InsideBar Trading System

Inside Bar Trading System is a price action indicator for MT5 designed to detect Inside Bar breakout setups after short-term price compression.

A detailed user guide is available on the author’s MQL5 Blog.

Overview

Inside Bar Trading System detects a two-bar compression pattern in which one candle is fully contained within the range of the previous candle.

When a valid setup is confirmed, the indicator can draw Entry, Stop Loss, and Take Profit levels directly on the chart.

The indicator can also track signal progress after detection, including activation, target progression, and invalidation status.

All calculations are based on completed bars only.

Detection is non-repainting. Signal values do not change after the bar is closed.

Detection Logic

The detection model is based on two candles:

• A Mother Bar that defines the reference range

• An Inside Bar that remains fully contained within the Mother Bar range

The indicator can also evaluate compression quality using the relationship between the Inside Bar range and the Mother Bar range.

A trend context setting can be used to define directional bias before a breakout setup is accepted.

For qualified setups, the indicator can place projected breakout levels beyond the Mother Bar range and calculate Stop Loss using the selected method.

Quality Evaluation

Each setup can be evaluated through a multi-factor quality model.

The scoring process can include measurements such as Mother Bar size relative to ATR, Inside Bar compression ratio, containment quality, close position, directional structure, and relation to the previous range.

Signals below the selected minimum quality threshold can be filtered out automatically.

Additional pattern variants such as Harami Cross or Double Inside can also be included through the available settings.

Trading Levels and Management

For each valid setup, the indicator can display:

• Entry level

• Stop Loss level

• Up to four Take Profit levels

• Risk and reward zones on the chart

Take Profit levels can be displayed as 0.5R, 1.0R, 1.5R, and 2.0R.

Stop Loss can be calculated using a pattern-based method, ATR-based logic, or Donchian Channel reference.

An optional trailing stop based on Donchian logic is also available for users who want dynamic trade management after entry.

Filters and Scanner

Optional filters are available to reduce unnecessary signals:

• Quality Filter

• Extreme Zone Filter

• Direction Filter

• Stoploss Hunt Filter

• Signal Zone Filter

• Spacing Filter

• Opposite Signal Filter

The built-in scanner can monitor multiple symbols and timeframes from a single chart.

The indicator also includes BOS and CHOCH labels, a signal dashboard, alert options, statistics tracking, and output buffers for Expert Advisor integration through iCustom().

Alerts and Display

Alert options can include popup notification, push notification, email, and sound alert.

The indicator can also display chart-based signal status, performance tracking, and visual trading zones.

Multiple chart themes are available to support different chart styles and user preferences.

Recommended Use

Recommended timeframes are M30, H1, H4, and D1.

The indicator can be applied to Forex pairs, XAUUSD, indices, and crypto symbols, depending on broker data quality and symbol characteristics.

Loading sufficient chart history is recommended for more stable market structure analysis.

MetaTrader 5 only.

No DLL calls.

No external WebRequest connections.

Important Notes

This indicator is a technical analysis tool.

It does not guarantee trading results.

Users should test settings in their own environment and apply appropriate risk management.

Support is available through the product comments section or via MQL5 direct message.