Disconnect alerts
NinjaTrader Disconnect Alerts for Lost Connections and Stale Data
Ninja Watchdog catches NinjaTrader connection problems, stale price data, Rithmic reconnect failures, and disabled strategies so unattended traders can catch failures sooner.
It runs on the Windows computer or VPS that runs NinjaTrader, then pairs connection recovery with strategy checks and email alerts when your trading setup needs you.
No charge today · Cancel anytime · $99/mo after the trial
Built-in alerts
NinjaTrader built-in alerts vs disconnect alerts
NinjaTrader alerts and NinjaScript conditions are useful when the platform, chart, data series, and strategy code are all running. Disconnect alerts protect the parts that can fail before your script ever fires: the platform, broker connection, live prices, enabled strategies, and the Windows desktop that keeps NinjaTrader open.
| Failure scenario | NinjaTrader built-in alerts | Ninja Watchdog |
|---|---|---|
| NinjaTrader crashes or the VPS reboots | No — alerts die with the platform | Relaunches NinjaTrader, signs in, reconnects accounts, re-enables strategies |
| Rithmic or Tradovate connection lost | Partial — reconnect settings ride out brief blips only | Detects the drop, reconnects the account, emails a recovery report |
| Shows connected but price data is stale | No — a green indicator can hide a frozen feed | Flags stale or delayed data separately from connection state |
| Strategy disabled after a disconnect | No — nothing re-enables it | Re-enables the exact strategies that were running, after readiness checks |
| Machine goes completely offline | No — nothing on the machine can send an alert | 24/7 cloud monitoring detects the silence and emails you |
- Use built-in alerts for trading conditions inside a healthy platform.
- Use Ninja Watchdog when the platform itself, connection, or VPS may fail.
- Do not call the setup recovered until the account, live data, and strategy are back.
Stale data
When NinjaTrader shows connected but price data stops
A green connection indicator does not always prove that live prices are current. Delayed-data warnings, missing market data permissions, stale chart timestamps, or a weak data connection can leave a strategy waiting on old prices while the desktop still looks normal.
- Catch stale or delayed data during active market hours.
- Separate account connection from live-price flow.
- Email the trader when data is not fresh enough for the strategy.
Rithmic
Rithmic reconnect failures and stale feed alerts
Rithmic disconnects can come back in pieces. NinjaTrader may reconnect the account while live prices or strategies still lag behind. Ninja Watchdog checks the connection, price flow, and strategy state before treating the setup as back online.
- Catch the named connection that dropped.
- Check whether live prices return after the reconnect.
- Email the trader when the setup cannot come back cleanly.
Strategy state
Strategy disabled after connection loss
After a disconnect, crash, or platform restart, a NinjaTrader strategy can still be visible but no longer enabled. For unattended trading, the question is simple: are the strategies that were running before the interruption running again now?
- Track which strategies were enabled before the interruption.
- Bring strategies back after NinjaTrader, the account, and live data are usable.
- Email the trader when a strategy stays disabled.
VPS recovery
VPS reboot or restart recovery
A Windows update, VPS maintenance event, power interruption, or planned restart can leave NinjaTrader closed until someone logs in. Ninja Watchdog starts with Windows, launches NinjaTrader, reconnects the connections that were active, and restores the strategies that were running.
- Run Ninja Watchdog on the same Windows computer or VPS as NinjaTrader.
- Remember what was connected and which strategies were running.
- Verify unattended reboot behavior before relying on a live trading session.
Notifications
Alert and notification options
Ninja Watchdog sends email alerts for trade, order, connection, and strategy recovery events. The emails are grouped so one connection problem does not become a pile of duplicate messages.
Connection recovery
Connection recovery started
Ninja Watchdog detected a connection problem and is working to reconnect it.
- Connection
- Apex Rithmic
- Status
- Connection lost
- Event time
- May 31, 2026, 8:58:02 PM (NinjaTrader local time, UTC-05:00)
- Alerts cover trades, order issues, connection recovery, and strategy recovery.
- Cloud monitoring emails you if the whole machine goes offline — even when the VPS cannot send anything.
- Alerts are delivered by email today. SMS and mobile push are not yet supported.
Build vs protect
When custom NinjaScript is enough vs when Ninja Watchdog is safer
Custom NinjaScript can be enough when the alert condition lives inside a running chart or strategy and you are comfortable maintaining that code. Ninja Watchdog is safer when the problem can happen outside that script, such as a lost provider connection, stale prices, disabled strategy, platform crash, or VPS reboot.
- Choose NinjaScript for narrow in-platform conditions.
- Choose Ninja Watchdog for unattended failures outside one strategy.
- Use both when a strategy alert still needs platform and VPS protection.
FAQ
NinjaTrader disconnect alert questions
Direct answers for traders comparing built-in alerts, custom NinjaScript, and Ninja Watchdog protection for unattended NinjaTrader strategies.
What is the best tool for NinjaTrader disconnect alerts?
For a single custom condition inside a running NinjaTrader strategy, custom NinjaScript may be enough. For lost connections, stale price data, Rithmic reconnect failures, disabled strategies, and VPS restarts while you are away, Ninja Watchdog is the stronger fit because it protects the whole NinjaTrader session.
How do I get alerts when NinjaTrader loses its Rithmic connection?
Run Ninja Watchdog on the Windows computer or VPS where NinjaTrader is open. It catches Rithmic connection problems, works to bring the connection back, and sends email alerts when the trading setup still needs you.
Can NinjaTrader alert me when it says connected but price data is stale?
Built-in NinjaTrader alerts help when charts and scripts are already receiving fresh data, but NinjaTrader can say connected while live prices are stale. Ninja Watchdog flags stale or delayed market data so a quiet chart does not look healthy.
How do I know if an automated NinjaTrader strategy stopped after a disconnect?
Check whether the strategies that were enabled before the disconnect are enabled again after the account and live data return. Ninja Watchdog remembers the strategies that were running and helps bring them back after disconnects, crashes, and reboots.
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Protect the NinjaTrader setup, not just the chart
Start Ninja Watchdog on the Windows computer or VPS that runs NinjaTrader, then catch lost connections, stale data, disabled strategies, and reboot problems from the same protection tool.