❓ Frequently Asked Questions

ICT Order Block Pro [Pagani] is a professional TradingView indicator that identifies institutional order blocks using ICT/Smart Money Concepts methodology. It helps traders find high-probability support and resistance zones where institutional orders are likely clustered.

The indicator works on all timeframes, but effectiveness varies:

• 1m-5m (Scalping): Fast trades, more signals, lower probability - Use Scalper mode
• 15m-1H (Day Trading): Balanced approach - Use either mode
• 4H-Daily (Swing Trading): Highest probability, fewer signals - Use Institutional mode
• Weekly+ (Position): Very high quality, rare signals - Use Institutional mode

The indicator works on any market with sufficient liquidity:

• ✅ Crypto: BTC, ETH, major altcoins (excellent - 24/7 volatility)
• ✅ Forex Major Pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY (excellent - high liquidity)
• ✅ Stock Indices: ES, NQ, YM futures (excellent - institutional activity)
• ✅ Large Cap Stocks: AAPL, TSLA, GOOGL (good - sufficient volume)
• ⚠️ Low Volume Stocks: Less reliable due to lack of institutional presence

No, the indicator works on all TradingView plans.

However, TradingView Premium unlocks advanced features:

• Volume Profile Enhancement: Identifies Elite★ rated blocks (highest probability)
• More accurate detection: Institutional accumulation/distribution zones
• Better alerts: Premium plans allow more simultaneous alerts

Institutional Mode:

• Pivot-based detection with strict filters
• Fewer signals, higher quality
• Best for: Swing trading (4H-Daily)
• Includes: FVG, MSB, Displacement filters

Scalper Mode:

• ICT/SMC pattern-based detection
• More signals, faster response
• Best for: Scalping & day trading (1m-1H)
• Identifies: Last opposite candle before displacement

The Power row shows real-time BUY/SELL pressure by analyzing intrabar volume from a lower timeframe. It helps you understand the dominant force in the current bar.

Dashboard Display:

• ─── POWER @5m ─── = Using 5-minute intrabars
• BUY (green): Buyers dominating this bar
• SELL (red): Sellers dominating this bar
• NEUTRAL (grey): Low dominance (within neutral band)
• xx.x%: How dominant (0-100%)

Trading Use:

• Bull OB + Power BUY = Strong LONG confluence
• Bear OB + Power SELL = Strong SHORT confluence
• Wait for Power to confirm direction before entry

Liquidity sweeps occur when price moves beyond a swing high or low to grab stop losses, then reverses direction. This is a key ICT concept for identifying institutional manipulation.

Why they matter: Institutions intentionally sweep liquidity before major moves. Sweeps near order blocks create high-probability reversal setups.

Quality Ratings:

• Strong: Large wick + volume spike + OB confluence + equal highs/lows
• Mid: 2-3 criteria met
• Weak: Only 1 criterion met

Order blocks are rated based on multiple confirmation factors:

• ★ Elite (Best): 3-4 points - VP confirmed + multiple validations - TRADE THESE!
• ◆ Strong (Good): 2-3 points - Multiple confirmations - TRADE THESE!
• ◇ Mid (Okay): 1 point - Some confirmation - Use caution
• ○ Weak (Skip): 0 points - Basic detection only - Avoid

Scoring System:

• +1 point: Volume > 1.5× average
• +1 point: Body size > 1.5× average
• +1 point: Trend aligned (above/below SMA50)
• +1 point: Volume Profile concentration (Premium)

Proximity alerts give you advance warning when price is approaching an order block zone - perfect for preparing trade setups before price arrives.

Features:

• Configurable distance threshold (0.1-5.0%)
• Quality filters (Strong/Elite only)
• Fresh zone filter (untested only)
• Directional detection (bull OB = price falling, bear OB = price rising)
• Anti-spam protection (one alert per approach)

Recommended Settings by Timeframe:

• Scalping (1m-5m): 0.5-1% proximity
• Swing (15m-4h): 1-2% proximity
• Position (Daily+): 2-3% proximity

The dashboard shows all active order blocks in real-time:

• Type: BULL ▲ (support) or BEAR ▼ (resistance)
• Volume: Total volume on order block candle
• Dist%: Distance from current price (+ = above, - = below)
• Strength: Elite★ / Strong◆ / Mid◇ / Weak○
• Tests: Number of times price retested the zone
• Status: FRESH/ACTIVE/TESTED/BOUNCE/REJECT
• Vol: Relative volume (vs 20-bar average)

Status Meanings:

• FRESH: Never tested - waiting for first touch
• ACTIVE: Price currently in the zone
• TESTED: Previously tested - waiting for next retest
• BOUNCE/REJECT: Price bounced - potential trade signal!

Order Block Alerts:

• New Bullish Order Block - Support zone detected
• New Bearish Order Block - Resistance zone detected
• Price in Bull Zone - Testing support (edge-triggered, no spam!)
• Price in Bear Zone - Testing resistance (edge-triggered, no spam!)
• Bull Zone Rejection 🚀 - Potential LONG signal
• Bear Zone Rejection 💥 - Potential SHORT signal

Proximity Alerts (v3.0.1):

• Approaching Bull OB ⚠️ - Prepare LONG setup
• Approaching Bear OB ⚠️ - Prepare SHORT setup

Liquidity Alerts (v3.4.0 - requires Enable Liquidity Module):

• Bullish Liquidity Sweep - SSL taken, reversal signal
• Bearish Liquidity Sweep - BSL taken, reversal signal
• SSL Run (Downside Continuation) - SSL broken, trend continues DOWN
• BSL Run (Upside Continuation) - BSL broken, trend continues UP
• Approaching BSL/SSL - Liquidity proximity warnings (edge-triggered)

Step-by-Step Trading Process:

1. Identify: Wait for Elite★ or Strong◆ order block to form
2. Wait: Price must return to the zone (check dashboard for "ACTIVE")
3. Confirm: Look for rejection signals (wick, volume spike, candlestick pattern)
4. Enter: Open position when confirmation appears
5. Stop Loss: Place 5-10 pips beyond the order block zone
6. Take Profit: Target previous high/low or next major level

Bullish Sweep Setup (SSL):

1. Identify SSL level (dashed orange line below price)
2. Wait for price to sweep below (wick beyond)
3. Price must close back above the level (reversal)
4. Look for "Strong" quality rating
5. Check for nearby Bull OB (confluence = powerful!)
6. Enter LONG on confirmation candle
7. Stop loss below the swept low

Bearish Sweep Setup (BSL):

1. Identify BSL level (dashed cyan line above price)
2. Wait for price to sweep above (wick beyond)
3. Price must close back below the level (reversal)
4. Look for "Strong" quality rating
5. Check for nearby Bear OB (confluence = powerful!)
6. Enter SHORT on confirmation candle
7. Stop loss above the swept high

Order Block Trades:

• Bullish OB: 5-10 pips below the zone bottom
• Bearish OB: 5-10 pips above the zone top
• Wider stops: Use on volatile pairs (add ATR buffer)

Liquidity Sweep Trades:

• Bullish sweep: Below the swept low
• Bearish sweep: Above the swept high

Yes! This is normal and actually increases confidence.

Order blocks often get retested 2-4 times before being fully mitigated. The dashboard shows the retest count (e.g., "2× TEST").

What it means:

• First retest (FRESH → TESTED): Initial test, institutional orders starting to fill
• Multiple retests: More confirmation, zone is holding, institutional interest strong
• Each rejection: Another trading opportunity with better confluence

Typical Performance by Quality:

• Elite★ blocks: Highest probability (requires proper entry confirmation)
• Strong◆ blocks: High probability (best risk/reward)
• Mid◇ blocks: Medium probability (use additional confirmation)
• Weak○ blocks: Lower probability (avoid)

Factors that improve success:

• Trading only Elite/Strong blocks
• Using higher timeframes (4H-Daily)
• Waiting for rejection confirmation
• Trading with trend direction
• Proper risk management (1-2% per trade)
• Confluence with liquidity sweeps

Common causes and solutions:

• Market is ranging: Order blocks require displacement (strong moves). Wait for volatility.
• Filters too strict: Disable FVG or MSB filters temporarily
• Scalper lookback too low: Increase to 15-20
• Wrong mode: Try switching between Institutional/Scalper
• Timeframe too high: Daily+ charts may have very few blocks

Power shows "—" (dash):

• Low confidence: Not enough intrabars (< min threshold)
• Zero volume: No volume data on current bar
• Solution: Wait for more intrabars or use lower chart TF

Power always shows NEUTRAL:

• Market is ranging: No clear buyer/seller dominance
• Neutral band too high: Lower "Neutral Band %" to 5-8%
• Chart TF too high: Try lower timeframe for more intrabars

Power flipping too much (BUY→SELL→BUY):

• Increase "Flip Confirm Bars" to 3-5
• Increase "Neutral Band %" to 15-20%
• Use longer smoothing (Manual mode)

Liquidity module is OFF by default! (v3.4.0)

To enable:

1. Go to Liquidity Sweeps section in settings
2. Turn ON "Enable Liquidity Module" (master toggle)
3. Turn ON "Show Liquidity Levels" (for BSL/SSL lines)
4. Turn ON "Mark Sweep Events" (for sweep highlights)

Alerts-Only Mode (v3.4.0): Enable the module + alerts, but leave drawings OFF. You'll get alerts without chart clutter!

If still not showing:

• Make sure "Enable Liquidity Module" is ON
• Chart needs sufficient history to identify swings
• Adjust "Swing Lookback" (try 15-30 bars)
• Lower "Equal High/Low Threshold" to 0.05%
• Increase "Max Levels per Side" to 8-10

Elite blocks require Volume Profile Enhancement = ON

This is a Premium feature that requires:

• TradingView Premium/Pro subscription
• "Volume Profile Enhancement" setting enabled
• Sufficient volume data on the chart

To get Elite blocks:

1. Upgrade to TradingView Premium
2. Enable "📊 Volume Profile Enhancement" in settings
3. Set VP Analysis Period to 100-200
4. Lower "VP Strength Multiplier" to 1.2-1.3 (less strict)

This is FIXED in v2.4.0+

The indicator now automatically scales Volume Profile lookback based on timeframe:

• 1m chart → 60 bars (or your setting, whichever is lower)
• 3m chart → 80 bars
• 5m chart → 100 bars
• 15m chart → 150 bars

If still having issues:

1. Ensure "Auto-Adjust for Timeframe" = ON
2. Lower "VP Analysis Period" manually to 50-80
3. Reduce "Grid Segments" to 8-10
4. Use "Render Mode: Simple fill" instead of Gradient

Use Render Mode optimization (v2.4.1+):

• Gradient: ~12-15 objects per block (full visuals)
• Simple fill: ~3-5 objects per block (70% reduction!)
• Borders only: ~2-3 objects per block (85% reduction!)

Additional optimizations:

• Set "Max Blocks" to 5-8 instead of Auto
• Turn OFF "Corner Accents"
• Reduce "Grid Segments" to 8-10
• Focus on higher timeframes (less frequent updates)

This is FIXED in v2.2.0+

The ATR indexing bug caused historical candles to be evaluated with current volatility instead of their own historical context. This has been corrected.

Most users should stick with defaults! Advanced settings are for experienced traders who want to fine-tune for specific assets or trading styles.

Use Advanced Settings when:

• Trading very volatile assets (crypto) - adjust ATR multipliers
• Trading very stable assets (forex majors) - lower thresholds
• You want more aggressive signals - loosen filters
• You want higher quality only - tighten filters
• Hitting performance/object limits - adjust render mode

Quick adjustments for more signals:

• Use Scalper mode instead of Institutional
• Increase Scalper Lookback to 15-20
• Disable FVG Filter (very strict)
• Disable MSB Filter (requires structure break)
• Lower VP Strength Multiplier to 1.2

Advanced Settings (v2.4.1+):

• Lower "Displacement ATR Body Mult" to 0.6-0.7
• Lower "Displacement Body/Range Min" to 0.5
• Increase "Scalper OB Scan Window" to 5-6
• Set "FVG Mode" to "Loose" or "Off"

Quick adjustments for quality:

• Use Institutional mode
• Enable all filters (Displacement, FVG, MSB, Volume)
• Enable Volume Profile Enhancement (Premium)
• Increase VP Strength Multiplier to 1.8-2.0
• Use 4H or Daily timeframes

Advanced Settings (v2.4.1+):

• Increase "Displacement ATR Body Mult" to 1.0-1.2
• Increase "Displacement Body/Range Min" to 0.7
• Set "FVG Mode" to "Strict (body gap)"
• Increase "MSB Structure Lookback" to 15-20
• Increase "Volume Score Multiplier" to 1.8-2.0
• Set "FVG Min Gap" to 0.2-0.3

Yes! Order blocks work great with:

• Trend indicators: Moving averages, EMA ribbons (confirm direction)
• Momentum oscillators: RSI, MACD (identify divergences)
• Support/Resistance: Fibonacci, pivot points (confluence)
• Volume indicators: Volume profile, VWAP (institutional zones)
• Market structure: Higher timeframe analysis (trend context)

Please visit our website for current pricing and plans. We offer various subscription options to fit different trading needs.

Please visit whop.com/paganie for current trial offers and refund policy. We want you to be confident in your purchase.

Support channels:

• Documentation: Check Quick Start Guide and FAQ first
• Discord Community: Join us at discord.gg/RPeAwArXUA
• Website: Visit paganie.com

Before contacting support:

1. Check if you're on the latest version (v3.4.0)
2. Review the Quick Start Guide
3. Search this FAQ
4. Try resetting settings to defaults

Yes! We continuously improve the indicator:

• v3.4.0 (Latest): Auto Mode, Anti-Spam Alerts, Opt-in Liquidity, Alerts-Only Mode
• v3.3.0: Power Row Multi-TF Auto-Switching
• v3.1.0: ICT Liquidity Sweep Detection
• v3.0.1: Proximity Alert System
• v3.0.0: 30-50% performance optimization
• v2.4.x: Advanced controls, bug fixes, VP auto-scaling

All updates are included free with your purchase. Simply update the indicator code in TradingView when new versions release.

ICT (Inner Circle Trader) and SMC (Smart Money Concepts) are trading methodologies focused on following institutional order flow rather than retail patterns.

Key concepts:

• Order Blocks: Zones where institutions placed large orders
• Liquidity Sweeps: Price grabs stops before reversing
• Fair Value Gaps: Price imbalances from aggressive buying/selling
• Market Structure: Higher highs/lower lows indicating trend
• Displacement: Strong candles showing institutional participation

Yes! The indicator works perfectly for backtesting.

Since v2.2.0, historical and real-time signals are 100% consistent. You can trust backtest results.

Best practices for backtesting:

• Use at least 3-6 months of data
• Test multiple market conditions (trending, ranging, volatile)
• Track Elite/Strong blocks separately (better win rate)
• Include realistic spread/commission costs
• Test your risk management rules
• Paper trade before going live

No. The indicator uses confirmed candles only (barstate.isconfirmed).

Order blocks appear only after the detection candle closes. They don't disappear or move on new candles.

What does change:

• Status updates: FRESH → ACTIVE → TESTED (this is expected behavior)
• Retest count: Increments when price touches zone again
• Mitigation: Blocks are deleted when fully penetrated
• Zone extensions: Visual boxes extend to current bar

These updates are part of tracking zone lifecycle, not repainting.

Yes, it works on all markets with sufficient liquidity:

• ✅ Crypto: Excellent (high volatility, clear institutional activity)
• ✅ Forex Majors: Excellent (high liquidity, clean price action)
• ✅ Stock Indices: Excellent (ES, NQ, YM futures)
• ✅ Large Cap Stocks: Good (sufficient volume)
• ⚠️ Small Cap Stocks: Moderate (lower institutional presence)
• ⚠️ Low Volume Assets: Not recommended

The indicator adapts to each market's volatility using ATR-based calculations.

No coding knowledge required!

The indicator is ready to use out of the box:

• Add to TradingView chart
• Enable "Auto-Adjust for Timeframe"
• Start trading

Advanced users can:

• Customize 30+ settings for their style
• Adjust filters and thresholds
• Fine-tune for specific assets

All settings include tooltips explaining their purpose!