In plain terms
A footprint chart opens each bar and distributes its trades by price level. It usually displays pairs of volume classified at the bid and ask, along with totals or delta.
How the term is used
The term can also mean cluster chart or Numbers Bars. Traders use it to see where volume was concentrated inside a bar and which rows exceed an imbalance threshold. The full Footprint chart entry explains the columns, an example, and data checks.
Limit
A footprint displays aggregated executions, not orders still waiting in the order book. Column layout, colors, row width, same-price or diagonal comparisons, and imbalance thresholds vary by platform. Read the legend and verify the feed and granularity before interpreting it.
Sources
- Sierra Chart, Numbers Bars — describes volume and trade counts by level, bid/ask pairs, and imbalance methods.
- TradingView, Volume Footprint charts: a complete guide — documents cells, delta, and the settings of its footprint implementation.