Who this is for — Anyone who wants to know who is pushing price *right now*, not only where the bar closed.
Order flow analyses executions in real time: aggressive orders (market hitting the book) vs passive orders (limits providing liquidity), size, speed, and order book reaction.
In plain terms — The chart is the result; order flow is the film of who is pushing price. Useful for absorption, sweeps, and fake moves.
Reading tools
| Tool | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Tape / Time & Sales | Individual prints with aggressive side |
| Bid/ask per level inside the bar | |
| Aggressive buy vs sell imbalance |
Pair with absorption and volume analysis.
Typical mistake — Treating every large print as «bullish whale» without book context — may be hedge or liquidation.
Example — Red candle but strongly positive delta: aggressive sells absorbed by passive bids — possible hidden strength, confirm on structure.
Summary card
- What it is: live execution flow analysis.
- What changes: timing and confirmation beyond OHLC.
- Quick check: aggressive side + coherent price reaction?