advanced · TRADING LEARNING GUIDE
Chapter 7 — Introduction to Footprint Charts
Total 300 · Ask 220 − Bid 80 = Delta +140
Numbers describe executions, not pending orders.
What is this concept?
A footprint arranges executed volume at each price within a bar. Accurate bid/ask classification requires suitable transaction data; candle OHLC alone cannot reconstruct it.
Daily learning workflow
1. Identify the instrument, venue and observation interval. 2. Read the chapter definition and reproduce its worked calculation. 3. Watch the supporting workshop and compare its platform conventions with your data. 4. Identify price rows, bar boundaries and the data feed. 5. Record what happened, what you inferred and what would invalidate your interpretation.
Evidence and interpretation
Keep three separate notes: observed transactions or book changes; your explanation of those observations; and a paper rule with a defined failure condition. Compare at least one counterexample. Do not turn an illustration into a live claim.
Worked example
Hypothetical worked example: At 100.00 a footprint shows 40 bid volume and 70 ask volume: 110 executed units at that price.
Common mistakes and limits
Do not treat this observation as a guaranteed signal. Check the venue, data classification, session boundaries and costs. A candle or aggregated order book does not reveal the identity or total holdings of traders.
Practice
Identify price rows, bar boundaries and the data feed. Use recorded or paper data. Log the observation before revealing the outcome.
Resources and further reading
These sources explain definitions and underlying mechanics. Worked examples are original illustrations; a source does not establish the profitability of a custom pattern.
Public creator-hosted education. Embedding does not mean open-source licensing or endorsement.
Primary reference for footprint display and bid/ask volume conventions. Platform-specific settings must be checked.