What Are Ticks in TradingView: A Comprehensive Guide

If you want to see what's really happening in the markets, moving beyond simple time-based charts is key. That's where understanding ticks in TradingView comes in. It's a way to look at the market based on pure trading activity, not just the clock.

This post will break down what ticks are, how you can use them on TradingView, and why they can be such a powerful tool for your trading strategy.

What Exactly Are Ticks?

In the simplest terms, a tick represents a single trade—a transaction where a buyer and seller agree on a price. In TradingView, this idea is used to create "tick charts." Instead of a new bar forming every minute or hour, a new bar is created after a set number of trades have occurred.

Think of it this way:

• A time-based chart asks: "What happened in the last 5 minutes?"
• A tick chart asks: "What happened over the last 100 trades?"

For example, a 100T chart will draw a new bar every time 100 transactions take place. If the market is super busy, that could be in seconds. If things are quiet, it might take a few minutes. The chart's speed adapts to the market's actual activity.

This idea of a "tick" as the smallest possible price move exists across different markets, but the exact size varies.

• For most US stocks, a tick is a movement of $0.01.
• For E-mini S&P 500 futures, it's 0.25 points.

It's easy to mix up ticks with pips in forex, but remember: a "tick" is a universal concept, while a "pip" is specific to the forex world.

TradingView offers tick-based intervals (like 1T, 10T, 100T, and 1000T) as a beta feature, primarily for Pro users. This is especially useful in fast or volatile markets because it highlights periods of high activity that a time-based chart might completely miss during a slow period.

How Tick Charts Work in TradingView

If you have an Expert, Elite, or Ultimate plan on TradingView, you can start using tick charts right away. Just head to the time interval dropdown on your chart and either select a tick-based option or type one in manually, like "1000T".

Once you switch to a tick chart, you'll notice something different. Instead of a new bar forming every minute or hour, a new bar is created only after a specific number of transactions have taken place. This means the chart's rhythm is dictated by market activity, not the clock. When things get busy—like right at the market open—the bars will fly by much faster, giving you a clearer picture of the real-time momentum.

Let's make sense of this with an example. Imagine you're looking at the EUR/USD forex pair with a 1000-tick chart. During a major news announcement, you might see several bars form in just a minute because every tiny 0.0001 price movement (a "tick") counts as a transaction. Now, compare that to a standard 1-minute chart. On that chart, a new bar appears every single minute, even if there was no trading activity at all during that period. The tick chart simply gives you a much more granular view of the action.

To get the most out of a tick chart, you can add your favorite tools like moving averages or volume profiles. Because these indicators are now plotted against pure market activity, they often feel more responsive and aligned with the actual buying and selling pressure. If you're looking to build custom indicators for your tick charts, our guide on How to Add Pine Script in TradingView: Step-by-Step Guide can help you get started.

Before you dive in, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Not all exchanges are supported. TradingView has a list you can check to see if your preferred market provides the necessary tick data.
• You'll need a paid subscription. Access to tick charts is a feature reserved for the higher-tier plans.

So, while tick charts are a powerful way to see the market's true pulse, their availability depends on both your subscription and the specific market you're trading.

Why Tick Charts on TradingView Can Be a Game-Changer

If you've ever felt like your regular time-based charts are sometimes missing the action, tick charts might be what you're looking for. Instead of waiting for a clock to tick, these charts build a new bar after a specific number of trades happen. This means they give you a much clearer picture of real market momentum and energy.

One of the best parts is how they cut through the noise. In those quiet, slow market periods, fewer bars form. This helps you see the real breakouts without getting distracted by all the empty space on a time-based chart.

For anyone involved in fast-paced scalping or day trading, this is a huge help. Because tick charts are all about transaction density, they can reveal hidden support and resistance levels that time charts just gloss over. If you trade futures, it gets even more straightforward. For example, in the E-mini S&P 500, each tick has a set value (like $12.50), so calculating your profit or loss is instant.

Tick charts also make volume analysis feel more real. Since every bar is tied to actual trading activity, a sudden spike can be a strong signal that big institutions are making moves. Compared to other units like points or pips, ticks offer the finest detail, which is fantastic for placing tighter, more precise stop-loss orders and managing your risk effectively.

Benefit	What It Means For You	Best Used When
Granular Insights	Bars are built by trades, not by the clock	You're scalping in a fast, volatile market
Reduced Noise	Fewer bars print when things are quiet	You need to spot a genuine trend without the clutter
Volume Correlation	Each bar directly represents a set number of transactions	You're trying to catch big institutional orders
Custom Intervals	You can set it to, say, 100 or 1000 trades per bar	You want to tailor the view to your personal trading style

This table shows how tick charts give you an edge where traditional time-based charts often fall short.

Ticks vs. Other Chart Types: Which Should You Use?

Let's break down how tick charts on TradingView stack up against other common chart types you might be using. It really comes down to what you're trying to see in the market.

Tick Charts vs. Time-Based Charts (like 5-minute or 1-hour charts)

Think of it this way:

• Time Charts are like a metronome. They create a new bar or candle at a set, consistent time interval, no matter what. This is great for seeing the overall structure of the day and planning over the longer term. But during a slow lunch hour or a super frantic opening, they can sometimes hide the real market action.
• Tick Charts are like the market's heartbeat. A new bar only forms after a certain number of trades have occurred. This means they adapt to the market's pace. When things are busy, you get more bars; when it's quiet, you get fewer. This makes them fantastic for spotting the real momentum during high-frequency trading, as they cut out the "dead air."

Tick Charts vs. Renko or Heikin-Ashi Charts

This is a different kind of comparison:

• Renko and Heikin-Ashi are all about smoothing out the noise to make the price direction crystal clear. They filter out minor retracements so you can easily see if you're in a solid uptrend or downtrend.
• Tick Charts, on the other hand, are all about trading activity and volume. Because each bar represents a batch of trades, they are incredible for gauging the intensity and volatility behind a price move.

Clearing Up the Jargon: Ticks, Pips, and Points

It's easy to get these mixed up, so here's a simple way to keep them straight:

• Tick: This is the smallest possible price movement a market can make. It's all about the minimum increment.
• Pip: Used in forex, it's usually the smallest move in the 4th decimal place (e.g., 1.1050 to 1.1051). A tick and a pip can be the same thing in some forex pairs, like the EUR/USD, but they're often different in futures contracts.
• Point: This is a much bigger move, typically referring to a full number change to the left of the decimal. For example, if a stock moves from $150.00 to $151.00, it has gone up one point. Since a tick is often just $0.01 for stocks, it takes 100 ticks to make one point!

In TradingView, using a tick chart for stocks lets you see those tiny, individual battles between buyers and sellers that are completely invisible on your standard 15-minute chart.

A Quick Heads-Up

If you're new to tick charts, just be aware that during extremely volatile market events, the bars can come at you very fast, which can feel overwhelming. The key is to find a comfortable tick setting (like a 233-tick or 500-tick chart) that gives you detail without the noise.

Ultimately, you don't have to pick just one. Many traders use tick charts alongside other tools—like reading classic candlestick patterns on them—to get the best of both worlds and truly unlock what TradingView can do.

Making Tick Charts Work for You in TradingView

Tick charts are fantastic when you need to see what's happening right now, not just when a clock says a minute is up. Think of them as a way to cut through the noise and focus on genuine market movement.

For instance, if you're watching for a strong breakout, a tick chart can light up. Imagine a bar forming from 1000 individual trades in just a couple of minutes—that's a clear signal of accelerating interest and momentum. It's a great cue to look for an entry, especially if you see heavy trading volume confirming the move.

Who gets the most out of tick charts?

• Scalpers: They often use very low-interval charts, like a 10-tick chart, to capture those tiny, rapid price movements that happen between the seconds.
• Futures Traders: Here, understanding the "tick value" is crucial. It's the real-world dollar amount each price tick represents. Knowing that one tick in oil futures equals $10 per contract, for example, helps you precisely calculate your position size and risk.

Simple Ways to Use Them in Your Strategy

You don't have to go it alone. Combining tick charts with classic indicators on TradingView can make your signals much stronger.

• Spot Overbought/Oversold Conditions: Add an RSI indicator to your tick chart. If you see the RSI hitting overbought levels (like above 70) at the same time a bar forms on high trade volume, that's a much more reliable signal than one based on time alone. For more advanced momentum analysis, check out our guide on the True Strength Index Indicator for ultimate momentum and trend analysis.
• Filter Out the "Time Distortion": This combo helps reduce false signals that can pop up during slow, low-volume periods on a time-based chart.

For traders looking to quickly build and test these kinds of multi-indicator strategies without coding, platforms like Pineify offer a powerful solution. Its visual editor lets you combine tick data with technical indicators like RSI to create custom strategies in minutes, complete with backtesting to validate your approach before going live.

A Few Friendly Tips to Start

• Ease Into It: If you're new to tick charts, start with a 100-tick setting. It gives a balanced view that isn't overwhelmingly fast.
• Watch for Volume Spikes: Keep a close eye on the tick volume during news events; that's when you'll often see volatility truly spike.
• Test Your Ideas: Always backtest your strategies on historical data if the feature is available. It's the best way to see how a tick-based approach would have played out in the past. For comprehensive testing, our TradingView Backtest Pine Script guide provides everything you need for effective strategy validation.
• Know the Limits: Tick charts work best in busy, liquid markets. Be cautious about using them for assets that don't trade often, as the sparse data can give you a choppy and misleading picture.

A Quick Note on Limitations

Since TradingView's tick feature is still technically in "beta" (meaning it's still being refined), you might occasionally run into a small glitch or find that data from some brokers isn't complete. It's always good to be aware.

Ultimately, these applications show how versatile tick charts can be. They're a powerful tool to add to your TradingView workflow, helping you make decisions based on actual trading activity.

Common Misconceptions About Ticks, Cleared Up

Let's clear up some common mix-ups about ticks in TradingView, because a little confusion here can lead to big misunderstandings on your charts.

Myth 1: A tick is just a tiny price change. While a tick does represent a price movement, its real power is in how it builds the chart itself. Think of each tick as a single brick. A new bar or candle isn't formed by time alone on a tick chart; it's formed once a specific number of these "bricks" (or ticks) have been laid. This is different from a "point," which is a much larger, more general price move.

Myth 2: Tick charts are only for professional traders. This isn't true at all! Beginners can actually find tick charts very intuitive. Instead of watching a clock, you're watching pure trading activity. The chart only moves when a trade happens, which can make it easier to see periods of high and low activity, almost like the chart is breathing with the market.

Myth 3: All markets treat ticks the same way. Tick values aren't universal. It's important to know the difference:

Market	What a Tick Often Represents
Futures	A standardized, fixed minimum price movement (e.g., 1/4 point).
Forex	Often synonymous with a "pip," which is a standardized move.
Stocks	Generally refers to the smallest possible price increment (e.g., $0.01).

Myth 4: Tick charts remove time from the equation completely. While tick charts aren't bound by one-minute or five-minute intervals, time still plays a background role. Market opening hours, major news events, and lunchtime lulls all affect how many ticks occur. So, time doesn't define the bars, but it definitely influences the pace of the activity that does.

Getting a solid grasp on what ticks really are helps you use TradingView's tools more effectively, allowing you to choose the right chart type for your strategy. Once you're comfortable with tick charts, you might want to explore creating profitable Pine Script strategies that leverage this powerful chart type.

Your Questions on TradingView Tick Charts, Answered

So, what exactly are "ticks" in TradingView?

Think of a tick as the tiniest possible move an asset's price can make. But here's where TradingView puts a twist on it: their tick charts build each bar based on a specific number of transactions, not on how much time has passed. It's a chart built by counting trades.

How are tick charts really different from time-based charts?

This is the core of it. A standard 5-minute chart will draw a new bar every five minutes, no matter what. A tick chart, say a 133-tick chart, will only draw a new bar after 133 trades have occurred. This means the chart's pace is directly tied to market activity. When things are busy, bars form quickly; when it's quiet, the chart slows down.

Who actually has access to tick charts on TradingView?

Right now, this is a beta feature for users on TradingView's professional plans. Specifically, you'll need an Expert, Elite, or Ultimate subscription to use them. Once you have that, you can set intervals ranging from just 1 trade per bar (1T) all the way up to 1000 trades per bar (1000T).

Are there any limitations I should know about?

A couple, yes. The main one is that not every stock or futures exchange provides the detailed tick data needed to make these charts work. So, availability depends on the specific market you're watching and your data subscription.

How could using ticks actually improve my trading?

Tick charts are fantastic for cutting through the noise. Because they're based on activity, they can:

• Filter out quiet periods: You won't see bars forming during times of low activity, which helps you focus on when the market is truly moving.
• Highlight volume and activity: Each bar represents a chunk of trading volume, making it easier to spot when big players are stepping in.
• Pinpoint entries: In fast, volatile markets, they can help you see breakouts and reversals more clearly than a time-based chart might.

What's the real difference between a "tick" and a "pip"?

This is a common point of confusion.

• A tick is all about the minimum price movement for a specific market. This value changes depending on what you're trading (e.g., E-mini S&P 500 futures vs. a stock).
• A pip is a standardized unit in the forex world, almost always representing a movement of 0.0001 for most currency pairs.

Can I still use my favorite indicators with tick charts?

Absolutely! This is one of the best parts. You can overlay any of TradingView's indicators—like moving averages, RSI, or Bollinger Bands—onto a tick chart just like you would on any other chart. They'll work seamlessly, calculating based on the tick-based bar data.

Your Next Steps with Tick Charts

Ready to get comfortable with tick charts? The best way to learn is by doing. Head into your TradingView demo account and play around with the beta feature. Pick a supported exchange and pull up a 100T chart during a busy trading session to see the action in real-time.

Once you've tried it, don't keep it to yourself. Jump into your favorite trading forums or the TradingView community. Share what you noticed and ask how others are using it—you'll pick up tricks you never would have thought of on your own.

If you find that tick charts are a game-changer for your strategy, you might want to upgrade your plan for uninterrupted access. To keep learning, you can subscribe to TradingView's updates or search for specific tutorials on tick-based strategies to sharpen your skills.

I'd love to hear from you: how have tick charts impacted your trading? Drop a comment below and let me know.