Lesson 1 of 5 · 2 min

What is a footprint?

The bid × ask cell, and how it differs from a candle.

Definition

A footprint (also called a cluster or numbers chart) displays, for each bar, the volume traded at each price — commonly as bid volume × ask volume.

Footprint bars: each cell shows contracts traded on the bid × on the ask at that price. (Illustration.)

Reading a cell

Left number — contracts that traded at the bid: sellers hit resting bids.
Right number — contracts that traded at the ask: buyers lifted resting offers.
Delta for the cell or bar — ask volume minus bid volume.

Key Insight

"Bid × ask" is about who was aggressive, not who was buying or selling overall. Every contract has both a buyer and a seller.

Trading implication

Footprints are detail. Use them at levels you already care about, not as a scanner for the whole chart.

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