What it shows
Volume candles are standard candlesticks whose horizontal width is proportional to the volume traded in that period. High-volume periods appear as wide candles and quiet periods as narrow slivers, so participation is baked into the price plot itself. Body and wick anatomy is unchanged: body open to close, wicks to high and low.
How it's built
Each candle is built from a fixed time interval's OHLC, but its width scales with that interval's volume relative to nearby candles, which means the horizontal axis is no longer uniform in time. Price placement on the vertical axis is unaffected.
Switch to it
Open the chart-type menu in the header (next to the interval buttons) and pick Volume candles — or pin it as a favourite for one-click switching.
When to use it
- Confirming breakouts: a wide candle through resistance shows real participation, a narrow one suggests a fake-out
- Spotting climactic volume at potential tops and bottoms without a separate volume pane
- Judging whether a trend is being driven by expanding or shrinking activity
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color bars based on previous close | checkbox | on/off | off | Colors each candle by comparing its close to the previous bar's close instead of its own open. |
| Body | checkbox + two-colors | on/off; any color (up / down) | on; up #089981, down #F23645 | Fills candle bodies with the up/down color. On this chart type each candle's width is scaled by its traded volume relative to the highest-volume visible bar, so heavy-volume bars render wider. |
| Borders | checkbox + two-colors | on/off; any color (up / down) | on; up #089981, down #F23645 | Draws an outline around each volume-scaled candle body in the chosen up/down colors. |
| Wick | checkbox + two-colors | on/off; any color (up / down) | on; up #089981, down #F23645 | Draws the high/low wick lines in the chosen up/down colors. Unchecked, wicks are hidden. |
| 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 shown on the price scale and price readouts. Default derives the precision from the symbol's own price scale. |
Watch out for
- Because width varies, the time axis is distorted; equal horizontal distances no longer represent equal time
- Requires reliable volume data, so it is unsuitable for feeds without volume such as many spot forex sources