Do I need a VPS to run Autoview?

Only if you run the Chrome extension and want it trading while your own computer is off. The webhook platform runs on Autoview's own servers around the clock, so it needs no VPS at all. A VPS only replaces your own machine for the browser-based extension.

What is a VPS, in plain terms?

A Virtual Private Server is a remote computer you rent that stays powered on and connected to the internet around the clock, run by a hosting provider instead of sitting on your desk. You connect to it over the internet, install software on it the same way you would on a normal PC, and it keeps running after you disconnect.

Can I run the extension on both my laptop and a VPS at the same time?

Not on the same TradingView account. Two copies of the extension logged into the same account both catch every alert and both place the order, so you get duplicate trades. Pick one machine, the VPS or your own, and keep the extension running there alone.

Why does the extension show a Google payments error on a VPS?

Some VPS images do not ship with Google's payments support, so the extension throws a Google Subscriptions connection error that has nothing to do with your trading setup. Revoking the Google payments permission on your Autoview permissions page clears it.

VPS for Autoview: what it is and when you need one

Autoview · Guide · Updated July 11, 2026

Short version: a VPS matters if you run the Chrome extension and want it trading while your own computer is off. If you run the webhook platform, skip this guide entirely; it already runs on Autoview's servers and a VPS adds nothing. Read on for what a VPS actually is, which path you're on, and how to set one up if you need it.

What a VPS actually is

A Virtual Private Server is a computer you rent from a hosting company instead of one that sits on your desk. It lives in a data center, stays powered on, and stays connected to the internet around the clock. You connect to it remotely, over the internet, using a remote desktop tool or a terminal, and once you're in it behaves like any other computer: you install software, open programs, and leave them running. Close your laptop and the VPS keeps going, because it was never tied to your laptop's power or your home internet in the first place.

People rent VPS machines for all kinds of always-on jobs: hosting a website, running a bot, or in this case, keeping a browser open and logged in so a browser-based tool never stops.

Does Autoview need a VPS?

That depends entirely on which Autoview you run, and the two paths behave nothing alike here.

The webhook platform. Runs on Autoview's own servers. An alert posts to your webhook URL, our infrastructure reads it and places the order, and none of that touches a machine of yours. Your computer can be off, asleep, or on the other side of the planet and the trade still executes. A VPS solves a problem this path doesn't have.
The Chrome extension. Runs inside your own browser, on your own machine. It only trades while that browser is open, that machine is on, and the internet connection holds. Shut the laptop and the extension stops with it.

If you're not sure which one you're running, the do I need my computer on? guide walks through the distinction in more depth. Everything below this point is for extension users who want their setup running when they're away from their own computer.

Setting up a VPS to run the extension

The extension needs the same thing a VPS provides: a machine that's always on. Here's the shape of the setup.

Pick a VPS

Any mainstream provider works; Autoview has no partnership with one and doesn't require a specific host. A few things worth checking before you commit:

Operating system. You need something that can run Chrome with a desktop you can see and click through, so a Windows VPS is the simplest choice. Linux works too, but you'll want a build with a graphical desktop and remote-desktop access set up, not a bare command-line box, since Chrome needs a visible window to run in.
Enough memory. Chrome is not a light process, especially with multiple tabs and an extension polling continuously. Undersized plans get slow or unstable under real load. A budget tier built for a static website is usually too thin; look for something closer to what you'd expect from a low-end desktop.
Uptime and support. The entire point is a machine that doesn't go down. Check the provider's uptime commitment and how they handle an outage, since an extension on a VPS that reboots unexpectedly is no better than a laptop that sleeps.
Location, loosely. Some traders pick a VPS region near their exchange's servers to shave a little network latency off order execution. For most alert-driven strategies the difference is small enough not to chase, but it's a legitimate tie-breaker if two providers are otherwise equal.

Connect and install

Rent the VPS and get its remote-desktop or remote-login details from the provider.
Connect to it. Windows VPS machines typically use Remote Desktop Connection, built into Windows; Linux VPS images vary by provider.
Once you're in, install Chrome the same way you would on any new computer.
Follow the install the trading extension guide from inside that remote session: add the extension from the Chrome Web Store, connect your Autoview account, link TradingView, and add your exchange API keys.

Everything from here runs the same as it would on your own desktop. The only difference is that this desktop lives in a data center and doesn't sleep when you close your laptop.

A Linux-specific snag

If you set up on a Linux VPS, or certain minimal Windows images, you may hit an extension error about Google Subscriptions: something like "Could not establish connection. Receiving end does not exist." That's not a sign anything is broken with your trading setup; some VPS images just don't ship with Google's payments support built in. Open your Autoview permissions page, scroll to the bottom, and revoke the Google payments permission, and the error clears. The account disconnected guide covers this and a few other extension connection issues in more detail.

Two machines, one account: watch for duplicates

One mistake catches people who move to a VPS without fully retiring their old setup: leaving the extension logged in and running on both the VPS and their own computer at the same time. Both copies catch the same alert from TradingView and both place the order, so every signal fires twice. Pick one machine, the VPS or your own, and make sure only one has the extension actively running against your TradingView account.

Keeping it running

A VPS removes the "is my laptop on" problem, but the extension still needs the same care it would anywhere:

Keep Chrome open with your TradingView tab active. Closing the browser stops the extension the same as it would on any machine.
Watch for Chrome's Memory Saver feature putting inactive tabs to sleep; turn it off or exclude your TradingView tab, as covered in the account disconnected guide.
Let the provider handle patching and reboots on their schedule where possible, and check in on the machine occasionally rather than assuming it's silently fine forever.

Would the webhook platform just be simpler?

For a lot of people, yes. If the reason you're looking at a VPS is "I want my trades to fire while I'm away from my computer," the webhook platform gets you that without renting or maintaining a second machine at all; it already runs on Autoview's servers. The extension's advantage is that your API keys never leave your own browser. If that trade-off matters to you, a VPS is a reasonable way to get both: keys that stay local, and a machine that stays on. If it doesn't, the web platform setup guide is the more direct path.

Set up the web platform instead