CRT with Key Levels
Detects Candle Range Theory liquidity sweeps filtered by key institutional levels -Previous Day H/L, Previous Week H/L, or Fair Value Gaps.
Key Levels
3 modes
Markets
All
Style
Overlay
Alerts
Built-in
Overview
CRT with Key Levels identifies Candle Range Theory setups -patterns where price briefly sweeps beyond a prior candle's high or low before reversing back, trapping traders on the wrong side. The indicator filters these patterns for confluence with key institutional levels: Previous Day High/Low, Previous Week High/Low, or Fair Value Gaps. When a CRT pattern occurs at a key level, it draws the candle range with a midpoint level and places a directional triangle signal. The result is a precise system that catches institutional liquidity grabs where they matter most -at the levels that big players are watching.
How It Works
CRT with Key Levels identifies Candle Range Theory patterns -- candles that sweep beyond a prior candle's high or low before reversing and closing back within the range. This classic institutional pattern reveals liquidity grabs where market makers run stops beyond a key level before pushing price in the opposite direction. The indicator cross-references each CRT candle against one of three key level modes to ensure the sweep happens at a significant institutional level.
In PDH/PDL mode, the indicator plots the Previous Day High and Low and only triggers signals when a CRT sweep interacts with one of those daily levels. In PWH/PWL mode, it uses Previous Week High and Low for wider-timeframe significance. In FVG mode, it detects Fair Value Gaps on the chart and triggers when a CRT sweep occurs at a gap boundary, validating the FVG zone against the last several candles to ensure freshness.
When a qualifying CRT pattern is detected at a key level, the indicator draws the candle's high, low, and midpoint as horizontal lines. The midpoint serves as the primary entry or target level, since CRT theory holds that price tends to return to the 50% mark of the sweep candle. A directional triangle signal (up for bullish, down for bearish) marks the event, and dedicated alert conditions let you get notified of both bullish and bearish CRT setups in real time.
Key Features
Candle Range Theory Detection
Identifies candles that sweep beyond the prior candle's high or low then reverse back -the classic institutional liquidity grab pattern.
Three Key Level Modes
Filter CRT signals by Previous Day High/Low, Previous Week High/Low, or Fair Value Gaps for institutional confluence.
Range & Midpoint Plotting
Draws the CRT candle's high, low, and midpoint as horizontal levels that serve as targets and entry zones.
Directional Signals
Clear triangle markers for bullish CRTs at key lows and bearish CRTs at key highs, with built-in alert conditions.
Common Trading Setups
Practical ways to trade with CRT with Key Levels.
CRT at Previous Day High/Low
Trade the classic CRT liquidity sweep at the previous day's extreme, entering as price reverses back into range after the stop hunt.
- 1Set the key level mode to PDH/PDL and observe the plotted Previous Day High and Low lines.
- 2Wait for a candle to sweep beyond the Previous Day High (bearish setup) or Previous Day Low (bullish setup).
- 3Confirm the CRT pattern: the sweep candle's body must close back within the prior candle's range.
- 4Enter in the reversal direction at the midpoint level drawn by the indicator.
- 5Place your stop-loss beyond the CRT candle's extreme wick and target the opposite end of the range or the next key level.
CRT at Fair Value Gap
Combine CRT liquidity sweeps with FVG zones for institutional-grade confluence. The FVG mode validates that the sweep occurs at an active price imbalance.
- 1Set the key level mode to FVG and allow the indicator to detect active Fair Value Gaps.
- 2Wait for a CRT pattern to form where the sweep wick reaches into an FVG zone boundary.
- 3Confirm the signal with the directional triangle marker on the chart.
- 4Enter at the midpoint line with a stop-loss beyond the CRT wick.
- 5Target the opposite edge of the FVG zone or the next structural level.
CRT Weekly Level Swing Trade
Use the PWH/PWL mode for higher-timeframe significance, catching major institutional liquidity sweeps at weekly extremes for multi-day holds.
- 1Set the key level mode to PWH/PWL on a 1H or 4H chart.
- 2Wait for the Previous Week High or Low to be swept by a CRT candle.
- 3Confirm the reversal with the indicator's signal and check for additional confluence (volume spike, divergence).
- 4Enter in the reversal direction with a stop-loss beyond the weekly level sweep wick.
- 5Hold for a multi-day target, aiming for the midpoint of the previous week's range or the opposite weekly extreme.
Settings Reference
Key settings you can configure in TradingView. See the full setup guide for detailed walkthroughs.
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show Only Trade Setup CRT | bool | true | When enabled, only shows CRT patterns that occur at key levels. Disable to see all CRT patterns regardless of level confluence. |
| Key Level Mode | string | PDH/PDL | Choose which institutional levels to filter by: Previous Day High/Low, Previous Week High/Low, or Fair Value Gaps. |
| Max FVG Lookback | int | 3 | When using FVG mode, how many bars back to search for a qualifying Fair Value Gap. |
Pro Tips
Keep Trade Setup Filter Enabled
CRT patterns without key level confluence are less reliable. The filter ensures every signal has institutional level backing.
Best on Lower Timeframes
CRT patterns are most effective on 1-minute to 15-minute charts where the liquidity sweep and reversal happen quickly within a few candles.
Use the Range as Risk Definition
The CRT candle's full range provides a natural stop-loss placement. If price breaks beyond the sweep high/low, the pattern has failed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Candle Range Theory identifies candles that briefly sweep beyond a prior candle's high or low before reversing and closing back within the range. This pattern indicates a liquidity grab -- market makers push price beyond a key level to trigger stop-loss orders, then reverse direction. The CRT candle's range (high, low, and midpoint) then becomes the framework for the subsequent price move.
PDH/PDL (Previous Day High/Low) is the most popular choice for intraday traders on 5m-1H charts, as daily levels are heavily watched by institutional participants. PWH/PWL (Previous Week High/Low) works better for swing traders on 1H-4H charts who want fewer but more significant signals. FVG mode is ideal for traders who already incorporate Fair Value Gaps into their methodology and want CRT confluence at institutional imbalance zones.
The midpoint line is drawn at the 50% level of the CRT candle's range. In CRT theory, after a liquidity sweep, price tends to retrace to the midpoint of the sweep candle before continuing in the reversal direction. This makes the midpoint an optimal entry level for the reversal trade or a first target for partial profit-taking.
The CRT pattern detection works on any timeframe, but the key level modes are timeframe-dependent. PDH/PDL requires your chart timeframe to be lower than daily (1m-4H works well), and PWH/PWL requires a timeframe lower than weekly. FVG mode works across all timeframes since Fair Value Gaps are detected on the same chart. For best results, use timeframes between 5 minutes and 4 hours.
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