How to Use the TradingView Search Bar Efficiently

01. Introduction to the TradingView Search Bar
The TradingView Search Bar is one of the most essential tools in your charting journey. Located at the top-left corner of the interface, this feature allows you to instantly switch between stocks, indices, crypto assets, forex pairs, futures, and more — without leaving your current chart tab.
Whether you're a day trader looking for high-volume movers or an investor monitoring global indices, the search bar makes it effortless to pull up symbols with lightning speed.
One of the best parts? You don’t even need to click anything — just start typing on your keyboard while a chart is open, and the search bar automatically activates.

Pro Tip: The TradingView Search Bar supports symbol auto-suggestions with exchange suffixes (like .NS for NSE stocks), making it ultra-fast for Indian markets too.



02. How to Open the Symbol Search Bar

Opening the symbol search bar in TradingView is incredibly intuitive — and can be done in multiple ways depending on how fast you want to move.
Here are the top 3 ways to launch the search bar:
• 🔘 Click the Symbol: Go to the top-left corner of your chart and click the current symbol (e.g., NIFTY or BTCUSD) to open the search panel.
• ⌨️ Start Typing: When your chart is focused, just begin typing any symbol directly — the search window pops up instantly.
• 📚 Use the Watchlist: Open a saved symbol from your Watchlist using a simple click, and it automatically replaces the current chart.

Shortcut Key:
Just press your keyboard and type RELIANCE or NIFTY without clicking anywhere — TradingView immediately opens the search popup.

Works on both Windows and Mac.

03. Extended: Exploring the Search Interface (Tab-by-Tab Breakdown)

The TradingView Symbol Search Interface is more than just a place to look up stock names. It’s a powerful filtering system designed to help traders and investors access any instrument—globally and across asset classes—in just a few clicks. Let’s break down each tab and filter in detail:

🔍 1. Asset Type Tabs
Located at the top of the search panel, these tabs let you narrow down by instrument type:
• All – View all available instruments.
• Stocks – Equity shares from global exchanges (e.g., NSE, NASDAQ, BSE, etc.).
• Funds – Includes ETFs, mutual funds, and index funds.
• Futures – Derivative contracts across commodities, indices, etc.
• Forex – Currency pairs like USDINR, EURUSD, GBPJPY, etc.
• Crypto – Popular cryptocurrencies like BTC, ETH, and exchange pairs.
• Indices – Market indices like NIFTY50, S&P 500, NASDAQ100.
• Bonds – Government and corporate bond listings.
• Economy – Macro-economic indicators like GDP, unemployment, CPI.
• Options – Derivative instruments based on options chain availability.
💡 Pro Tip: Use these tabs before typing a symbol to narrow down your focus instantly.
https://www.tradingview.com/x/WFt0EcwN/
https://www.tradingview.com/x/Aa3zSAdF/

🌍 2. All Countries Filter

You can choose to see instruments only from specific countries. Selecting this opens a country-wise list showing all supported exchanges under each country.
• USA: NASDAQ, NYSE, CBOE, OTC
• India: NSE, BSE
• UK: LSE
• Germany: XETRA, FWB
🔎 Use Case: If you only want Indian stocks, choose India to limit the results to NSE/BSE only.
https://www.tradingview.com/x/45EbKonA/

🧾 3. All Types Filter (Only under Stocks Tab)

This filter lets you refine your equity instrument type, such as:
• Common Stock
• Preferred Stock
• Depository Receipt (like ADR/GDR)
• Warrant
🔍 Use Case: Great for global investors looking specifically for ADRs or warrants.https://www.tradingview.com/x/qRHYYTHN/

🧭 4. All Sectors Filter (Only under Stocks Tab)

This is one of the most powerful tools for equity screening. You can filter stocks based on their sector like:
• Finance
• Technology Services
• Health Technology
• Consumer Durables
• Electronic Technology
• ... and 20+ more industry segments
💼 Use Case: Perfect for sector-based trading or thematic investing. https://www.tradingview.com/x/jLp3EJBu/

⚙️ Power Feature: All filters can be used in combination. Example: You can search only Technology sector stocks from India, of Common Stock type — all in seconds.

05: Using the Flag to Add Symbols to Watchlist
The 🚩 flag icon in TradingView allows you to tag symbols with color-coded labels for easy watchlist management. You can organize your stocks by strategy, sector, volatility, or timeframe using these flags.

🎯 What Does the Flag Icon Do?
• Click the 🚩 icon next to any symbol in the search panel.
• Choose from 7 different colors to group stocks by theme.
• Flagged stocks immediately appear under that color in your Watchlist.
You can create multiple groups — like F&O, Crypto, Sectors, Swing Picks — all visually organized.

🔍 06: Smart Search Tricks (Symbol Syntax, Exchanges, Shortcuts)
The TradingView Symbol Search bar supports intelligent filters, shortcuts, and exchange-based syntax to save time and improve accuracy. Mastering these tricks will allow you to switch charts and find instruments faster than ever.

🧠 1. Use Exchange Prefixes
You can directly use exchange prefixes to narrow your search:

NSE: – National Stock Exchange of India
BSE: – Bombay Stock Exchange
NASDAQ: – U.S. Nasdaq-listed stocks
NYSE: – New York Stock Exchange
👉 Example: NSE:RELIANCE shows Reliance on NSE instantly.
💡 2. Partial Name Works Too
You can type partial symbols after the exchange code and TradingView will auto-suggest:

🔎 Example: Typing NSE:REL shows Reliance Industries and others.
⚡ 3. Avoid Full Company Names
Typing full company names like “Reliance Industries Ltd” might not show accurate results quickly. Instead, use ticker codes or shortcuts with exchange prefixes for better precision.

🎯 4. Type Directly to Open Search
No need to click the 🔍 icon! Just start typing on the chart:

Windows/Mac: Type any symbol (e.g. INFY)
Use Arrows: ⬆️ ⬇️ to move between results
Press Enter: to select symbol instantly
🌐 5. Use Filter Tabs Above Search
TradingView lets you filter across:

Markets: All / India / US / Global
Types: Stocks / Crypto / Forex / Futures
Sectors: Banks / Tech / Pharma / Energy
💡 Pro Tip: Combine NSE: + partial ticker + filters to drill down fast without leaving the chart screen