folder.
About that link. It's an affiliate link: if you later buy something from NinjaTrader we may be paid, and it costs you nothing extra. The software is NinjaTrader's, not ours.
Not seeing it?
I can't find the installer. Press Ctrl + J in your browser to open your downloads list, then click the folder icon.
Windows says the download might be unsafe. Make sure you are on NinjaTrader's own website, then choose Keep.
It asks for an email. That's from NinjaTrader, not us. Use your own.
2
Install it
Like any Windows program.
- Double-click the installer in your Downloads folder.
- Follow the screens. The standard choices are fine.
- Restart your PC if it asks.
If it asks to install extra pieces (Windows components NinjaTrader needs), say yes. They're part of the program.
Not seeing it?
Windows asks if you trust this app. Choose Yes once you've checked it came from NinjaTrader's own website.
The install stops with an error. Restart the PC and run the installer again. If it still stops, tell us the message or contact NinjaTrader support.
3
Connect to free data
So your charts have prices.
- Open NinjaTrader. The main window is the Control Center.
- Open the Connections menu.
- Choose a free feed such as Kinetick - End Of Day. Names can differ slightly between versions.
Kinetick end-of-day data is free. Kinetick's page explains how to set it up.
| Menu | Choose |
|---|---|
| Connections | Kinetick - End Of Day |
| Status | Connected |
Connected to a free feed
End-of-day data isn't live. It updates once a day, which is plenty for learning and for reading history. Live prices come from a paid feed or a broker, and aren't needed for this guide.
Not seeing it?
I can't see a Connections menu. It's in the Control Center (the main window), not inside a chart.
It asks me to sign in or register for the feed. That's the data provider, not us. Follow its screens, or skip the feed for now and come back.
4
Find your Sim account
It's already there. Nothing to create.
- In the Control Center, open the Accounts tab.
- Look in Display name. You should see Sim101.
- Want a second one for copying later? Add Sim102 there too (right-click → add).
| Connection | Display name | Cash value |
|---|---|---|
| Playback Connection | Sim101 | $100,000.00 |
| Playback Connection | Sim102 | $100,000.00 |
These are your practice accounts
Example amounts. Your own Sim balance may differ. It's pretend money either way.
Not seeing it?
The Accounts tab is empty. Make sure you connected in step 3. Sim accounts appear once a connection is up.
I don't see Sim101. Check the Display name column, and widen the window if it's cut off.
5
Open your first chart
Prices drawn over time.
- In the Control Center choose New → Chart.
- Pick an instrument, for example the one you plan to trade, and press OK.
- Set the bar type to Minute if you plan to add PFX SLM later. A value of 3 gives a 3-minute chart.
| Setting | Choose |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Your market |
| Bar type | Minute · 3 |
Your first chart opens
With end-of-day data a minute chart may show little or nothing. That's the data, not you. Try a Daily bar to see prices straight away.
Not seeing it?
The chart is blank. Check you're connected (step 3) and try a Daily bar. Minute bars need a feed that provides them.
I can't find the instrument. Type the symbol into the instrument box and pick it from the list.
6
Know your next step
Pick what you want to do next.
- Add PFX SLM to draw structure and signal levels on your chart.
- Connect your journal so every fill logs itself.
- Set up PFX Copier to copy one account onto others (needs a second Sim account).
Well done! You now have a working NinjaTrader on a practice account. Everything else builds on this.
Your safety nets
Three ways to stay safe.Always available.
Nothing here can trade real money. Press the switch to see what disconnecting does.
1
Stay on Sim
Sim accounts use pretend money. Keep using them until you trust a tool. A real account is a separate, deliberate step.
2
Close the window
Closing a chart or NinjaTrader stops everything on it. You can always reopen it.
3
Disconnect
Open the Connections menu and disconnect. Prices stop arriving. Your charts and Sim accounts stay exactly as they were.
Disconnected. Prices stop. Your charts and Sim accounts are untouched.
Data feed live
!
Before you ever use a real account
Practice results aren't real results. Fills, delays and costs differ with real money. Trade small, learn the platform, and read NinjaTrader's and your broker's own rules first.
All done
You're set up.Nicely done.
Next: add a PFX tool to your chart, one at a time.
Risk warning: Futures trading carries a high risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. NinjaTrader is a registered trademark of NinjaTrader Group, LLC; PrecisionFX is not affiliated with or endorsed by NinjaTrader.