What it does
Bill Williams' Alligator plots three smoothed moving averages of the median price, each shifted forward: the Jaw (13-period, shifted 8 bars), Teeth (8-period, shifted 5) and Lips (5-period, shifted 3). When the lines are intertwined the Alligator 'sleeps' (range); when they fan out in order the Alligator 'eats' (trend). It is a visual trend and phase filter.
Typedraws on the price chart
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Williams Alligator” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Lines stacked Lips over Teeth over Jaw and spreading apart signal an uptrend: trade longs, ideally on fractal breakouts above the Teeth.
- The reverse stack (Lips under Teeth under Jaw) signals a downtrend for shorts.
- Intertwined, flat lines mean the Alligator is sleeping: stand aside or use range tactics, and expect the eventual awakening to produce a strong move.
- Price crossing through all three lines after a long sleep is the 'awakening' entry; the longer the sleep, the hungrier the Alligator and the bigger the expected move.
- Use the Teeth (red line) as a trailing reference: trend traders stay in while closes hold beyond it.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaw Length | number | 21 | 1–2000 |
| Teeth Length | number | 13 | 1–2000 |
| Lips Length | number | 8 | 1–2000 |
| Jaw Offset | number | 8 | 1–2000 |
| Teeth Offset | number | 5 | 1–2000 |
| Lips Offset | number | 3 | 1–2000 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| Jaw | line | #2196F3 |
| Teeth | line | #E91E63 |
| Lips | line | #66BB6A |
Every plot's color, line width and visibility can be changed on the Style tab. Precision, price-scale labels and status-line values are configurable at the bottom of the Style tab.
Tips
- Double-click any of its lines to jump straight into the settings dialog.
- Save the configured chart as a study template (Indicators menu) to reapply this exact setup elsewhere.
- Right-click the indicator's line for quick actions — settings, visibility and removal without hunting through menus.
Watch out for
- The forward shift makes the lines look predictive on historical charts, but in real time the smoothing means signals lag price turns.
- In choppy markets the lines cross repeatedly, generating false awakenings.