Before you can start our service, you have to choose a pricing package, give us your name and registration information and agree to the terms and conditions of our contract(s). If you have already done all of that and have a valid username and password, you can move to the next section.

eSignal offers 4 pricing plans for real-time data. The main differences between each plan are the exchanges you can select and the number of concurrent symbols you can track. All the plans give you access to Advanced Charting, backtesting, eSignal Formula Script (EFS) and advanced drawing tools and add-on studies. Most of our customers choose the Premier plan so they have access to all Futures and Equity markets and so they can use all of the main components of the eSignal software. Here are a few links to help you clarify your pricing package choice:

eSignal Pricing Page
Data Comparison Table
Feature Comparison Table

Still need help determining which eSignal package will best suit your needs? Feel free to call our helpful Sales Team. In the US, call 800.815.8256 or 510.723.1765. In Europe, call +44 (0)20 7825 8770.

Before you download the software or start service, you should review our System Requirements to insure that your PC will work with eSignal.

Downloading the eSignal software is very easy. Complete the steps below, or check out this eSignal Movie clip () on installing and running eSignal for the first time.

1. Go to the Download page and click the download button.
2. Choose Open when the dialogue box appears.
   Once the file transfer is complete, the install procedure will begin automatically.
3. Enter your username and password when prompted. If you do not have those yet, you can enter them later when launching eSignal.. You will have other options to consider during install but in the vast majority of cases, you can simply leave the default choice as is and hit Next.

That is it! You are now ready to start using eSignal. Simply look for the eSignal icon on your desktop to start the program. If you are integrating eSignal with one of our brokerage partners, instructions are available in the brokerage FAQs.

Note: In the rare occurrence you do run into a problem while installing, you can alternatively choose Save when the installer dialogue box appears. Our installer will load the compressed eSignal program into a file and download to your PC. This takes 10-20 seconds on a high-speed connection and up to 45 minutes with a dial-up connection. Once this file has successfully loaded onto your PC, you simply double-click to start the installer and walk through step 3 above.

You have two options in eSignal in terms of how you want to manage your desktop workspace. One is called Pages, the other is referred to as Layouts.

Pages save both the relative position of each window, and the windows themselves in one page file, so when you exit and return, the screen looks the same. When first creating a page, you open a series of window types and then when they are customized with the desired symbols and settings and are in the desired position, you simply save the entire screen as a page. Pages are somewhat easier to use than Layouts and a bit more intuitive

Layouts represent a collection of unique windows, all named and saved individually. The relative location of each of these windows to one another is saved in a format called a Layout. You can create any number of layouts and either use unique windows in each layout or use some of the same windows in multiple layouts. For ex. Let us say you follow 30 stocks pretty closely. You will want to create a quote Window that lists these 30 stocks and includes the fields you are interested in (high, low, bid, bid size, 52 week high, trade size, etc.) Next, perhaps you look to swing trade during the day and have special charts set-up to help analyze which trades to get in and out of. At night, perhaps you use a different set of charts to evaluate longer time frames (such as weekly or monthly charts). As a result, you may have two different layouts but want to use the same quote window in both. That is the value of a layout..

When you first start eSignal, you are in Page mode as seen at the top of eSignal (it says eSignal Page - <name of page>). To switch to Layout mode, click on Page, then Layout, then simply save the current page as a layout by selecting Save Layout As. You’ll then be prompted to save each window, so click Yes and assign a name to each window. You’ll then be in Layout mode until you switch again by opening or saving as a page. Until you are pretty familiar with both of these options, it is highly recommended you choose either page or layout mode and stick to it.

To see more on pages and layouts, please view this eSignal Movie Clip. ()

Quote Window
Quote windows display information about issues in a spreadsheet-like format. The types of issues you can include in a quote window depend on the services you subscribe to. Customize the Quote window with more than 60 fields, including fundamental data fields.

Market Depth
Market Depth data appears in the main part of the window. Each quote includes the market maker ID (MMID) and time. Bid, bid size, ask and ask size data is displayed depending on the current sort option selected for the window. The color bands or background colors behind the Market Depth data change to highlight the best bid and ask quotes.

Ticker Window
There are 4 main types of tickers (Quote, News, Limit Alert and Market Maker Activity Ticker) in eSignal. There is a default for each of the 4 types, so you can save different settings for each.

Charting
eSignal includes Advanced Charting with all our packages.

Other Window Types
As you get familiar with eSignal, you can also enjoy several other window types to enhance your trading abilities. These include a Portfolio Window, Summary window, QuoteBoard, Leaders Window, Detail Window and Integrated Scanner Window. For more on these other Window types, please check out our eSignal KnowledgeBase.

The eSignal toolbar gives you quick access to many of the program’s key features. For a complete indepth tour of the toolbars and menu options in esignal, click here.

The eSignal 7.x series software release saw the emergence of our Advanced Charting application. eSignal’s Advanced Charting offers an extremely flexible user interface and includes a full array of line drawing tools, advanced analytics and a formula engine that lets you create your own studies. You can import and create, save and even encrypt your own formulas, select from an extensive library of formulas and helpers, use advanced scaling features and customize your own Advanced Charting Favorites Toolbar. To access the features mentioned above, please just right-click within the chart area and a pop-up menu will appear.

For further information on using the Advanced Chart, please visit this link to Chapter 8 of our online user manual, which talks about our Advanced Chart feature.

Anatomy of an Advanced Chart Window

Wherever possible, we try to use standard exchange symbology. We’ve separated the formats into each respective category so it’s easier to follow.

See our Symbol Directory for a list of all A-Z listings and Symbol Formats for specific exchange codes.

North American Stocks: For US Stocks, use the commonly known symbol (IBM, GE, GM, etc.) If you are looking for a warrant, class stock, preferred, etc. For Canadian stocks, you’ll need to add a two-character exchange identifier.

European, African, and Asia/Pacific Equities: Same format as US Stocks but we add a 3-character exchange identifier on the end.

North American Futures: Standard format is a two-character symbol, month code, last digit of expiration year. (ES Z4 is the CME E-Mini contract for Dec 04) Note: For Continuous contracts, replace the month and year code with #F (ES #F).

European and Asia/Pacific Futures: Same format as US Futures but we add a 3-4 character exchange identifier on the end. Note: We currently do not have Continuous contracts for International Futures data.

Forex: Standard format is three-character symbol, space, spot code, dash, then FX. By default, each is the cross rate for the US Dollar. To view International cross rates, combine the 2 Forex symbols.

• EUR A0-FX Is the symbol for the Euro.
• EURGBP A0-FX Is the symbol for cross rate of the Euro & British Pound.

Options: There are two formats for which Options symbols are displayed. Long Form and Short Form. However, only the Short Form is used for entry to Quote Sheet or Market Depth window.

Long Form: Root symbol, space, three letter month, strike price, then C for Call or P for Put. (IBM OCT100P)
Short Form: Root symbol, space, the month code, then strike price code. (IBM VT)

Indices: Indices are divided into 3 groups: eSignal Indices, World Indices Bundle and International Indices.

1. eSignal Indices: Each symbol begins with a $ sign (ex. $INDU is the Dow Jones Industrial Average). Please see the Symbols Guide - eSignal Indices for more information.

2. World Indices: This is a collection of Indices from around the world available in a single bundle as an add-on service.

3. International Indices: Many of the European and Asia/Pacific exchanges separate Equities and indices into separate and distinct categories. Some charge an additional fee for Indices as well.

For more information, please see Symbols Formats and our Symbols Directory.

EFS Basics - Downloading, Using, and Editing EFS Files
Easy-to-Use JavaScript eSignal uses simple JavaScript language, eSignal Formula Script or EFS for short, so you can develop your own custom studies, as well as a series of customizable sample formulas, so you’ll be able to test your trading strategies on days, weeks and years of historical data.

Appendix A (PDF)
eSignal Advanced Charting formulas and studies and provides you with the basics required to start applying formulas to eSignal Advanced Charts. It is organized into the following four sections:

• The eSignal Formula Engine and Formula Basics
• The eSignal Formula Library (descriptions of the over 50 customizable sample formulas)
• eSignal Advanced Charting Studies (descriptions of over 20 technical studies)
• eSignal Advanced GET Premium Technical Studies.

JavaScript for EFS Video Series
These video training series educates the viewer on programming concepts using JavaScript, the foundation language for eSignal Formula Script (EFS). This series also leads the viewer through many examples using the EFS Editor and the EFS Output Window. It's the perfect place to start for someone who is new to programming and wanting to get the foundations of how to program.

EFS Help Center & Library
Here you will find a complete collection of EFS reference materials, how-to guides and an extensive library of EFS formulas developed for eSignal users.

How can I get a custom study built?

• To suggest a study to be developed by eSignal, please post the details of the study to our New Study Suggestions forum. ( You must be a registered Member of the eSignal Forums system in order to use this service. Registration is free. ) To register now just click here.
• To hire an EFS Consultant for custom formula development, please contact one of our EFS Development Partners.

eSignal offers two forms of integration to its datafeed through the eSignal Application Programmming Interface (API) and the new eSignal Desktop API with ActiveX® COM technology. More third party software companies have written their software to be compatible with the eSignal API than for any other quote service. Third party software, such as Metastock from Equis International and OmniTrader from Nirvana Systems, offers advanced technical analysis to eSignal subscribers.

For a complete list of programs with which eSignal is compatible, click here.

eSignal now offers online Account Maintenance for those who wish to manage their own account(s). Account Maintenance provides 24/7 access to your account information as well as many other benefits:

• Add / Delete services ( Exchanges, New Services, etc )
• Pay your bill
• Change Passwords
• Restart an account
• View billing history
• Update Credit Card

For additional information on Account Maintenance along with General Billing inquiries, please visit our Service FAQs.

Product Training Video Library
In addition to the eSignal Video Clips previously referenced, we have archived a host of other eSignal-related courses. Please checkout the selection in our eSignal Video Library().