Introducing Continuous Contracts with CrossTrade
CrossTrade now supports continuous contracts like ES1!—no more updating alerts on every rollover. Just set it once, and we’ll handle the rest. Available in XT Add-On v1.8.3 and up.
Managing futures contracts with CrossTrade just got a whole lot easier!
We’re excited to announce support for Continuous Contracts in the latest version of the XT Add-On (v1.8.3+). If you’ve ever been frustrated by having to update your TradingView alerts every time a contract rolls, this update is for you.
What Are Continuous Contracts?
A continuous contract is a non-tradable, synthetic symbol that always points to the active, front-month futures contract. It’s what traders often use when viewing long-term charts on platforms like TradingView.
For example, ES1! currently maps to the ES 09-25 contract. When the December contract becomes the new front-month, ES1! will automatically update to represent ES 12-25. No manual intervention needed. Just keep using ES1!, and we'll take care of the rest behind the scenes.
Why It Matters
Up until now, any time a futures contract expired, users needed to edit their alert messages with the new contract month. That’s fine if you only trade one instrument—but a major headache if you manage a portfolio or run multiple strategies. With this release, you can set your alerts once and let CrossTrade dynamically map to the correct contract using NinjaTrader’s built-in rollover logic.
How to Use It
Here’s an example of a continuous contract command payload:
key=your-secret-key;
command=PLACE;
account=Sim101;
instrument=ES1!; ⬅️
action=BUY;
qty=1;
order_type=MARKET;
TIF=DAY;
You can use continuous formats for ES, NQ, MES, MNQ, MBT, and others—just add 1! to the root symbol.
And if you’re using dynamic alert messages in TradingView, you can also take advantage of TradingView’s {{ticker}} variable. For example:
instrument={{ticker}};
If your chart is set to ES1!, your alert payload will automatically reference the current front-month contract based on that continuous symbol.
Bonus for TradingView Users
If you're using TradingView webhooks to automate trade execution, this update makes everything more seamless. You no longer need to rebuild your webhook payloads at every contract rollover—just use a continuous symbol or {{ticker}}, and you’re good to go.
Do I Have to Use Them?
Nope. If you prefer to keep using hard-coded contract symbols like ES 09-25 or ESU5, that still works. But continuous contracts offer a much smoother experience if you want to “set it and forget it.”
This feature is available starting with XT Add-On version 1.8.3, so be sure to update if you haven’t already.
We’re always looking for ways to reduce friction in your trading workflow. Continuous Contracts are one more step toward making automation smarter—and your job easier.
