What it does
Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) is an orderflow tool that tracks the running total of buying versus selling pressure. Each bar's delta is the volume traded at the ask (aggressive buys) minus the volume traded at the bid (aggressive sells); CVD sums these deltas cumulatively over time, often reset per session. A rising CVD means aggressive buyers are dominating; a falling CVD means aggressive sellers are in control.
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Cumulative Volume Delta” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Confirmation: price making new highs while CVD also makes new highs shows genuine buying aggression behind the move.
- Divergence: price pushing to a new high while CVD makes a lower high reveals that fewer aggressive buyers are driving the move, a warning of exhaustion or absorption.
- Absorption: CVD falling hard (heavy aggressive selling) while price refuses to drop means passive limit buyers are absorbing sell orders, often preceding a move up.
- Use CVD around key levels: aggressive delta pushing into support or resistance that fails to move price is a high-quality fade cue for scalpers and day traders.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor Period | select | Session | Session / Day / Week / Month / Year |
| Use custom timeframe | boolean | Off | — |
| Timeframe | resolution | 1 | — |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| Open | ohlc_open | #26a69a |
| High | ohlc_high | #26a69a |
| Low | ohlc_low | #26a69a |
| Close | ohlc_close | #26a69a |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision (default 0 decimals), price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Tips
- Merge multiple oscillators into one pane from the legend ⋯ menu to compare them on a shared axis.
- Double-click the plot to open settings directly, skipping the legend hover.
- The pane keeps its height in saved layouts, so size it once and it survives reloads.
- A custom timeframe input lets it compute on a higher interval than the chart.
Watch out for
- It needs bid/ask-classified tick or footprint data; charts that approximate delta from up-ticks and down-ticks or from candle direction can be materially wrong.
- Delta shows only the aggressive side of each trade; large passive limit orders and iceberg activity can make raw CVD direction misleading without price context.