Volume Profile Sidebar

Volume Profile Sidebar draws a horizontal volume-at-price histogram at the side of the chart and marks the Point of Control (POC) and the Value Area.

Main features

• Three range modes: visible range, last N bars, or current day / session.
• POC row, Value Area rows (70% by default) and outside rows in separate colors.
• Optional lines and price labels for POC, Value Area High (VAH) and Value Area Low (VAL).
• Volume is spread across each bar's high-low range; M1 data is used when available, which gives a finer profile on higher timeframes.
• Tick volume by default; real volume can be used where it is available.
• In visible range mode the profile follows scrolling and zooming automatically.
• Histogram on the right or left, optionally in the chart shift area, behind or in front of the candles.

How to read it

Each row shows how much volume traded within its price band over the selected range. Long rows are high-volume nodes, where the market was active for longer; short rows are low-volume nodes, which price passed through quickly. The POC is the row with the highest volume. The Value Area is built outward from the POC by adding the neighbouring row with more volume until the target share is reached; its edges are VAH and VAL. Many traders use these levels as a reference for possible support, resistance and fair value.

Main inputs

• Profile range mode: Visible range (default), Last N bars (300), or Current day / session (start hour 0, server time).
• Maximum chart bars used: 5,000.
• Use real volume: off; use M1 data: on, up to 100,000 M1 bars.
• Number of price rows: 100, or a fixed row size in points (0 = off).
• Value Area: 70% of total volume.
• Histogram width: 25% of visible bars; side: Right; gap between rows: 10% of row height.
• Colors for Value Area rows, outside rows, the POC row and the lines.
• POC line, Value Area lines and price labels (all on); minimum 300 ms between recalculations; object name prefix.

Notes and limits

• If M1 history covers only part of the range, the older part uses chart bars.
• Tick volume counts price changes, not traded contracts. On most forex and CFD symbols it is the only volume available.
• When running several copies on one chart, give each a different object name prefix.
• The indicator uses no DLLs and no external files, and all objects are removed with the indicator.
• A volume profile describes where trading took place in the past. It does not predict future prices and works best as one input among others.

This tool does not trade.