Your Indicators Are Lying to You (The Repaint Problem)

What "Deterministic" Means (And Why It Matters)

Here's the thing: Most indicators are built by hobbyists who don't know about repainting. Or worse, by scammers who do know and don't care.

SignalPilot takes a different approach.

Notice: The deterministic indicator has a lower backtest expectancy. That's because it's honest. It doesn't cheat by using future data.

But live? It actually works.

Visual Repaint Examples: Before vs After

Here's what repainting actually looks like when you catch it:

Example 1: "SuperTrend Reversal" Indicator (TradingView, 120K downloads)

Example 2: "AI Prediction Zones" Indicator (TradingView, 85K downloads)

12:04 PM (During bar):
Shows "Support Zone" at SPY $519.00-$519.50 (shaded green box)
Indicator label: "High probability bounce zone — 78% accuracy"

12:05 PM (After bar close):
Support zone MOVED to $518.20-$518.70 (80 cents lower!)
Now appears perfectly aligned with actual low
→ This is repainting. Zone "predicted" low AFTER it happened.

Real-time impact:
You bought at $519.00 thinking it was support → Price dropped to $518.20
Lost $0.80/share on 500 shares = -$400
Indicator now shows support at $518.20 where it "should have been"
→ Makes indicator look perfect in history, useless live

Example 3: "Smart Money Divergence" Indicator (Paid indicator, $199)

Never Trust, Always Verify

Here's your step-by-step framework for auditing ANY indicator before risking real money:

Common Repainting Indicators to Avoid

Here's a list of indicator types and specific indicators that commonly repaint. If you're using any of these, test them immediately:

Red flag: If an indicator's backtest shows >75% win rate with <10% drawdown, it's almost certainly repainting. Real, honest edges produce 55-65% win rates with realistic drawdowns (15-30%). Perfection in backtests = fraud in live trading.

Bar Replay Detection Walkthrough

TradingView's Bar Replay feature is one of the best tools for catching repainting indicators. Here's exactly how to use it:

Step-by-Step Bar Replay Test:

1. Load your indicator on a chart: Use a liquid instrument (SPY, ES, AAPL) on 5-min or 15-min timeframe
2. Enter Bar Replay mode: Click the Bar Replay button (looks like a play button with a bar chart)
3. Rewind to 3 days ago: Gives you enough historical data to test 20-30 signals
4. Play forward bar-by-bar: Watch for signals to appear during bar formation
5. Document signal timing: Does the BUY signal appear BEFORE price moves up, or AFTER?
6. Compare to chart history: Exit replay mode, look at the same time period
7. Check for discrepancies: Are signals in the same location? Or did they move?

Example Test Results (Bar Replay on "Ultimate Reversal Pro"):

Replay Mode (Playing forward bar-by-bar):
10:15 AM: No signal shown
10:30 AM: No signal shown
10:45 AM: Price drops from $520 → $518 → BUY signal appears at $519
11:00 AM: Price rallies to $522 (signal worked!)

Historical Chart View (Same time period):
10:15 AM: BUY signal shown at $520 (signal MOVED!)
Original signal: $519 during replay
Historical signal: $520 in chart view
→ Difference: Signal moved 1 point to "predict" the low perfectly

Verdict: REPAINTING DETECTED
Signal appeared at $519 during live bar formation
Signal moved to $520 in historical chart (appears earlier, better entry)
This is future-peeking—indicator adjusts signals after knowing outcome

Code Audit Deep-Dive: Pine Script Red Flags

If an indicator provides source code (open-source on TradingView), you can audit it for repainting issues. Here are the exact code patterns to look for:

Red Flag #1: request.security() without lookahead_off

// ❌ REPAINTING CODE (uses future HTF data)
htf_close = request.security(syminfo.tickerid, "60", close)

// ✅ NON-REPAINTING CODE (waits for HTF bar to close)
htf_close = request.security(syminfo.tickerid, "60", close, lookahead=barmerge.lookahead_off)

// Even better: add [1] offset to use CONFIRMED HTF bar
htf_close = request.security(syminfo.tickerid, "60", close[1], lookahead=barmerge.lookahead_off)

Red Flag #2: Calculations using current bar data without barstate.isconfirmed

// ❌ REPAINTING CODE (signal can change during bar)
signal = close > ema_20 and rsi > 50
plotshape(signal, style=shape.triangleup, color=color.green)

// ✅ NON-REPAINTING CODE (only plots on confirmed bar close)
signal = close > ema_20 and rsi > 50
plotshape(barstate.isconfirmed and signal, style=shape.triangleup, color=color.green)

Red Flag #3: Pivot calculations that recalculate

// ❌ REPAINTING CODE (pivot location changes as new bars form)
pivot_high = ta.pivothigh(high, 5, 5)  // looks back 5 bars, forward 5 bars
// Problem: needs 5 FUTURE bars to confirm pivot → repaints by definition

// ✅ BETTER APPROACH (use fixed swing detection with confirmed bars)
// Signal Pilot approach: detect swing only after 5 bars have CLOSED
// No forward-looking, signals are delayed but honest

Pro tip: If you can't read Pine Script code, use the visual and replay tests instead. They'll catch 95%+ of repainting indicators without needing to understand the code. But if you CAN read code, this is the fastest detection method—spot repainting in 30 seconds by searching for these patterns.

⚡ Quick Wins for Tomorrow (Click to expand)

Don't overwhelm yourself. Start with these 3 actions:

1. Screenshot test 1 indicator — Take 3 screenshots of live signals, check in 10 mins
2. Set 1 alert — Pick your main indicator, set an alert, verify it matches after bar close
3. Journal it — "Indicator: [name]. Test: Screenshot. Result: Signals moved/didn't move."

After testing 3 indicators this way, you'll know which ones are lying. Remove the liars immediately.

If you made it this far, you just saved yourself months (maybe years) of pain. Most traders never learn this. You just did.

Educational only. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.