OPEN-SOURCE SCRIPT
Wickless Tap Signals
Wickless Tap Signals — TradingView Indicator (v6)
A precision signal-only tool that marks BUY/SELL events when price “retests” the base of a very strong impulse candle (no wick on the retest side) in the direction of trend.
What it does (in plain English)
Finds powerful impulse candles:
Bull case: a green candle with no lower wick (its open ≈ low).
Bear case: a red candle with no upper wick (its open ≈ high).
Confirms trend with an EMA filter:
Only looks for bullish bases while price is above the EMA.
Only looks for bearish bases while price is below the EMA.
Waits for the retest (“tap”):
Later, if price revisits the base of that wickless candle
Bullish: taps the candle’s low/open → BUY signal
Bearish: taps the candle’s high/open → SELL signal
Optional level “consumption” so each base can trigger one signal, not many.
The idea: a wickless impulse often marks strong initiative order flow. The first retest of that base frequently acts as a springboard (bull) or ceiling (bear).
Exact rules (formal)
Let tick = syminfo.mintick, tol = tapTicks * tick.
Trend filter
inUp = close > EMA(lenEMA)
inDn = close < EMA(lenEMA)
Wickless impulse candles (confirmed on bar close)
Bullish wickless: close > open and abs(low - open) ≤ tol
Bearish wickless: close < open and abs(high - open) ≤ tol
When such a candle closes with trend alignment:
Store bullTapLevel = low (for bull case) and its bar index.
Store bearTapLevel = high (for bear case) and its bar index.
Signals (must happen on a later bar than the origin)
BUY: low ≤ bullTapLevel + tol and inUp and bar_index > bullBarIdx
SELL: high ≥ bearTapLevel - tol and inDn and bar_index > bearBarIdx
One-shot option
If enabled, once a signal fires, the stored level is cleared so it won’t trigger again.
Inputs (Settings)
Trend EMA Length (lenEMA): Default 200.
Use 50–100 for intraday, 200 for swing/position.
Tap Tolerance (ticks) (tapTicks): Default 1.
Helps account for tiny feed discrepancies. Set 0 for strict equality.
One Signal per Level (oneShot): Default ON.
If OFF, multiple taps can create multiple signals.
Plot Tap Levels (plotLevels): Draws horizontal lines at active bases.
Show Pattern Labels (showLabels): Marks the origin wickless candles.
Plots & Visuals
EMA trend line for context.
Tap Levels:
Green line at bullish base (origin candle’s low/open).
Red line at bearish base (origin candle’s high/open).
Signals:
BUY: triangle-up below the bar on the tap.
SELL: triangle-down above the bar on the tap.
Labels (optional):
Marks the original wickless impulse candle that created each level.
Alerts
Two alert conditions are built in:
“BUY Signal” — fires when a bullish tap occurs.
“SELL Signal” — fires when a bearish tap occurs.
How to set:
Add the indicator to your chart.
Click Alerts (⏰) → Condition = this indicator.
Choose BUY Signal or SELL Signal.
Set your alert frequency and delivery method.
Recommended usage
Timeframes: Works on any; start with 5–15m intraday, or 1H–1D for swing.
Markets: Equities, futures, FX, crypto. For thin/illiquid assets, consider a slightly larger Tap Tolerance.
Confluence ideas (optional, but helpful):
Higher-timeframe trend agreeing with your chart timeframe.
Volume surge on the origin wickless candle.
S/R, order blocks, or SMC structures near the tap level.
Avoid major news moments when slippage is high.
No-repaint behavior
Origin patterns are detected only on bar close (barstate.isconfirmed), so bases are created with confirmed data.
Signals come after the origin bar, on subsequent taps.
There is no lookahead; lines and shapes reflect information known at the time.
(As with all real-time indicators, an intrabar tap can trigger an alert during the live bar; the signal then remains if that condition held at bar close.)
Known limitations & design choices
Single active level per side: The script tracks only the most recent bullish base and most recent bearish base.
Want a queue of multiple simultaneous bases? That’s possible with arrays; ask and we’ll extend it.
Heikin Ashi / non-standard candles: Wick definitions change; for consistent behavior use regular OHLC candles.
Gaps: On large gaps, taps can occur instantly at the open. Consider one-shot ON to avoid rapid repeats.
This is an indicator, not a strategy: It does not place trades or compute PnL. For backtesting, we can convert it into a strategy with SL/TP logic (ATR or structure-based).
Practical tips
Tap Tolerance:
If you miss obvious taps by a hair, increase to 1–2 ticks.
For FX/crypto with tiny ticks, even 0 or 1 is often enough.
EMA length:
Shorten for faster signals; lengthen for cleaner trend selection.
Risk management (manual suggestion):
For BUY signals, consider a stop slightly below the tap level (or ATR-based).
For SELL signals, consider a stop slightly above the tap level.
Scale out or trail using structure or ATR.
Quick checklist
✅ Price above EMA → watch for a green no-lower-wick candle → store its low → BUY on tap.
✅ Price below EMA → watch for a red no-upper-wick candle → store its high → SELL on tap.
✅ Use Tap Tolerance to avoid missing precise touches by one tick.
✅ Consider One Signal per Level to keep trades uncluttered.
FAQ
Q: Why did I not get a signal even though price touched the level?
A: Check Tap Tolerance (maybe too strict), trend alignment at the tap bar, and that the tap happened after the origin candle. Also confirm you’re on regular candles.
Q: Can I see multiple bases at once?
A: This version tracks the latest bull and bear bases. We can extend to arrays to keep N recent bases per side.
Q: Will it repaint?
A: No. Bases form on confirmed closes, and signals only on later bars.
Q: Can I backtest it?
A: This is a study. Ask for the strategy variant and we’ll add entries, exits, SL/TP, and stats.
A precision signal-only tool that marks BUY/SELL events when price “retests” the base of a very strong impulse candle (no wick on the retest side) in the direction of trend.
What it does (in plain English)
Finds powerful impulse candles:
Bull case: a green candle with no lower wick (its open ≈ low).
Bear case: a red candle with no upper wick (its open ≈ high).
Confirms trend with an EMA filter:
Only looks for bullish bases while price is above the EMA.
Only looks for bearish bases while price is below the EMA.
Waits for the retest (“tap”):
Later, if price revisits the base of that wickless candle
Bullish: taps the candle’s low/open → BUY signal
Bearish: taps the candle’s high/open → SELL signal
Optional level “consumption” so each base can trigger one signal, not many.
The idea: a wickless impulse often marks strong initiative order flow. The first retest of that base frequently acts as a springboard (bull) or ceiling (bear).
Exact rules (formal)
Let tick = syminfo.mintick, tol = tapTicks * tick.
Trend filter
inUp = close > EMA(lenEMA)
inDn = close < EMA(lenEMA)
Wickless impulse candles (confirmed on bar close)
Bullish wickless: close > open and abs(low - open) ≤ tol
Bearish wickless: close < open and abs(high - open) ≤ tol
When such a candle closes with trend alignment:
Store bullTapLevel = low (for bull case) and its bar index.
Store bearTapLevel = high (for bear case) and its bar index.
Signals (must happen on a later bar than the origin)
BUY: low ≤ bullTapLevel + tol and inUp and bar_index > bullBarIdx
SELL: high ≥ bearTapLevel - tol and inDn and bar_index > bearBarIdx
One-shot option
If enabled, once a signal fires, the stored level is cleared so it won’t trigger again.
Inputs (Settings)
Trend EMA Length (lenEMA): Default 200.
Use 50–100 for intraday, 200 for swing/position.
Tap Tolerance (ticks) (tapTicks): Default 1.
Helps account for tiny feed discrepancies. Set 0 for strict equality.
One Signal per Level (oneShot): Default ON.
If OFF, multiple taps can create multiple signals.
Plot Tap Levels (plotLevels): Draws horizontal lines at active bases.
Show Pattern Labels (showLabels): Marks the origin wickless candles.
Plots & Visuals
EMA trend line for context.
Tap Levels:
Green line at bullish base (origin candle’s low/open).
Red line at bearish base (origin candle’s high/open).
Signals:
BUY: triangle-up below the bar on the tap.
SELL: triangle-down above the bar on the tap.
Labels (optional):
Marks the original wickless impulse candle that created each level.
Alerts
Two alert conditions are built in:
“BUY Signal” — fires when a bullish tap occurs.
“SELL Signal” — fires when a bearish tap occurs.
How to set:
Add the indicator to your chart.
Click Alerts (⏰) → Condition = this indicator.
Choose BUY Signal or SELL Signal.
Set your alert frequency and delivery method.
Recommended usage
Timeframes: Works on any; start with 5–15m intraday, or 1H–1D for swing.
Markets: Equities, futures, FX, crypto. For thin/illiquid assets, consider a slightly larger Tap Tolerance.
Confluence ideas (optional, but helpful):
Higher-timeframe trend agreeing with your chart timeframe.
Volume surge on the origin wickless candle.
S/R, order blocks, or SMC structures near the tap level.
Avoid major news moments when slippage is high.
No-repaint behavior
Origin patterns are detected only on bar close (barstate.isconfirmed), so bases are created with confirmed data.
Signals come after the origin bar, on subsequent taps.
There is no lookahead; lines and shapes reflect information known at the time.
(As with all real-time indicators, an intrabar tap can trigger an alert during the live bar; the signal then remains if that condition held at bar close.)
Known limitations & design choices
Single active level per side: The script tracks only the most recent bullish base and most recent bearish base.
Want a queue of multiple simultaneous bases? That’s possible with arrays; ask and we’ll extend it.
Heikin Ashi / non-standard candles: Wick definitions change; for consistent behavior use regular OHLC candles.
Gaps: On large gaps, taps can occur instantly at the open. Consider one-shot ON to avoid rapid repeats.
This is an indicator, not a strategy: It does not place trades or compute PnL. For backtesting, we can convert it into a strategy with SL/TP logic (ATR or structure-based).
Practical tips
Tap Tolerance:
If you miss obvious taps by a hair, increase to 1–2 ticks.
For FX/crypto with tiny ticks, even 0 or 1 is often enough.
EMA length:
Shorten for faster signals; lengthen for cleaner trend selection.
Risk management (manual suggestion):
For BUY signals, consider a stop slightly below the tap level (or ATR-based).
For SELL signals, consider a stop slightly above the tap level.
Scale out or trail using structure or ATR.
Quick checklist
✅ Price above EMA → watch for a green no-lower-wick candle → store its low → BUY on tap.
✅ Price below EMA → watch for a red no-upper-wick candle → store its high → SELL on tap.
✅ Use Tap Tolerance to avoid missing precise touches by one tick.
✅ Consider One Signal per Level to keep trades uncluttered.
FAQ
Q: Why did I not get a signal even though price touched the level?
A: Check Tap Tolerance (maybe too strict), trend alignment at the tap bar, and that the tap happened after the origin candle. Also confirm you’re on regular candles.
Q: Can I see multiple bases at once?
A: This version tracks the latest bull and bear bases. We can extend to arrays to keep N recent bases per side.
Q: Will it repaint?
A: No. Bases form on confirmed closes, and signals only on later bars.
Q: Can I backtest it?
A: This is a study. Ask for the strategy variant and we’ll add entries, exits, SL/TP, and stats.
Open-source script
In true TradingView spirit, the creator of this script has made it open-source, so that traders can review and verify its functionality. Kudos to the author! While you can use it for free, remember that republishing the code is subject to our House Rules.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.
Open-source script
In true TradingView spirit, the creator of this script has made it open-source, so that traders can review and verify its functionality. Kudos to the author! While you can use it for free, remember that republishing the code is subject to our House Rules.
Disclaimer
The information and publications are not meant to be, and do not constitute, financial, investment, trading, or other types of advice or recommendations supplied or endorsed by TradingView. Read more in the Terms of Use.