Spinning Top — what it is and how to use it in trading
Definition
A Spinning Top is a candle with a small body AND short wicks on both sides (unlike Doji, whose defining trait is open almost equal to close, with wicks of any length). Neither buyers nor sellers pushed the range meaningfully in either direction during the bar.
How it works in the builder
spinning_top is a boolean operand with a body_ratio_max parameter (default 0.35): the body must be no larger than that fraction of the candle's full range, and (unlike doji) it does not require the open and close to be nearly equal — only that the body stays small within a modest overall range.
What it looks like on the chart
A compact rectangle with two short, roughly balanced wicks — visually "stubbier" than Doji's thin cross with its typically longer wicks.
Typical use
Like Doji, spinning_top on its own signals indecision, not direction. Typical condition: spinning_top == 1 at a key level as a hint the move may be pausing, read together with the surrounding candles.
Common pitfalls
Common in low-volatility, narrow-range periods, so as the sole entry trigger it produces many low-value signals — works better as a contextual filter (e.g. combined with a level or a three-candle pattern) than as a standalone condition.
This block is available in the strategy builder
137 no-code blocks — build an entry condition with this term and test it on history
Historical results do not guarantee future ones. The service is an informational and analytical tool, not an individual investment recommendation; trades are not executed.