opening candle continuation tradingview indicator
the opening candle continuation (OCC) is when the color of the first hour predicts the entire session's close. if the first hour is green, the session is likely to close green. if the first hour is red, the session is likely to close red.
the opening candle continuation indicator automatically plots the high and low of the first hour, shows you the direction with a colored box, and gives you instant visual confirmation of your bias for the day.
in this post, we're breaking down exactly how it works, how to use it, and how to add it to your trading.
here's what we'll cover:
table of contents
- what is the opening candle continuation indicator?
- why you need it
- opening candle continuation indicator features
- how to add it to your TradingView chart
- frequently asked questions
- key takeaways
what is it?
the opening candle continuation indicator is a tool that plots the high and low of the first hour of the trading session on your TradingView chart.
here's how it works: after the first hour completes (default is 9:30am-10:30am for the New York session), the indicator automatically draws:
- a high line (top of the first hour)
- a low line (bottom of the first hour)
- a colored box highlighting the first hour range
if the first hour closes green (price ended higher than it started), the box is green. if the first hour closes red (price ended lower than it started), the box is red.
for stocks: the opening candle is typically the first hour of regular trading hours (9:30am-10:30am EST).
for Futures, Forex, and crypto: the opening candle is session-dependent. if you're analyzing the New York session, it's the first hour from 9:30am-10:30am. if you switch to the London session, it's the first hour starting at 3:00am EST.
this is critical: when you select a session on edgeful (like New York), you're only measuring the opening candle within that specific time window. if you change to the London session, it measures a completely different first hour.
why you need the opening candle continuation indicator
here's the thing... most traders are trying to figure out their directional bias by analyzing multiple indicators, checking news, looking at overnight action... and by the time they've decided which way to lean, the first hour is already over.
that's where the opening candle continuation indicator comes in:
you don't have to guess your bias. it gives you instant visual confirmation after the first hour. green box? lean bullish. red box? lean bearish.
every session, it does this for you:
- plots the high and low of the first hour automatically
- shows you a green or red box based on the first hour's close
- updates in real-time as the session progresses
- gives you a clear visual reference for your directional bias
and here's why the opening candle matters:
the data shows that the color of the first hour has a strong correlation with how the session closes.
YM (last 6 months):
- green opening candle → green day: 74.32%
- red opening candle → red day: 70.18%
ES (last 6 months):
- green opening candle → green day: 71.62%
- red opening candle → red day: 71.93%
these are strong probabilities that give you a clear directional bias for the day.
when it shows a green box, you know there's over a 70% chance the session closes green. that's your signal to look for long setups and be cautious about shorts.
when it shows a red box, you know there's over a 70% chance the session closes red. that's your signal to look for short setups and be cautious about longs.
features
our custom opening candle continuation indicator automatically does the following:
automatic plotting
- plots the high and low of the first hour automatically
- draws a colored box highlighting the first hour range (green for bullish, red for bearish)
- updates in real-time as the session progresses
- shows clear visual confirmation of your directional bias
session flexibility
it works with the trading sessions indicator for Futures, Forex, and crypto:
- New York session (default: 9:30am-10:30am)
- London session (3:00am-4:00am)
- Asian session
- custom sessions (you define the times)
this is critical: when you select the New York session on edgeful, it measures the first hour from 9:30am-10:30am. if you switch to the London session, it measures the first hour starting at 3:00am.
if you trade Futures, Forex, or crypto, you need to use it alongside the trading sessions indicator. otherwise, you won't know which first hour you're measuring.
for stocks, this is simpler—you're always measuring the first hour from 9:30am-10:30am. no session filtering needed.
customizable time frame
you can customize the opening candle time frame from the default 60 minutes to:
- 5 minutes (9:30am-9:35am)
- 15 minutes (9:30am-9:45am)
- 30 minutes (9:30am-10:00am)
- 60 minutes (9:30am-10:30am, default)
- custom (any time frame you want)
why this matters:
some traders prefer a shorter opening candle like 15 or 30 minutes to get an earlier read on the session's direction. others prefer the full 60 minutes for more confirmation.
it adapts to whatever time frame you choose. just remember: when you change the time frame on edgeful, you need to update your chart settings to match.
directional bias confirmation
it shows you instantly:
- green box: first hour closed green (bullish bias for the session)
- red box: first hour closed red (bearish bias for the session)
this is automatically calculated and displayed on your chart the moment the first hour completes.
integration with other indicators
it works seamlessly with other edgeful indicators:
- ORB indicator (opening range breakout)
- initial balance indicator
- gap fill indicator
- trading sessions indicator
when you have multiple indicators on your chart, it gives you the directional bias, while the other indicators give you specific entry and exit levels.
how to add it to your TradingView chart
here's how to get access:
step 1: subscribe to the edge plan on edgeful (this is a paid feature)
step 2: in edgeful, click the TradingView logo on the left side of your trading dashboard
step 3: a popup will appear asking for your TradingView username
step 4: to find your TradingView username, go to TradingView → click your profile button at the top left → your username appears there
step 5: enter your TradingView username in the edgeful popup and click "update"
step 6: refresh TradingView (Command+R on Mac, Ctrl+R on PC)
step 7: it (and all other edgeful indicators) will now be available in your TradingView indicators list under "invite only"
pro tip: if you trade Futures, Forex, or crypto, use it alongside the trading sessions indicator.
the sessions indicator shows you which time window you're measuring the opening candle in, so there's no confusion about which first hour you're analyzing. this is critical because the New York first hour is completely different from the London first hour.
frequently asked questions
what is the opening candle continuation indicator?
the opening candle continuation indicator is a TradingView tool that plots the high and low of the first hour of the trading session. it shows you a green or red box based on whether the first hour closed up or down.
it works for stocks, Forex, crypto, and Futures. for stocks, it measures the first hour from 9:30am-10:30am. for Futures, Forex, and crypto, it's session-dependent (New York, London, Asian, or custom sessions).
the indicator gives you instant visual confirmation of your directional bias for the session.
why do I need the opening candle continuation indicator?
because the color of the first hour has a strong correlation with how the session closes.
on YM, a green first hour results in a green session close 74.32% of the time. a red first hour results in a red close 70.18% of the time.
it plots this for you automatically, so you're not guessing your bias. you see the green or red box, and you know which way to lean for the rest of the session.
what does the opening candle continuation indicator show on my chart?
it shows:
- high line of the first hour
- low line of the first hour
- colored box highlighting the first hour range (green for bullish, red for bearish)
it does NOT show the open and close prices of the first hour—only the high and low.
can I customize the opening candle time frame?
yes. the default is 60 minutes (9:30am-10:30am for New York session), but you can change it to:
- 5 minutes
- 15 minutes
- 30 minutes
- any custom time frame
you customize this in the edgeful report settings. go to the opening candle continuation report → customization → opening candle size.
the opening candle continuation indicator on your TradingView chart will automatically adjust based on your setting.
does the opening candle continuation indicator work for stocks?
yes. for stocks, it measures the first hour of regular trading hours (9:30am-10:30am EST).
it's simpler than Futures/Forex/crypto because there's no session filtering—you're always measuring the same first hour. it automatically plots this every day.
can I use the opening candle continuation indicator with different sessions?
yes, but only for Futures, Forex, and crypto.
you need to match your session on edgeful with your trading sessions indicator on TradingView. the New York first hour is different from the London first hour because you're measuring different time windows.
for example:
- New York session: first hour from 9:30am-10:30am
- London session: first hour from 3:00am-4:00am
same day, completely different opening candles. it adjusts based on which session you select.
for stocks, there's only one session (regular trading hours), so this doesn't apply.
what are the stats behind the opening candle continuation indicator?
YM (last 6 months):
- green opening candle → green day: 74.32%
- red opening candle → red day: 70.18%
ES (last 6 months):
- green opening candle → green day: 71.62%
- red opening candle → red day: 71.93%
these are strong probabilities that give you a clear directional bias for the session. once you see the green or red box after the first hour, you know which way the session is likely to close.
how is the opening candle continuation indicator different from the ORB indicator?
the ORB indicator plots the high and low of the first 15 minutes and measures breakouts from that range.
it plots the high and low of the first hour (default) and focuses on the direction (green or red) to predict the session's close.
they work well together: the ORB gives you breakout levels, and it gives you directional bias.
can I customize the colors on the opening candle continuation indicator?
yes. you can customize the box colors and line colors directly in the TradingView indicator settings.
double-click it on your chart → settings → colors. change the green box color, red box color, high/low line colors, and any other visual elements you want.
key takeaways
- the opening candle continuation indicator plots the high and low of the first hour automatically
- shows a green or red box based on the first hour's close
- works for stocks, Forex, crypto, and Futures
- YM: 74.32% probability green first hour → green day, 70.18% red first hour → red day
- ES: 71.62% probability green first hour → green day, 71.93% red first hour → red day
- customize opening candle time frame: 5min, 15min, 30min, 60min (default), or custom
- session-dependent for Futures/Forex/crypto—use with trading sessions indicator
- stocks are simple: always measures first hour from 9:30am-10:30am
- gives you instant visual confirmation of your directional bias
- works seamlessly with ORB, IB, and gap fill indicators
p.s. want access to the opening candle continuation indicator and all our other custom TradingView indicators? get started with edgeful here
