What it does
A Williams Fractal marks a local turning point using a five-bar pattern: an up fractal prints above a bar whose high is higher than the two bars on each side, and a down fractal prints below a bar whose low is lower than its two neighbors on each side. It is a simple, mechanical way to tag swing highs and swing lows. Because it needs two bars after the extreme, each fractal confirms with a two-bar delay.
Typedraws on the price chart
How to add it
Click Indicators (ƒx) in the header.
Search “Williams Fractal” and click the result.
Hover its legend row and click the gear to open settings.
How traders use it
- Treat up fractals as minor resistance and down fractals as minor support; a break of the most recent fractal in the trend direction is a classic breakout trigger.
- In Bill Williams' method, buy a break above the last up fractal when price is above the Alligator's teeth, and sell a break below the last down fractal when below the teeth.
- Use the most recent opposite fractal as a logical stop-loss location.
- Chains of rising down fractals confirm an uptrend structure (higher lows); falling up fractals confirm a downtrend.
- Pair with a trend filter (Alligator, 200 EMA, ADX) so you only trade fractal breaks in the prevailing direction.
Inputs
| Input | Type | Default | Range / Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Periods | number | 2 | 2–100 |
Plots & styling
| Plot | Style | Default color |
|---|---|---|
| Up Fractal | arrows | #089981 |
| Down Fractal | arrows | #F23645 |
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
- Drag the indicator to its own pane from the legend ⋯ menu if it crowds the price chart.
- 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.
Watch out for
- The two-bar confirmation lag means the signal appears well after the actual extreme.
- Fractals appear constantly in ranging markets, producing many insignificant levels and whipsaw breaks.