What are Intraday Charts?

What are Intraday Charts?

Intraday charts display price action on timeframes shorter than one day—such as 1-minute, 5-minute, or hourly candles. They help traders monitor momentum, liquidity shifts, and reaction to data in real time.

Why Intraday Charts Matter

• Precision entries: Drill into trends seen on higher timeframes and fine-tune entries.
• Risk control: Tighten stops by analyzing structure at the same scale as your trade thesis.
• Flow awareness: Spot liquidity pockets and rapid reversals during session overlaps.

Building an Intraday Process

• Define which sessions you will trade and prepare levels before the open.
• Anchor decisions to reference points like previous day’s high/low or clearly defined support and resistance.
• Record screenshots of trade setups to build a catalogue of high-quality intraday patterns.
• Take scheduled breaks—decision fatigue ruins execution faster on fast charts.

Deep Dive

Most edges come from applying clear rules consistently. Expand your analysis beyond a single signal: add context from higher timeframes, recent volatility, session behavior, and catalysts. Define invalidation so a trade becomes obviously wrong fast, keeping losses small while letting winners compound.

Trader Checklist

• Higher‑timeframe bias aligns with the setup.
• Clear level or zone for entry with confluence.
• Pre‑defined stop beyond structure; 2–3R target.
• Session/liquidity supports follow‑through.
• No imminent high‑impact news unless planned.

Strategy Ideas

• Combine structure with momentum confirmation (break/close/acceptance).
• Use partials: scale out at first target; trail remainder.
• Journal results by session and pair to refine timing.

Risks and Limitations

• Thin liquidity widens spreads and distorts signals.
• False breaks around obvious levels—wait for acceptance.
• Overfitting indicators; keep the process simple and robust.

Example

Map bias on the daily chart, mark a zone, and wait on 1H for a close back above with rising participation. Enter on the retest; stop beyond the invalidation wick; target prior swing with room for extension. Record the outcome and context to iterate.