What it shows
A Kagi chart is a single continuous line that changes direction only when price reverses by a set amount, and changes thickness when it breaks a prior swing point. The thick (yang) line indicates demand in control after breaking a previous swing high, and the thin (yin) line indicates supply after breaking a previous swing low. Time is ignored; only meaningful reversals move the line horizontally.
How it's built
From closing prices, the line extends vertically in the current direction while price continues that way, and only turns (with a small horizontal shoulder) when price reverses by the reversal amount, set as a fixed value, a percentage, or ATR-based. The line becomes thick when it exceeds the previous Kagi high and thin when it falls below the previous Kagi low, making the chart price-based rather than time-based.
Switch to it
Open the chart-type menu in the header (next to the interval buttons) and pick Kagi — or pin it as a favourite for one-click switching.
When to use it
- Reading shifts between demand and supply via yang/yin thickness changes
- Identifying significant swing highs (shoulders) and lows (waists) as support and resistance
- Filtering noise on choppy instruments with an objective reversal threshold
Settings reference
Open Chart Settings (gear, or double-click the chart background) with this type active. Every setting, its possible values and what it changes:
| Setting | Control | Possible values | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up color | color | any color | #089981 | Color of the thick (yang) line segments drawn while price is above the previous swing high, marking bullish phases. |
| Down color | color | any color | #F23645 | Color of the thin (yin) line segments drawn while price is below the previous swing low, marking bearish phases. |
| Projection up | color | any color | #a9dcc3 | Color of the still-forming up segment at the right edge (the live, repainting part of the line). |
| Projection down | color | any color | #f5a6ae | Color of the still-forming down segment at the right edge. |
| [Inputs] Style | select | ATR, Traditional, Percentage (LTP) | ATR | How the reversal threshold is computed: ATR from recent volatility, Traditional as a fixed price amount, Percentage (LTP) as a percent of the last traded price. The dialog shows the matching input for the chosen style. |
| [Inputs] ATR Length | number | 1 to 100, step 1 (shown only in ATR style) | 14 | ATR period used to derive the reversal amount. Longer lengths give a steadier threshold; shorter ones adapt faster to volatility changes. |
| [Inputs] Reversal amount | number | 0.1 to 100, step 0.1 (shown only in Traditional style) | 1 | Fixed price move required for the Kagi line to reverse direction. A larger amount filters more noise but turns later. |
| [Inputs] Percentage | number | 0.01 to 100, step 0.01 (shown only in Percentage (LTP) style) | 1 | Reversal threshold as a percent of the last traded price, so it scales with the instrument's price level. |
| [Inputs] Source | select | Close, Open, High, Low, HL/2, HLC/3, OHLC/4 | Close | Which price feeds the Kagi construction; Close is the classic choice, averaged sources smooth the input. |
| [Precision] Precision | select | Default, 0 (1), 1 (1.1), 2 (1.01), 3 (1.001), 4 (1.0001), 5 (1.00001), 6 (1.000001), 7 (1.0000001), 8 (1.00000001) | Default | Number of decimal places used for prices on the scale and labels. Default follows the symbol's own tick precision. |
Watch out for
- Elapsed time and volume are invisible, and a poorly chosen reversal amount either whipsaws constantly or hides entire swings