What it does
The Vortex Indicator identifies trend direction and changes using two lines, VI+ and VI-. Upward movement is captured by summing the distance from each bar's high to the prior bar's low, and downward movement by summing the distance from each low to the prior high, over a lookback (typically 14 periods); each sum is divided by the sum of True Range over the same window. When VI+ is above VI-, upward price movement dominates, and vice versa.
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Vortex Indicator” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- A VI+ cross above VI- is a buy-side trend signal; a VI- cross above VI+ is a sell-side signal, most reliable on daily charts.
- The wider the spread between the two lines, the stronger the trend; converging lines warn the trend is weakening.
- Reduce whipsaws by requiring the crossover to hold for a bar or two, or by only trading crosses that agree with a longer moving average slope.
- Pair with ADX: take Vortex crossovers only when ADX shows a trending market and skip them in flat conditions.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | number | 14 | 2–200 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| VI + | line | #2196F3 |
| VI - | line | #E91E63 |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision (default 4 decimals), price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Reference levels
| Level | Value |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | 1 |
Level values, colors and line styles are editable in settings.
Tips
- Reference levels (where the study has them) are editable — tune them to the instrument you're trading.
- Hide the study from the legend eye instead of removing it when you only want it out of the way temporarily.
- Merge multiple oscillators into one pane from the legend ⋯ menu to compare them on a shared axis.
Watch out for
- In choppy, directionless markets VI+ and VI- cross back and forth constantly, producing a string of losing signals.
- The lines react to single large bars and gaps, so one outsized candle can flip the signal temporarily.