This User Manual provides the complete user-facing reference for Anchored VWAP Studio, including VWAP controls, Anchored VWAP workflow, settings, profiles, Anchor Sets, Intraday Presets, alerts, hotkeys, persistence, troubleshooting and limitations.
Documentation version: 1.00
Product: Anchored VWAP Studio by XTSFORGE
Indicator name: XTSFORGE A-VWAP Studio
Platform: MetaTrader 5
Product Page | Quick Start | Developer Guide
Documentation note: This article is the full user manual and feature reference for Anchored VWAP Studio. It describes product operation only. It is not financial advice and does not provide trading recommendations, buy signals, sell signals or performance guarantees. For risk disclaimer, support scope, license/update notes and privacy information, please refer to the Product Page.
Article Map
This article is structured as follows:
- Overview
- Control Modes and Interfaces
- Integrated UI Overview
- Periodic VWAPs
- Daily VWAP Bands
- Anchored VWAP Workflow
- Per-Anchor Settings
- Right-Side Labels
- Settings Window Reference
- Settings Profiles
- Anchor Sets
- Intraday Presets
- Alerts
- Hotkeys
- Persistence and Workspace Behavior
- Input Reference
- Practical Workflow Examples
- Troubleshooting
- Limitations and Important Notes
- FAQ
- Support, Risk and Privacy Reference
- Changelog
1. Overview
XTSFORGE A-VWAP Studio is the MetaTrader 5 indicator name for Anchored VWAP Studio by XTSFORGE.
It is a workflow-focused VWAP and Anchored VWAP indicator for traders who use VWAP structures, session-based reference levels and manually selected anchor points directly on the chart.
The indicator combines Daily, Weekly and Monthly VWAPs with manually placed Anchored VWAPs, H/L bands, standard deviation bands, right-side labels, alerts, hotkeys, settings profiles, anchor sets, intraday presets, an integrated chart control panel and optional public interfaces for EAs and scripts.
The product is intended for manual chart workflow, structured analysis and advanced MetaTrader 5 integration. It does not generate buy or sell signals by itself and does not decide where anchors should be placed.
1.1 Main Features at a Glance
- Daily, Weekly and Monthly VWAPs
- configurable Daily and Weekly reset modes
- Daily VWAP history control
- Weekly and Monthly history depth settings
- Daily H/L and standard deviation bands
- up to 20 supported Anchored VWAP slots
- configurable maximum active anchor count
- per-anchor color, visibility, band mode and label mode
- NEW preset workflow for future anchors
- automatic next-color suggestion from the anchor palette
- draggable anchor markers with global lock
- global Anchored VWAP visibility
- right-side labels with collision handling
- configurable label font size and minimum label distance
- configurable alert system
- custom alert email subject
- configurable hotkeys
- Clean Screenshot Mode
- Dark, Light and Custom UI color schemes
- optional Plain Symbols UI mode
- Settings Profiles
- Anchor Sets
- Intraday Presets
- hidden-object Data Interface v5
- global-variable Command Interface v2
1.2 Recommended First Workflow
- start with the default inputs unless a specific workflow requires changes
- use Integrated UI mode for normal chart operation
- keep the Data Interface disabled unless EA or script access is needed
- start with Daily VWAP and a small number of Anchored VWAPs
- keep anchor marker lock enabled during normal work
- enable bands only on the VWAP structures that matter
- keep right-side labels enabled only where they improve readability
- use Settings Profiles once a stable layout has been created
- use Anchor Sets for symbol-specific anchor collections that should be reused
2. Control Modes and Interfaces
The Control Mode setting selects how the indicator is controlled.
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Integrated UI | Shows the integrated chart UI. Bridge commands are ignored. |
| Bridge | Hides the integrated UI. Bridge commands are accepted. |
| Integrated UI + Bridge | Shows the integrated chart UI and accepts Bridge commands. |
Most users should use Integrated Mode. Bridge Mode and Integrated + Bridge Mode are intended for EA, script or external workflow integration.
2.1 Data Interface Mode
The Data Interface Mode setting controls whether hidden-object data snapshots are published.
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Off | No public data objects are published. |
| Hidden Objects | Hidden chart objects publish data snapshots for EAs and scripts. |
Most non-developer users can keep the Data Interface disabled.
2.2 Bridge Commands and UI Visibility
Bridge commands are accepted in Bridge mode and Integrated UI + Bridge mode. Bridge commands are not accepted in Integrated UI-only mode.
Hotkeys are active only when the integrated UI is visible and hotkeys are enabled.
2.3 Data Interface vs Command Interface
The Data Interface is read-oriented. It publishes indicator state and values for EAs and scripts.
The Command Interface is write-oriented. It allows external tools to control selected indicator functions.
They can be used independently. The detailed interface documentation is available in the Developer Guide.
3. Integrated UI Overview
3.1 Main Panel
The integrated main panel provides quick access to:
- alerts on/off
- Daily VWAP visibility
- Daily history
- Daily band mode
- Weekly VWAP visibility
- Monthly VWAP visibility
- anchor add workflow
- Intraday Presets overlay
- clear all anchors
- anchor selector
- selected anchor delete
- selected anchor visibility
- selected anchor color
- selected anchor band mode
- selected anchor label mode
- custom label text
- theme control
- status panel
- settings window
- Clean Screenshot Mode
3.2 Settings Window
The Settings window contains the following pages:
- Appearance
- Periodic
- Anchored
- Alerts
- Anchor Sets
- Presets
- Profiles
The Settings window is intended for slower configuration changes. The main panel is intended for fast chart workflow.
3.3 Panel and Settings Dragging
The main panel and Settings window can be moved by dragging their header areas. The indicator restores mouse scrolling when dragging ends or when the indicator is removed.
3.4 Themes and Plain Symbols Mode
The UI supports Dark theme, Light theme and Custom theme based on the custom color inputs. Custom theme colors are configured in the indicator inputs. Settings Profiles can save and restore the selected theme and the custom color values.
Plain Symbols mode replaces some Unicode UI symbols with ASCII-style fallback characters. Use this if your system, font rendering or broker terminal does not display Unicode symbols consistently.
3.5 Button States and Status Panel
Buttons can be inactive, active, armed, disabled by context or in a warning/limit state. Tooltips explain the current action in most areas.
The status panel shows the current global workflow status. Long visible status messages are shortened with ..., while the full message remains available in the tooltip. Persistent warnings, such as duplicate hotkeys, are indicated by the status warning symbol.
4. Periodic VWAPs
4.1 Daily VWAP
The Daily VWAP calculates a volume-weighted average price for the current Daily reset period.
The Daily reset can use server calendar day or symbol session start. Symbol session mode is useful when the instrument has defined trading sessions and the user wants the VWAP to follow the instrument's session structure.
4.2 Weekly VWAP
The Weekly VWAP calculates a volume-weighted average price for the current weekly period.
The Weekly reset can use server calendar week or the first symbol trading session of the week. Weekly VWAP behavior may differ between brokers because server time and symbol sessions can differ.
4.3 Monthly VWAP
The Monthly VWAP calculates a volume-weighted average price for the current monthly period. Monthly VWAP is often used as a higher-timeframe reference on intraday charts.
4.4 Price Source Selection
The Periodic VWAP price source defines which price is used in Periodic VWAP calculations and Daily deviation bands.
| Price source | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Close | Uses the close price. |
| HL/2 | Uses high and low average. |
| HLC/3 | Uses high, low and close average. This is the default. |
| OHLC/4 | Uses open, high, low and close average. |
4.5 Volume Mode Selection
The volume mode applies to all VWAP calculations.
| Volume mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tick volume | Uses broker-provided tick volume. |
| Real volume | Uses broker-provided real volume when available. |
| Auto | Selects an appropriate available volume source. This is usually the safest default. |
VWAP calculations depend on broker-provided volume data. If a symbol provides no usable volume data, VWAP values may be incomplete or not meaningful.
4.6 History and Labels
Daily history controls how many Daily VWAP sessions are drawn. The main panel can cycle common Daily history states, and the Settings page provides more controlled adjustment.
Weekly and Monthly history depth is configured in the Periodic Settings page. Positive values limit the number of weeks or months drawn.
Periodic VWAP labels can show nothing, name only, price only or name + price. Right-side label font size and minimum label distance are configured globally.
5. Daily VWAP Bands
5.1 Band Modes
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OFF | No Daily bands. |
| H/L | Weighted high/low bands. |
| StdDev | Weighted standard deviation bands. |
| Dual | H/L and standard deviation bands. |
5.2 Weighted H/L Bands
H/L bands use weighted high and low calculations for the active Daily VWAP period. They are intended as contextual range references around the Daily VWAP.
5.3 Standard Deviation Bands
Standard deviation bands use weighted standard deviation around the Daily VWAP. The visible number of levels and the multipliers are configurable.
Supported visible standard deviation levels are 1, 2 and 3. Default multipliers are 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.
5.4 Rendering Note for Line Styles
MetaTrader may render Dash, Dot and DashDot styles differently depending on line width, zoom level and display scaling. For the clearest distinction between non-solid styles, use width 1.
6. Anchored VWAP Workflow
6.1 What Is an Anchored VWAP?
An Anchored VWAP starts from a specific point selected by the user. Unlike Daily, Weekly or Monthly VWAPs, it does not reset automatically by date or session. It starts at the selected anchor time and continues forward.
6.2 Anchored VWAP Price Source
Anchored VWAPs use their own price source setting. This price source is used for Anchored VWAP main calculations and anchored deviation bands. Supported values are Close, HL/2, HLC/3 and OHLC/4. The default is HLC/3.
6.3 Manual Anchor Placement
Click ADD, then click a chart bar. The selected bar time becomes the anchor time. The indicator assigns the first free active slot and draws the corresponding Anchored VWAP.
6.4 NEW Preset Workflow
NEW is the preset used for the next manually created anchor. When the selector is on NEW, changes to color, band mode, label mode and custom label text affect the next anchor that will be created.
6.5 Anchor Selector
The anchor selector cycles through NEW and active anchor slots such as A1, A2 and A3. If the selected anchor becomes unavailable, the selector safely falls back to NEW.
6.6 Maximum Active Anchor Count
The indicator supports up to 20 anchor slots. The Maximum Anchors input controls how many slots are active. The default is 10. The supported range is 1 to 20.
6.7 Anchor Marker Lock and Live Drag Preview
The global anchor marker lock prevents accidental movement of anchor markers. Keep it enabled during normal analysis and unlock only when you intentionally want to move anchors.
Live drag preview recalculates Anchored VWAPs while an anchor marker is being moved. The Live Drag Preview Interval input controls the minimum interval between preview updates. Supported values are capped to the safe range of 10 to 250 milliseconds.
6.8 Global and Individual Visibility
Global Anchored VWAP visibility hides or shows all Anchored VWAP structures. Individual hidden states are preserved. If one anchor was hidden individually, turning global visibility back on does not force that anchor to become individually visible.
Each anchor can also be hidden or shown individually. Hidden anchors are not drawn and do not trigger Anchored VWAP alerts.
6.9 Delete Selected Anchor and Clear All
Deleting the selected anchor removes only the selected anchor slot. Clear all removes all anchors. Destructive actions use confirmation behavior to reduce accidental deletion.
7. Per-Anchor Settings
7.1 Color
Each anchor can have its own color. The anchor color is used for the Anchored VWAP main line, anchor marker, bands and right-side label.
7.2 Band Mode
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OFF | No bands for this anchor. |
| H/L | Weighted high/low bands. |
| StdDev | Weighted standard deviation bands. |
| Dual | H/L and standard deviation bands. |
7.3 Label Mode
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OFF | No right-side label. |
| # | Anchor number only. |
| P | Price only. |
| # + P | Anchor number and price. |
| C | Custom text only. |
| C + P | Custom text and price. |
7.4 Custom Label Text
Custom label text is available when the label mode uses custom text. The maximum custom anchor label length is 32 characters.
Example labels: London Open, NY Open, CPI Candle, Session Low, Breakout.
7.5 NEW vs Existing Anchor Behavior
When NEW is selected, settings affect the next anchor. When an existing anchor is selected, settings affect that specific anchor.
8. Right-Side Labels
Right-side labels identify VWAP levels near the right edge of the chart. They help distinguish Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Anchored VWAP lines without tracing them back across the chart.
If labels are close together, the indicator shifts them vertically to reduce overlap. This means a label may not always sit exactly at the corresponding VWAP price. The purpose is readability.
If a VWAP line is hidden, its right-side label is also hidden. Hidden Anchored VWAPs do not trigger Anchored VWAP alerts.
The most important label settings are Periodic label mode, per-anchor label mode, label font size, minimum label distance and custom anchor label text.
9. Settings Window Reference
9.1 Appearance Page
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Theme | Dark, Light or Custom UI theme. |
| Position | Default panel position on the chart. |
| Plain Symbols | Uses simpler ASCII-style symbols for systems where Unicode symbols do not render well. |
| VWAP chart labels | Controls the right-side VWAP label font size and minimum collision spacing. |
| Custom UI colors | Color defaults configured in the indicator inputs and used by the Custom theme. |
Right-side label font size is capped to 6 - 14. Minimum label distance is capped to 8 - 40 pixels.
9.2 Periodic Page
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Daily VWAP | Enables or disables Daily VWAP. |
| Weekly VWAP | Enables or disables Weekly VWAP. |
| Monthly VWAP | Enables or disables Monthly VWAP. |
| Daily history | Controls how many Daily VWAP periods are drawn. Supported public states are 1 - 5 days or Full. |
| Weekly history | Controls how many Weekly VWAP periods are drawn. Supported values are 1 - 12 weeks or Full. |
| Monthly history | Controls how many Monthly VWAP periods are drawn. Supported values are 1 - 12 months or Full. |
| Daily band mode | OFF, H/L, StdDev or Dual. |
| Periodic right-side labels | OFF, name, price or name + price. |
| Line widths and styles | Visual settings for Periodic VWAP lines and bands. |
| Standard deviation settings | Number of levels and multipliers for Daily standard deviation bands. Multipliers are capped to 0.10 - 10.00. |
9.3 Anchored Page
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| New anchor color mode | Uniform or palette-based NEW color behavior. |
| After set behavior | Select newly created anchor or keep selector on NEW. |
| Marker symbol and size | Visual appearance of anchor markers. Marker font size is capped to 6 - 32. |
| Anchored VWAP line width/style | Visual settings for Anchored VWAP main lines. Line width is capped to 1 - 5. |
| Anchored band width/style | Visual settings for Anchored VWAP bands. Band width is capped to 1 - 5. |
| Standard deviation settings | Number of levels and multipliers for Anchored VWAP standard deviation bands. Multipliers are capped to 0.10 - 10.00. |
| New anchor default label mode | Initial label mode used for new anchors. Global right-side label font and collision settings are configured on the Appearance page. |
9.4 Alerts Page
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| State | Enables or disables all alert processing. |
| Direction | Both, bullish only or bearish only. |
| Evaluation | Closed-bar or Intrabar evaluation. |
| Once per bar | Prevents the same rule from firing repeatedly on the same bar. |
| Cooldown | Minimum seconds between repeated alerts from the same rule. |
| Delivery | Terminal, push and email channels. |
| Email subject | Subject used for MT5 email alerts. Empty values fall back to the default subject. |
| Targets | Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Anchored, Daily bands and Anchored bands. |
| Trigger types | Cross, Break, Touch and Band Touch. |
9.5 Anchor Sets Page
| Action | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Save | Saves the current anchors as a new Anchor Set. |
| Replace | Loads an Anchor Set and replaces current anchors. |
| Add | Adds an Anchor Set to free anchor slots. |
| Update | Overwrites an existing Anchor Set with the current anchors. |
| Rename | Renames an Anchor Set file. |
| Delete | Deletes an Anchor Set file. |
| Clear All | Deletes all saved Anchor Sets for the current symbol. |
Anchor Sets are symbol-specific and have a UI-managed limit of 10 files per symbol.
9.6 Presets Page
The Presets page defines Intraday Preset rows. Each row can include membership in P1, P2 and/or P3, name/label, time in broker server time, color and band mode.
The selected Preset can be added to the chart or used to replace current anchors. Invalid times and duplicate timestamps are skipped and reported in the status message.
9.7 Profiles Page
| Action | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Save | Saves the current settings as a new profile. |
| Load | Loads an existing profile. |
| Update | Overwrites an existing profile with the current settings. |
| Rename | Renames a profile file. |
| Delete | Deletes a profile file. |
| Clear All | Deletes all saved Settings Profiles. |
| Load Defaults | Restores indicator defaults for runtime settings and preset rows. |
Profiles have a UI-managed limit of 10 files.
10. Settings Profiles
Settings Profiles are used to save and restore indicator configuration inside Anchored VWAP Studio. They are separate from MetaTrader's built-in input presets. Profiles save settings and workflow preferences, while Anchor Sets save symbol-specific anchor collections.
10.1 What Profiles Save
- UI theme and UI position
- Plain Symbols mode
- custom UI colors
- Periodic VWAP visibility and history settings
- line widths, line styles and colors
- right-side label settings
- Daily and Anchored band settings
- anchor visual defaults
- NEW anchor defaults
- alert settings
- custom alert email subject
- Intraday Preset rows
10.2 What Profiles Do Not Save
Profiles do not store actual anchor times as a live workspace. Use Anchor Sets or anchor persistence for actual anchors.
10.3 File Storage
Profiles are stored as .avws files in the MetaTrader 5 Files area under:
MQL5\Files\XTSFORGE A-VWAP Studio
The UI manages up to 10 profile files.
10.4 Loading on Initialization
The Settings Profile Name input can specify a profile name to load during initialization. The Load Settings Profile on Initialization input must be enabled for automatic profile loading. The profile name should be entered without .avws.
10.5 Load Defaults Behavior
Load Defaults resets runtime settings and preset rows to indicator defaults. Saved Settings Profiles and Anchor Sets are not deleted.
11. Anchor Sets
Anchor Sets save groups of manually placed anchors for the current symbol.
They are useful for recurring workflows such as session open anchor sets, previous session structure, news-event anchor collections, swing-based analysis layouts, and separate intraday and swing templates.
11.1 What Anchor Sets Save
- anchor time
- individual visibility
- anchor color
- band mode
- label mode
- custom label text
- selected anchor index
11.2 Symbol-Specific Storage
Anchor Sets are symbol-specific. They are stored as .avwa files under:
MQL5\Files\XTSFORGE A-VWAP Studio\Anchor Sets\<Symbol>
The UI manages up to 10 Anchor Sets per symbol.
11.3 Replace vs Add
Replace removes current anchors and loads the selected Anchor Set.
Add keeps current anchors and adds Anchor Set anchors to free slots. If there are not enough free slots, only anchors that can be placed are added.
11.4 Update
Update overwrites an existing Anchor Set with the current runtime anchors. If no anchors are currently on the chart, the update is blocked.
11.5 Anchor Sets vs Profiles
Use Settings Profiles for configuration. Use Anchor Sets for actual anchor collections. Anchor Sets are not included in Profiles because they are symbol-specific and represent concrete chart anchor timestamps.
12. Intraday Presets
Intraday Presets are used to create or replace several anchors based on preconfigured row times. They are useful for recurring time-based anchors such as London Open, New York Open, market open, session midpoint or scheduled event times.
12.1 Preset Rows
The Presets page contains 10 rows. Each row can define P1 membership, P2 membership, P3 membership, name/label, time, color and band mode. A row can belong to more than one preset.
12.2 Time Format
Times are interpreted in broker server time.
The clearest format is HH:MM, for example 09:00 or 15:30. The time parser also accepts compact numeric and AM/PM-style inputs such as 9, 930, 1530, 9am or 3:30pm. Valid entries are normalized internally to HH:MM.
Invalid times are skipped and reported in the status message. Preset times that are still in the future for the current broker-server day are also skipped, because Intraday Presets create anchors for today's already available chart times.
12.3 Add and Replace
Add adds anchors for the selected preset without removing existing anchors.
Replace clears current anchors first and then adds the preset anchors.
Duplicate timestamps, invalid times, future times and rows blocked by the maximum anchor limit are skipped and reported in the status message.
12.4 Preset Labels
The row name can be used as custom label text for the created anchors when the row is configured accordingly.
13. Alerts
13.1 Alert Master Switch
The global Alerts state enables or disables all alert processing.
The Alert setup is active only when alerts are enabled, at least one delivery channel is enabled and configured, at least one target is enabled, and at least one trigger type is enabled.
13.2 Alert Channels
Supported channels are Terminal, Push and Email. Push and email require MetaTrader 5 terminal configuration.
13.3 Email Subject
The email subject can be edited in the Alerts Settings page.
XTSFORGE Anchored VWAP Studio Alert
Empty values fall back to the default subject. The subject is saved in Settings Profiles.
13.4 Alert Targets
- Daily VWAP main line
- Weekly VWAP main line
- Monthly VWAP main line
- Anchored VWAP main lines
- Daily VWAP bands
- Anchored VWAP bands
Band targets are meaningful only when the corresponding bands are visible and enabled.
13.5 Trigger Types
| Trigger | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cross | Price crosses an enabled VWAP or band level. |
| Break | Price breaks beyond an enabled level. In Closed-bar mode, the completed bar must close beyond the level. In Intrabar mode, the currently forming bar can trigger while price moves beyond the level. |
| Touch | The bar range touches an enabled VWAP level. |
| Band Touch | Price touches an enabled band level. |
13.6 Evaluation Mode
Closed bar evaluates completed bars only. Cross, Break, Touch and Band Touch logic is based on completed-bar data. This is more conservative and is usually preferred for EA-style confirmation.
Intrabar evaluates the currently forming bar. This is more reactive and can trigger while price is still moving, so alerts may occur more frequently.
13.7 Direction Filter
The direction filter applies to directional events such as crosses and breaks. Supported values are Both, Bullish only and Bearish only.
13.8 Cooldown and Once-Per-Bar
Cooldown prevents the same alert rule from firing too frequently. Once-per-bar prevents repeated alerts from the same rule on the same bar. Both settings help reduce alert noise.
13.9 Hidden Anchored VWAPs and Alerts
Hidden Anchored VWAPs do not trigger Anchored VWAP alerts. This applies to individually hidden anchors and to global Anchored VWAP visibility.
14. Hotkeys
14.1 Activation Logic
Hotkeys are active only when the integrated UI is visible and hotkeys are enabled. Bridge-only mode disables all integrated UI hotkeys.
When hotkeys are disabled, tooltips do not show hotkey hints or ESC cancel hints.
14.2 Modifier
Supported modifiers are no modifier, Shift, Ctrl and Ctrl + Shift. The default modifier is Shift.
14.3 Default Hotkey Map
| Action | Default key |
|---|---|
| Add anchor | Shift + A |
| Delete selected anchor | Shift + D |
| Intraday Presets | Shift + P |
| Clear all anchors | Shift + C |
| Toggle Daily VWAP | Shift + 1 |
| Toggle Weekly VWAP | Shift + 2 |
| Toggle Monthly VWAP | Shift + 3 |
| Cycle Daily history | Shift + R |
| Cycle Daily band mode | Shift + G |
| Select previous anchor | Shift + Q |
| Select next anchor | Shift + E |
| Jump to NEW preset | Shift + N |
| Toggle selected anchor visibility | Shift + H |
| Cycle selected anchor color | Shift + F |
| Cycle selected anchor band mode | Shift + B |
| Cycle selected anchor label mode | Shift + T |
| Toggle anchor marker lock | Shift + L |
| Toggle global Anchored VWAP visibility | Shift + V |
| Toggle Clean Screenshot Mode | Shift + X |
14.4 Duplicate Hotkey Warnings
If duplicate indicator hotkeys are configured, the indicator shows a persistent warning marker and a status-panel tooltip. Change the duplicated key or modifier in the inputs.
15. Persistence and Workspace Behavior
15.1 Anchor Persistence Modes
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Soft Reinitialization | Reinit-persistent anchors for the current chart instance. |
| Full | Restart-persistent anchors stored under the selected namespace. |
Full persistence is recommended for important workspaces. The namespace is the storage name used for saved anchors. The default namespace is shared. If you use the same symbol and the same namespace again, the indicator can restore the same saved anchor workspace. Use a different namespace if you want separate anchor workspaces for the same symbol, for example intraday, swing or earnings.
15.2 Soft Reinitialization Handoff
For soft reinitialization events, the indicator uses a temporary handoff state so anchors can survive parameter changes, recompiles, template changes and chart changes where appropriate.
15.3 What Anchor Persistence Saves
- anchor times
- slot visibility
- slot colors
- slot band modes
- slot label modes
- slot custom label text
- NEW preset visibility, color, band mode and label mode
- global Anchored VWAP visibility
- anchor marker lock state
- selected anchor selector
- Periodic VWAP visibility states
- Daily history state
- Daily band mode
- alert master state
15.4 What Is Not Saved by Anchor Persistence
Anchor persistence is not a replacement for Settings Profiles. Use Settings Profiles for visual settings, alert details, profile-level configuration and preset rows.
15.5 Reset Anchors on Daily Reset Boundary
If Reset Anchors on Daily Reset Boundary is enabled, anchors are cleared when the Daily VWAP reset boundary changes. Use this only if your workflow intentionally starts fresh at each Daily reset boundary.
16. Input Reference
This section lists the current visible MetaTrader 5 indicator inputs. Many visual and workflow settings are configured in the integrated Settings window and saved through Settings Profiles rather than exposed as individual inputs.
16.1 Control and Interfaces
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Control Mode | Integrated UI | Selects Integrated UI, Bridge or Integrated UI + Bridge control. |
| Data Interface Mode | Off | Enables or disables hidden-object data publishing. |
16.2 Settings Profile
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Settings Profile Name | empty | Optional Settings Profile name to load on init, without .avws. |
| Load Settings Profile on Initialization | false / disabled | Loads the named Settings Profile during initialization. |
16.3 VWAP Calculation
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Volume Mode | Auto | Volume source for all VWAP calculations. |
| Periodic VWAP Price Source | HLC/3 | Price source for Periodic VWAPs and Daily deviation bands. |
| Daily VWAP Reset Mode | Symbol Session | Daily VWAP reset mode. |
| Weekly VWAP Reset Mode | First Session | Weekly VWAP reset mode. |
| Anchored VWAP Price Source | HLC/3 | Price source for Anchored VWAPs and anchored deviation bands. |
16.4 Anchor Capacity and Persistence
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum Anchors | 10 | Maximum active A-VWAP anchors. Supported range: 1 - 20. |
| Anchor Persistence Mode | Full | Anchor persistence mode. |
| Anchor State ID / Namespace | shared | Storage namespace used in full persistence mode. |
| Reset Anchors on Daily Reset Boundary | false / disabled | Clears all anchors when the Daily VWAP reset boundary changes. |
16.5 Anchor Interaction
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Markers Locked at Start | true / enabled | Locks anchor marker dragging at indicator start. |
| Live Drag Preview | true / enabled | Recalculates Anchored VWAPs while dragging anchor markers. |
| Live Drag Preview Interval | 50 ms | Minimum time between live drag preview updates. Values are capped to 10 - 250 ms. |
16.6 Hotkey Inputs
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hotkeys Enabled | true / enabled | Enables integrated UI chart hotkeys. |
| Hotkey Modifier | Shift | Global modifier for integrated UI hotkeys. |
| Add Anchor Hotkey | A | Add anchor hotkey. |
| Delete Selected Anchor Hotkey | D | Delete selected anchor hotkey. |
| Intraday Presets Hotkey | P | Intraday Presets hotkey. |
| Clear All Anchors Hotkey | C | Clear all anchors hotkey. |
| Daily VWAP Hotkey | 1 | Toggle Daily VWAP hotkey. |
| Weekly VWAP Hotkey | 2 | Toggle Weekly VWAP hotkey. |
| Monthly VWAP Hotkey | 3 | Toggle Monthly VWAP hotkey. |
| Daily History Hotkey | R | Cycle Daily VWAP history hotkey. |
| Daily Band Mode Hotkey | G | Cycle Daily VWAP band mode hotkey. |
| Select Previous Anchor Hotkey | Q | Select previous anchor hotkey. |
| Select Next Anchor Hotkey | E | Select next anchor hotkey. |
| Jump to NEW Preset Hotkey | N | Jump to NEW preset hotkey. |
| Selected Anchor Visibility Hotkey | H | Toggle selected anchor visibility hotkey. |
| Selected Anchor Color Hotkey | F | Cycle selected anchor color hotkey. |
| Selected Anchor Band Hotkey | B | Cycle selected anchor band mode hotkey. |
| Selected Anchor Label Hotkey | T | Cycle selected anchor label mode hotkey. |
| Anchor Lock Hotkey | L | Toggle anchor marker lock hotkey. |
| Anchored Visibility Hotkey | V | Toggle global Anchored VWAP visibility hotkey. |
| Clean Screenshot Hotkey | X | Toggle Clean Screenshot Mode hotkey. |
16.7 Color Defaults
Color Default inputs define the initial colors for the Custom UI theme, Periodic VWAP main lines, Daily bands and anchor palette colors. These inputs are starting defaults. Runtime color changes can be saved in Settings Profiles.
17. Practical Workflow Examples
17.1 Clean Intraday VWAP Workflow
- Daily VWAP enabled
- Weekly VWAP enabled only if relevant
- Monthly VWAP disabled on very short-term charts
- Daily history set to current day or a small number of days
- a small number of manual Anchored VWAPs
17.2 Session Open Workflow
Use Intraday Presets to define recurring session times such as London Open and New York Open. Use Add to add the selected preset to the current chart, or Replace to create a clean preset-based workspace.
17.3 News Candle Workflow
Place an anchor on a high-impact news candle and assign a custom label. Optional bands can be enabled for that specific anchor.
17.4 Multi-Anchor Confluence Workflow
Use several anchors from relevant structure points. Keep only important anchors visible. Hide or delete anchors that no longer matter.
17.5 Alert-Driven Monitoring Workflow
Enable alerts only for the VWAP structures that matter for the current analysis. A conservative starting setup is Closed-bar evaluation, Cross and Break enabled, Touch disabled unless specifically needed, Once per bar enabled and Cooldown enabled.
17.6 EA-Assisted Workflow
Enable the Data Interface when an EA or script should read VWAP values. Use Bridge or Integrated + Bridge mode when an external tool should send commands to the indicator.
18. Troubleshooting
18.1 The Control Panel Is Not Visible
- Control Mode is set to Bridge-only instead of an integrated UI mode
- Clean Screenshot Mode is active
- the panel is minimized
- the chart is too small for the selected UI position
- the UI is outside the visible chart area after layout changes
18.2 No VWAP Is Visible
- the relevant VWAP is enabled
- line color is visible against the chart background
- enough historical data is loaded
- the symbol provides usable volume data
- the VWAP is not hidden by settings or visibility controls
18.3 Anchors Disappear After Restart
- Anchor Persistence Mode is set to Full
- the same symbol is used
- the same Anchor State ID / namespace is used; the default is shared
- the anchor state was saved before shutdown or reload
18.4 I Cannot Move Anchor Markers
Anchor marker lock is probably enabled. Disable the lock before dragging anchor markers.
18.5 ADD Does Not Create Another Anchor
The maximum active anchor count may have been reached. Delete an existing anchor or increase the Maximum Anchors input within the supported range of 1 - 20.
18.6 Labels Overlap or Appear Shifted
Right-side labels are shifted vertically to reduce overlap. Increase minimum label distance or reduce label font size if labels are too crowded.
18.7 Alerts Do Not Fire
- Alerts are enabled
- at least one delivery channel is enabled and configured
- at least one target is enabled
- at least one trigger type is enabled
- the relevant VWAP or band is visible
- cooldown and once-per-bar are not suppressing repeated alerts
- hidden Anchored VWAPs are not expected to alert
18.8 Push or Email Alerts Do Not Arrive
Check MetaTrader 5 notification or email settings. The indicator can send the alert request, but MetaTrader must be configured correctly.
18.9 Bridge Commands Do Not Execute
- control mode accepts bridge commands
- command keys use the correct symbol, period and chart ID
- payloads are written before CMD_SEQ
- CMD_SEQ is incremented for every command
- command code and payload values are valid
- ACK keys and ACK objects are read after sending the command
18.10 Data Interface Objects Are Missing
- Data Interface mode is enabled
- the indicator is running
- the EA/script reads objects for the correct chart ID
- the expected object prefix is XTSF:AVWAP:DATA
- the META object is read as the commit object
18.11 Performance Tips
- avoid showing all 20 anchors with full bands unless needed
- keep labels reasonable
- disable unnecessary alerts
- use limited history where possible
- prefer line width 1 for non-solid styles
- avoid dragging very old anchors on heavy charts unless necessary
19. Limitations and Important Notes
19.1 MetaTrader Object Limitations
The integrated UI, labels, anchor markers and public data objects use MetaTrader chart objects. Rendering and interaction behavior may depend on MetaTrader, chart zoom, scaling, object count and platform performance.
19.2 Line Rendering Limitations
MetaTrader may render Dash, Dot and DashDot line styles inconsistently when line width is greater than 1. For the clearest visual distinction between non-solid styles, use width 1.
19.3 Historical Data Dependency
VWAP calculations depend on the historical bars available in MetaTrader. If history is missing or incomplete, calculated values may be incomplete until MetaTrader loads more data.
Very old anchor points may be limited by the indicator's internal safe-bar protection to keep chart interaction responsive.
19.4 Broker Session Differences
Daily and Weekly reset behavior may differ between brokers because server time and symbol sessions can differ.
19.5 Volume Data Dependency
VWAP calculations require usable volume data. Many Forex and CFD symbols use tick volume rather than real volume. If a symbol provides no usable volume data, VWAP calculations may not be meaningful.
19.6 Demo Version Note
The MQL5 Market demo version of indicators can only be tested in the MetaTrader Strategy Tester visual mode.
Because this indicator is designed around interactive chart controls, manual anchors, hotkeys and visual workflow, the screenshots, product video and documentation are important for understanding the full on-chart workflow before choosing a rental or full license.
20. FAQ
20.1 Does the Indicator Generate Buy or Sell Signals?
No. It is an analysis and workflow tool, not a signal system.
20.2 What Is the Difference Between VWAP and Anchored VWAP?
A Periodic VWAP resets automatically by period or session. An Anchored VWAP starts from a manually selected anchor point.
20.3 Why Are Anchors Placed Manually?
Manual placement keeps the user in control. The indicator does not assume which swing, candle or market event matters to the user's analysis.
20.4 Can Hidden Anchors Trigger Alerts?
No. Hidden Anchored VWAPs do not trigger Anchored VWAP alerts.
20.5 Can I Use More Than 10 Anchors?
Yes. The default maximum is 10, but the Maximum Anchors input can be increased within the supported range of 1 - 20.
20.6 Can I Use This with an EA?
Yes. Use the Data Interface to read values and the Command Interface to control selected functions. See the Developer Guide for details.
20.7 Are Settings Profiles and Anchor Sets the Same Thing?
No. Settings Profiles save configuration and workflow settings. Anchor Sets save symbol-specific groups of anchors.
20.8 Can I Test the Indicator Before Buying?
The MQL5 Market demo version can be used in the MetaTrader Strategy Tester visual mode.
Because the product is interactive, screenshots, video and documentation are important for understanding the workflow before choosing a rental or full license.
21. Support, Risk and Privacy Reference
This article focuses on product operation and user-facing features.
For the full risk disclaimer, support scope, license/update notes and privacy information, please refer to the Product Page.
In short: Anchored VWAP Studio is a technical analysis and chart workflow tool. It does not provide financial advice, investment advice, personal recommendations, trading recommendations or guaranteed entry or exit signals. All trading decisions remain the user's responsibility.
The product does not collect or transmit personal user data. It may store local configuration and workflow data inside the user's MetaTrader 5 environment, such as settings, profiles, Anchor Sets, persistence data and terminal Global Variables used by documented interfaces.
22. Changelog
22.1 Version 1.00
Initial release documentation scope:
- Daily, Weekly and Monthly VWAPs
- manual Anchored VWAP workflow
- up to 20 anchor slots
- per-anchor visibility, color, bands and labels
- Daily and Anchored VWAP bands
- right-side labels with collision handling
- integrated UI
- Dark, Light and Custom themes
- Plain Symbols mode
- alerts with terminal, push and email channels
- custom alert email subject
- hotkeys
- Clean Screenshot Mode
- anchor persistence
- Settings Profiles
- Anchor Sets
- Intraday Presets
- Data Interface v5
- Command Interface v2
22.2 Future Update Notes
Future updates may add additional workflow features, documentation examples or interface enhancements. Public Data Interface or Command Interface changes are documented in the Developer Guide.
This article belongs to the Anchored VWAP Studio documentation series:
- Product Page
- Quick Start & First Setup
- User Manual & Feature Reference
- Developer Guide
