What it does
An orderflow indicator that shows, for each bar, the volume traded at the ask (aggressive buying) minus the volume traded at the bid (aggressive selling). Positive delta means buyers lifted the offer more than sellers hit the bid; negative delta means the reverse. It exposes who was more aggressive inside each candle, information that plain volume cannot provide.
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Volume Delta” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Positive delta on up bars and negative delta on down bars confirms that aggression matches price direction; the trend is being paid for.
- Delta divergence is the key signal: a new price high with weaker or negative delta suggests buyers are absent and the push may fail.
- Large delta with little price movement means passive limit orders are absorbing the aggression, a common precursor to reversal at highs or lows.
- Track cumulative delta across the session to judge which side has controlled the day overall.
- Use extreme single-bar delta readings at support or resistance as exhaustion or initiation clues depending on the follow-through.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | boolean | Off | — |
| Divergence | boolean | Off | — |
| Divergence lookback | number | 14 | 2–200 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| Volume Delta | data | #2196f3 |
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.
Reference levels
| Level | Value |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
Level values, colors and line styles are editable in settings.
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.
Watch out for
- Delta requires reliable tick or bid/ask-classified data; on feeds without it the values are estimated and less trustworthy.
- Aggressive volume can be absorbed by larger passive orders, so delta direction alone does not guarantee price follow-through.