SMC indicator advanced
- Indicatori
- Minh Vuong Pham
- Versione: 4.0
Introduction
Group support: https://www.mql5.com/en/channels/vuongphamtrading
The SMC Complete Indicator v4 is a Smart Money Concepts (SMC) trading tool for MetaTrader 5. It automatically identifies institutional trading patterns to help traders align with "smart money" - banks, hedge funds, and market makers.
Core Principle: Large institutions need liquidity to fill massive orders. They create predictable patterns: accumulating at key levels, hunting stop losses, leaving footprints (Order Blocks, FVGs), and creating structural shifts that signal trend changes.
Indicator Components
1. Market Structure (HH/LL)
- HH (Higher High): Swing high in uptrend
- LL (Lower Low): Swing low in downtrend
2. BOS (Break of Structure)
- Dashed line from swing point to break point
- Confirms trend continuation
3. ChoCH (Change of Character)
- Solid thick line - signals potential reversal
- First break against prevailing trend
4. Order Blocks (OB)
- Colored rectangles marking institutional entry zones
- Bullish OB (Green): Last bearish candle before bullish breakout
- Bearish OB (Red): Last bullish candle before bearish breakout
5. Fair Value Gaps (FVG)
- Price imbalances from aggressive moves
- Bullish FVG: Gap in upward move
- Bearish FVG: Gap in downward move
6. Liquidity Zones (BSL/SSL)
- BSL (Orange): Buy Side Liquidity - stops above swing highs
- SSL (Purple): Sell Side Liquidity - stops below swing lows
Settings Reference
Performance
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bar Limit Mode | Auto | Bars to analyze (Auto recommended) |
| Custom Bar Limit | 0 | Custom count (0 = use mode) |
Market Structure
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pivot Length | 3 | Bars to confirm swing (2-3 for M5-H1, 5+ for H4+) |
| Show Swing Points | true | Display HH/LL labels |
| Show BOS/ChoCH | true | Display structure lines |
Order Blocks
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| OB Mitigation | Close | Close = candle close; Wick = more conservative |
| OB Extend Bars | 15 | OB display length |
Fair Value Gap
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| FVG Extend Bars | 10 | FVG display length |
Liquidity
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Left/Right Bars | 7/3 | Pivot detection parameters |
| Liquidity Extend Bars | 20 | Line display length |
Max Zones (reduce for cleaner charts)
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Max Order Blocks | 5 | Per type (bull/bear) |
| Max FVG | 5 | Per type |
| Max Liquidity | 5 | Per type |
Core SMC Concepts
Market Structure
Bullish Structure: Higher Highs (HH) + Higher Lows (HL) → Buyers control → Look for LONGS
Bearish Structure: Lower Highs (LH) + Lower Lows (LL) → Sellers control → Look for SHORTS
BOS vs ChoCH
| Type | Meaning | Signal Strength |
|---|---|---|
| BOS | Trend continuation confirmed | Moderate |
| ChoCH | Potential trend reversal | Strong |
ChoCH Example: Bullish trend (HH, HL, HH, HL) → Price breaks below last HL → Bearish ChoCH → Potential reversal
Order Blocks
Formation:
- Candle forms (becomes the OB)
- Next candle moves opposite direction
- Price breaks beyond the first candle
- First candle zone = Order Block
Why they work: Institutions leave unfilled orders at these levels. When price returns, orders get filled, price continues.
Fair Value Gaps
Bullish FVG: Candle 3's low > Candle 1's high (gap in upward move) Bearish FVG: Candle 3's high < Candle 1's low (gap in downward move)
Why they fill: Markets seek equilibrium. Imbalances get corrected.
Liquidity
BSL (Buy Side): Stop losses above swing highs. Smart money buys into this, then reverses down.
SSL (Sell Side): Stop losses below swing lows. Smart money sells into this, then reverses up.
Liquidity Sweep: Price takes out stops → Smart money fills orders → Price reverses.
Trading Strategies
Strategy 1: Order Block Bounce
Setup: Enter when price returns to unmitigated OB in trend direction.
Bullish:
- Confirm bullish structure (HH/HL)
- Wait for bullish BOS/ChoCH
- Mark the Bullish OB causing the break
- Enter LONG when price retraces to OB
- SL below OB | TP at previous high/BSL
Bearish:
- Confirm bearish structure (LH/LL)
- Wait for bearish BOS/ChoCH
- Mark the Bearish OB causing the break
- Enter SHORT when price retraces to OB
- SL above OB | TP at previous low/SSL
Confirmation options: Price rejection wick, engulfing candle, LTF ChoCH at OB
Strategy 2: FVG Fill Entry
Setup: Enter when price returns to fill a Fair Value Gap.
Bullish:
- Bullish structure/momentum confirmed
- Locate unfilled Bullish FVG
- Enter LONG at 50% of FVG or FVG bottom
- SL below FVG | TP at recent high or 2:1 RR
Bearish:
- Bearish structure/momentum confirmed
- Locate unfilled Bearish FVG
- Enter SHORT at 50% of FVG or FVG top
- SL above FVG | TP at recent low or 2:1 RR
Tips: FVGs aligned with HTF trend are stronger. Combine with OB for higher probability.
Strategy 3: Liquidity Sweep Reversal
Setup: Enter after smart money sweeps liquidity and reverses.
Bullish (SSL Sweep):
- Identify SSL level (swing low)
- Wait for price to sweep below SSL
- Confirm reversal: bullish engulfing, LTF ChoCH, price reclaims level
- Enter LONG after confirmation
- SL below sweep wick | TP at BSL or 2:1+ RR
Bearish (BSL Sweep):
- Identify BSL level (swing high)
- Wait for price to sweep above BSL
- Confirm reversal: bearish engulfing, LTF ChoCH, price reclaims level
- Enter SHORT after confirmation
- SL above sweep wick | TP at SSL or 2:1+ RR
Key: Don't enter on sweep alone - wait for confirmation.
Strategy 4: Multi-Timeframe SMC
Timeframe Pairs:
| HTF (Bias) | LTF (Entry) |
|---|---|
| D1 | H4/H1 |
| H4 | H1/M30 |
| H1 | M15/M5 |
Process:
- HTF: Determine structure, mark OBs/FVGs/liquidity, set bias
- Wait: Price reaches HTF POI (Point of Interest)
- LTF: Look for ChoCH in HTF bias direction
- Enter: On LTF OB/FVG with LTF structure SL
Example:
- H4 bullish, price at H4 Bullish OB
- M15 shows ChoCH bullish inside H4 OB
- Enter LONG on M15 OB
- SL below M15 OB, TP at H4 high
Strategy 5: ChoCH + OB Combo (Highest Probability)
Setup: Enter on the OB that caused a Change of Character.
Bullish:
- Bearish structure (LL, LH pattern)
- Bullish ChoCH occurs (breaks above LH)
- Identify OB that caused ChoCH
- Wait for retracement to this OB
- Enter LONG at OB
- SL below OB | TP at equal high/BSL
Why it works: ChoCH confirms institutional reversal intent. OB shows where they entered. Retracement = second chance to enter with smart money.
Entry & Exit Rules
Entry Checklist
- [ ] HTF bias clear?
- [ ] Structure aligned with bias?
- [ ] Price at valid OB/FVG/liquidity?
- [ ] Confirmation present?
- [ ] SL logical? RR acceptable (min 1:2)?
Stop Loss Placement
| Entry Type | Stop Loss |
|---|---|
| OB Entry | Below/above OB + buffer |
| FVG Entry | Below/above FVG |
| Liquidity Sweep | Below/above sweep wick |
| ChoCH Entry | Below/above ChoCH candle |
Buffer: Forex 5-10 pips | Crypto 0.1-0.3% | Indices 5-15 points
Take Profit Options
Fixed RR: 1:2 minimum, 1:3 for A+ setups
Structural: Opposite liquidity, previous swing, unmitigated OB
Partial: 50% at 1:1, 25% at 2:1, trail remainder
Risk Management
Position Sizing (1-2% Rule)
Position Size = (Account × Risk%) / (SL pips × Pip Value)
Example: $10,000 × 1% / (20 pips × $10) = 0.5 lots
Trade Management
- Never move SL further from entry
- Move to breakeven after 1:1 RR
- Trail using structure (swing points)
- Don't add to losers
- Take partials at planned levels
Daily Limits
| Metric | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Max daily trades | 2-3 |
| Max daily loss | 2-3% |
| Max weekly loss | 5-7% |
| Max concurrent trades | 2-3 |
Stop trading if: Hit max loss, 2 consecutive losses, or feeling emotional.
Best Practices
Do's ✓
- Start with HTF analysis
- Wait for price to reach your POI
- Use multiple confluences (OB + FVG + liquidity)
- Keep trading journal
- Backtest before live trading
- Be patient - quality over quantity
Don'ts ✗
- Trade against HTF structure
- Enter without confirmation
- Over-leverage (stick to 1-2%)
- Trade every zone - be selective
- Trade during high-impact news
- Revenge trade after losses
Best Trading Sessions (UTC)
| Session | Time | Best Pairs |
|---|---|---|
| London Open | 07:00-10:00 | EUR, GBP |
| NY Open | 12:00-15:00 | USD |
| London/NY Overlap | 12:00-16:00 | Highest volatility |
Troubleshooting
No objects visible: Check settings enabled, try different TF, increase bar limit, restart MT5
Chart cluttered: Reduce Max Zones to 3, reduce Extend Bars, disable unused components
Zones disappearing: Normal behavior - OB mitigated, FVG filled, or liquidity swept
Indicator slow: Reduce bar limit to 500, reduce Max Zones, use higher TF
Quick Reference
Bullish Entry
- [ ] HTF bullish structure
- [ ] LTF bullish ChoCH/BOS
- [ ] Price at bullish OB/FVG
- [ ] Confirmation present
- [ ] SL below zone, TP at BSL/high
- [ ] Risk ≤2%, RR ≥1:2
Bearish Entry
- [ ] HTF bearish structure
- [ ] LTF bearish ChoCH/BOS
- [ ] Price at bearish OB/FVG
- [ ] Confirmation present
- [ ] SL above zone, TP at SSL/low
- [ ] Risk ≤2%, RR ≥1:2
Confluence Scoring
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| HTF OB/FVG | +2 |
| Liquidity sweep | +2 |
| ChoCH | +2 |
| LTF OB/FVG | +1 |
| BOS | +1 |
| HTF aligned | +1 |
Take trades with 4+ points only
Disclaimer: Trading involves substantial risk. This guide is for educational purposes only. Always use proper risk management.
