Official User Manual & Strategy Guide (v1.0.23)
Follow these 5 steps to catch your first trade with Aurora.
Look at the Bias Dashboard (top right). If Cycle Flow and Intraday Trend are both Bullish, look for Buys. If Bearish, look for Sells. When mixed, use Simple Sweep mode or sit out.
A trigger is a Liquidity Sweep ("S") of a key level, a rejection of a 5m/15m/1H FVG, a Narrative FVG touch, or a POC touch.
Look for an Inversion FVG (colored box) to form immediately after the trigger. This is your entry zone.
Wait for a Buy or Sell label. This confirms all active filters (Bias, ADR, Strong Close, SMT if enabled) have passed.
Enter on candle close. Set SL at the recent swing (Fractal Pivot). Target the opposing liquidity: next PDH/L, Session H/L, or Range extreme.
Aurora provides three at-a-glance overlays to keep you aligned with the higher timeframe narrative.
Enabled via Show Bias Dashboard. Displays the current narrative state in a compact panel.
| Row | What it Shows |
|---|---|
| Cycle Bias | ERL/IRL engine result β Bullish Expansion, Bearish Expansion, Bullish Retracement, or Bearish Retracement. |
| Target | Next draw on liquidity β e.g. "External High" or "Internal FVG". |
| Pricing | Premium (>50%) vs Discount (<50%) of the daily range. |
| ADR | Today's range as % of the 10-day average. >100% = day likely exhausted. <100% = room to move. |
| Liquidity Status | Tracks Weekly, Daily, and Session levels. β = level already swept. Visible with Show Liquidity Pools on Dashboard enabled. |
Enabled via Show MTF Trend Table. Shows pivot-based trend direction across seven timeframes using configurable Struct Pivot Left / Right lookbacks.
| Timeframes | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 5m, 15m, 30m, 1H | Used internally by Strict and Super Strict signal filters. If all are bullish, Short signals are blocked in Super Strict mode (and vice versa). |
| 4H, Daily, Weekly | Contextual awareness for long-term narrative alignment. |
Enabled via Show ADR Label on Chart. A floating label displays ADR: X% next to the last candle. Color is green below 100% and red at or above 100%. The label automatically positions itself past all active PO3 candle groups to prevent overlap with key level labels.
Two settings control how Aurora interprets direction and how strictly it filters signals: Logic Mode and Bias Logic.
| Mode | Filter Applied | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Sweep | None β fires on every valid sweep + iFVG combination. | Ranging/choppy days, scalping, learning the model. |
| Strict | Signal must align with the current ERL/IRL Narrative Flow (e.g. shorting only during Bearish Expansion). | Standard day trading. Recommended default. |
| Super Strict | Narrative Flow AND 5mβ1H intraday trend must both align before a signal fires. | High-probability setups, trend-following sessions. |
Controls how Aurora determines the current directional bias. Set via Bias Logic in the Strategy & Bias group.
| Option | How It Works |
|---|---|
| ICT Cycle (ERL/IRL) | Tracks the flow between External Range Liquidity (highs/lows) and Internal Range Liquidity (FVGs). The most precise mode. Configurable via Narrative Timeframe (15m / 1H / 4H / Daily) and Pivot Lookback (ERL). |
| Structure | Uses pivot-based Market Structure Shifts (MSS) to determine bias direction. Bullish above last MSS, Bearish below. |
| Aurora Cloud | Uses a 5-EMA ribbon (10 / 20 / 30 / 40 / 50). All EMAs rising = Bullish. All falling = Bearish. Mixed = neutral. |
| Daily/4H Candle | Uses the current Daily and 4H candle close direction as a simple top-down bias proxy. |
The market moves in a continuous institutional loop. Understanding this is the core of Aurora's signal logic.
Enable via Show Aurora Cloud in the Display & Theme group. Five EMAs are plotted as a color-filled ribbon. When all EMAs are rising the cloud fills green (bullish). When all are falling it fills purple (bearish). Colors are fully customizable via the Custom Palette group.
Each trigger type can be enabled or disabled independently in 03 β Signal Triggers. A signal fires when a trigger condition is met and an Inversion FVG immediately confirms the reversal.
| Toggle | What Triggers It |
|---|---|
| PWH/L PDH/L Sweeps | Price sweeps a Previous Week High/Low or Previous Day High/Low, then an iFVG forms. On by default |
| Session Sweeps | Price sweeps an Asia, London, NY AM, or NY PM session High/Low, then an iFVG forms. On by default |
| BSL/SSL Sweeps | Price sweeps a local Range High (BSL) or Range Low (SSL) defined by pivot logic, then an iFVG forms. Off by default |
| Toggle | What Triggers It |
|---|---|
| HTF 5m/15m (Continuation) | Price rejects a 5m or 15m FVG (wicks in, closes out), then an iFVG forms. Best for joining existing trends. On by default |
| HTF 1H (Continuation) | Same model using a 1H FVG zone. On by default |
| Narrative Int. FVG Touch + iFVG | Price taps the current Internal FVG identified by the ERL/IRL engine, then an iFVG confirms. On by default |
| POC Touch + iFVG | Price touches the Volume Profile Point of Control, then an iFVG forms. Requires Volume Profile to be active. On by default |
| Toggle | What Triggers It |
|---|---|
| HTF (4H/Daily) Reversal | Price mitigates a 4H or Daily FVG, then an iFVG forms. Mitigation Mode can be set to Body or Body/Wick. Off by default |
Enable via Unicorn Model. Detects when a Breaker Block overlaps with a Standard FVG β a high-confluence institutional zone. A purple "Unicorn" box is drawn for entry on retest.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Signal Alerts | Fires on confirmed Buy/Sell labels (candle close). Default: on. |
| Early Signal Alerts (Real-Time) | Fires immediately when conditions are met, before candle close. Repaint risk β signal may disappear if price retraces. Default: off. |
| Sweep Alerts | Fires when any level is swept, even without an entry signal yet. Default: off. |
Configured in 04 β Filters & Optimization. These filters reduce noise and raise the quality bar for each signal. Apply them progressively β start with defaults, then tighten as you understand your instrument.
| Setting | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Max Bars (Sweep) | Maximum bars allowed between the liquidity sweep and the iFVG entry. Increase for slower timeframes. | 25 |
| iFVG Lookback | Max bars for a Standard FVG to invert into an iFVG. Wider = more signals, more noise. | 15 |
| Setting | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
| FVG Size Filter | Ignores FVGs smaller than the multiplier Γ ATR(14). Filters out micro-noise gaps. | On, 0.10Γ |
| Unicorn FVG Size Filter | Minimum size threshold for Unicorn FVG zones (as a ratio of price). | On, 0.02 |
| Breakout Conviction | Signal candle close must be X% of the gap size past the level. Prevents weak fakeout entries. | Off, 5% |
| Setting | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Strong Close | Signal candle must close in the top 60% of its range (for buys) or bottom 60% (for sells). Ensures the candle shows momentum, not indecision. | On, 0.6 |
The ADR Filter is one of the most impactful quality filters. It blocks signals when the day is either too quiet or already exhausted.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| ADR Filter (β₯min% & <100%) | Only generates signals when the current day's range falls within a healthy ADR window. | On |
| Min ADR% | Signals are blocked when the daily move is below this threshold β the market is too slow to offer momentum. | 60% |
| Max (fixed) | Signals are blocked when ADR β₯ 100% β the day is fully extended and continuation risk is high. | 100% |
| Setting | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
| SMT Filter | Requires divergence between the chart instrument and a correlated ticker (e.g. NQ diverging from ES). Enter the correlation symbol in the Ticker field. | Off |
| SMT Lines / Width / Pivots | Draws SMT divergence pivot lines on the chart when the SMT filter fires. | Off, 1, 3 |
| Obstacle RR Filter | Invalidates a trade if the nearest opposing level (HTF FVG, PDH/L) is closer than the minimum RR ratio β ensuring reward space exists before entering. | Off, min RR 1.0 |
| Volume Filter | Signal volume must exceed the 20-bar average volume. | Off |
Configured in 05 β Institutional Levels. These are the key price levels and session zones Aurora tracks as both signal sources and targets.
Show Key Levels is the master toggle. Extend Bars controls how far lines project to the right (default: 10).
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| PDH / PDL | Previous Day High and Low. Prime sweep targets on the open. Line style and width configurable. |
| PWH / PWL | Previous Week High and Low. Higher-significance liquidity pools. Line style and width configurable. |
| Range High (BSL) | Current buy-side liquidity β the pivot high of the active range. |
| Range Low (SSL) | Current sell-side liquidity β the pivot low of the active range. |
| Range 50% | Midpoint of Range H and Range L. Automatically updates whenever either extreme changes β premium/discount reference. |
Show Killzones toggles background shading behind each trading session. Timezone defaults to America/New_York.
| Session | Default Time (NY) | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | 20:00 β 00:00 | On |
| London | 02:00 β 05:00 | On |
| NY AM | 09:30 β 11:00 | On |
| NY PM | 13:30 β 16:00 | Off |
Each session has an independent color picker. Session times are fully editable to match your instrument's active hours.
| Level | Default | Hour (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| UK Midnight | Off | 0 (00:00 GMT) |
| NY Midnight | On | 5 (05:00 GMT winter / 04:00 summer) |
Colors are set in the Custom Palette group (UK Midnight Color and NY Midnight Color).
Configured in 06 β Price Action & Structure. Controls how Aurora visualizes market structure and fair value gaps on your chart.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Show MSS | Market Structure Shift β drawn when price breaks a swing and reverses direction. The primary structural signal. | On |
| Show BOS | Break of Structure β continuation breaks in the current trend direction. | Off |
| MSS Mode | Body Only requires a full candle body close past the level. Body/Wick allows wick breaks. | Body Only |
| HTF Struct | Optional higher timeframe for structure detection (leave blank to use chart timeframe). | Chart TF |
| Swing Bars | Pivot lookback for structure swing detection. | 2 |
iFVGs are the primary entry confirmation. They form when a Standard FVG is breached and price inverts through it, signaling institutional interest at that zone.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Show all iFVGs | Display all iFVG boxes β not only the ones attached to active signals. | Off |
| Extend | Extend iFVG boxes forward in time until mitigated. | On |
| iFVG Labels | Show "iFVG" text label on each box. | On |
iFVGs expire automatically after 30 bars if not mitigated.
Standard FVGs are three-candle imbalance zones used as support/resistance and as the raw source for iFVG formation.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Show all FVGs | Display all standard FVG boxes as S/R zones. | Off |
| Extend | Number of bars to extend FVG boxes. | 2 |
| FVG Labels | Show "FVG" label on each box. | Off |
Configured in 07 β HTF Overlays (PO3). Brings higher timeframe context directly onto your chart so you never lose sight of the bigger picture.
Enable via Show HTF FVGs. Overlays Fair Value Gaps from a 4H or Daily timeframe as boxes on your chart.
Draws up to three groups of HTF candles to the right of the last chart bar. This lets you read the current phase (Accumulation, Manipulation, Distribution) of each HTF candle without switching timeframes.
| Group | Default TF | Default Count | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO3 HTF 1 | 1H | 3 candles | On |
| PO3 HTF 2 | 4H | 3 candles | On |
| PO3 HTF 3 | Daily | 2 candles | Off |
Configured in 08 β Time Filter. When enabled, signals only fire within the defined time windows β keeping you out of choppy off-hours markets.
Enable Time Filter β master toggle. Default: Off
Uses the three ICT Silver Bullet windows β the highest-probability sessions within each trading day. All times are in New York timezone (configurable).
| Window | Default Time |
|---|---|
| SB London | 03:00 β 04:00 AM |
| SB NY AM | 10:00 β 11:00 AM |
| SB NY PM | 14:00 β 15:00 PM |
Each window is individually editable. Disable any window by removing it from your active sessions.
Define a single custom session string (default: 0930-1600) to restrict signals to your preferred trading hours.
Configured in 09 β Backtest Panel. The built-in backtester evaluates all historical signals with your chosen SL/TP logic and displays a performance summary.
Enable via Show Backtest Table. Default: Off
| Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Manipulation Candle (Swing) | Uses the highest high / lowest low of the sweep candle range. The most conservative and structurally logical placement. Default |
| Fractal Pivot | Uses the most recent N-bar swing high/low as the stop. Fractal Lookback default: 5 bars. |
| Signal Candle | Stop at the high/low of the signal candle itself. Tight and aggressive. |
| ATR Volatility | Stop = Entry Β± (ATR Γ multiplier). ATR Length: 14. ATR Multiplier: 1.5. Adapts to current volatility. |
| Structural (Breaker/FVG) | Uses the invalidation level of the specific entry pattern β e.g. the outer edge of the iFVG or breaker block. |
| Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Fixed RR | TP = Entry Β± (SL distance Γ RR ratio). Default RR: 2.0. Simple and consistent. |
| Next Liquidity Level | TP targets the nearest opposing PDH/L, Session H/L, or HTF FVG. Adapts to market structure. |
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Win Rate | Percentage of closed signals that hit the take profit target. |
| Net Return (R) | Total risk units gained across all historical signals. |
| Win / Loss Streaks | Maximum consecutive wins and losses β useful for sizing expectations. |
Configured in 10 β Volume Profile. Aurora includes a built-in session-based volume profile with a Point of Control (POC) signal trigger.
| Option | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Nothing | Volume profile hidden entirely. |
| POC Only | Only the Point of Control line is drawn β the price level with the highest traded volume. Default |
| Both | POC line plus the full Value Area (VA High / VA Low bars) with volume distribution histogram. |
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Lookback Bars | Number of bars included in the volume distribution calculation. More bars = broader context. | 150 |
| Row Size | Number of horizontal price bins for the profile histogram. | 24 |
| Value Area % | The percentage of total volume that defines the Value Area (VA High to VA Low). | 70% |
| POC Color / Width | Appearance of the Point of Control line. | Red, width 2 |
| VA Bull / Bear | Colors for Value Area High and Low zones. | Blue / Pink |
| Vol Bull / Bear | Colors for individual volume bars within the histogram. | Lighter Blue / Pink |
Complete dictionary of every input in the indicator menu, organized by group.
| Overall Font Size | Master text size for all labels, tables, and boxes. Options: Tiny / Small / Normal / Large / Huge. |
| Color Theme | Aurora Dark / Aurora Dark 2 / Professional Light / Aurora Light / Custom. |
| Show Bias Dashboard | Top-right cycle and narrative panel. |
| Show Liquidity Pools on Dashboard | Adds swept-level tracking rows to the dashboard. |
| Show MTF Trend Table | Bottom-right multi-timeframe structure table. |
| Show ADR Label on Chart | Floating ADR% label next to last candle, auto-positioned past PO3 groups. |
| Struct Pivot Left / Right | Pivot lookback for the MTF Structure table rows. |
| Show Aurora Cloud | 5-EMA colored cloud overlay (EMAs 10/20/30/40/50). |
| Vol on Label | Appends volume reading to signal Buy/Sell labels. |
| Sweep S Labels | Shows "S" markers on sweep candles. |
| Sweep Name Labels | Shows the swept level's name alongside the "S" marker. |
| Sweep Signal Boxes | Draws the iFVG box on confirmed signals. |
| Level Labels | Shows name labels on all key level lines (Range H, PDH, etc.). |
Bull Color, Bear Color, Text Color, Neutral Color, Sweep Color, Bullish/Bearish FVG Color, Bullish/Bearish iFVG Color, UK Midnight Color, NY Midnight Color, Aurora Cloud Bull/Bear Color.
| Show Signals | Master toggle for all Buy/Sell labels. |
| Show Entry/TP/SL | Draws TP and SL lines on each signal. |
| Show Win/Loss/Be | Draws outcome labels above/below each completed signal candle. |
| Logic Mode | Simple Sweep / Strict / Super Strict. |
| Bias Logic | ICT Cycle (ERL/IRL) / Structure / Aurora Cloud / Daily/4H Candle. |
| Narrative Timeframe | HTF for ERL/IRL engine: 15m / 1H / 4H / Daily. |
| Pivot Lookback (ERL) | Swing lookback for External Range Liquidity detection. Default: 2. |
| Show Narrative Drawings | Draws ERL lines (highs/lows) and IRL FVG boxes on the chart. |
| Style / Size | Line style and width for narrative drawings. |
| PWH/L PDH/L Sweeps | Sweep signals on previous day/week highs and lows. |
| Session Sweeps | Sweep signals on session (Asia/London/NY) highs and lows. |
| BSL/SSL Sweeps | Sweep signals on local range highs/lows. Off by default. |
| HTF 5m/15m (Continuation) | Rejection of 5m or 15m FVG with iFVG confirmation. |
| HTF 1H (Continuation) | Rejection of 1H FVG with iFVG confirmation. |
| Narrative Int. FVG Touch + iFVG | Touch of the ERL/IRL internal FVG zone. |
| POC Touch + iFVG | Touch of Volume Profile Point of Control. |
| HTF (4H/Daily) Reversal | Mitigation of 4H or Daily FVG. Off by default. |
| Mitigation Mode | Body / Body+Wick for HTF FVG mitigation detection. |
| Unicorn Model | Breaker Block + FVG overlap pattern. |
| Swings | Lookback for Unicorn breaker detection. Default: 2. |
| Signal Alerts | Alert on confirmed signals at candle close. |
| Early Signal Alerts | Real-time alert (repaint risk). Default: off. |
| Sweep Alerts | Alert on any sweep event, before signal confirmation. |
| Max Bars (Sweep) | Max bars between sweep and iFVG entry. Default: 25. |
| iFVG Lookback | Max bars for a gap to invert. Default: 15. |
| FVG Size Filter | Filters tiny FVGs below ATR multiplier threshold. Default: on, 0.10Γ. |
| Unicorn FVG Size Filter | Min size for Unicorn FVGs. Default: on, 0.02. |
| Breakout Conviction | Close must break X% past level. Default: off, 5%. |
| Strong Close | Close must be in top/bottom 60% of candle range. Default: on. |
| Volume Filter | Volume must exceed 20-bar average. Default: off. |
| SMT Filter | Requires divergence with correlated ticker. Default: off. |
| SMT Lines / Width / Pivots | Visual settings for SMT divergence lines. |
| Obstacle RR Filter | Blocks trade if opposing level is too close. Default: off, min RR 1.0. |
| ADR Filter | Only signal within healthy ADR window. Default: on. |
| Min ADR% | Minimum daily range activity required to signal. Default: 60%. |
| Show Key Levels | Master toggle for all key level lines. |
| Extend Bars | How far level lines project to the right. Default: 10. |
| PDH/L | Previous Day High/Low. Style and width configurable. |
| PWH/L | Previous Week High/Low. Style and width configurable. |
| Show Killzones | Session background shading. Timezone configurable. |
| Asia / London / NY AM / NY PM | Individual session toggles, time ranges, and background colors. |
| Session Background | Full candle range background shading per session. |
| Session High/Low Lines | Horizontal lines extending from session extremes. |
| Session Labels | Name labels on session lines. |
| UK Midnight Level | UK midnight open line. Default: off, 00:00 GMT. |
| NY Midnight Level | NY midnight open line. Default: on, 05:00 GMT. |
| Show MSS | Market Structure Shift lines. Default: on. |
| Show BOS | Break of Structure lines. Default: off. |
| MSS Mode | Body Only / Body+Wick. |
| HTF Struct | Optional HTF for structure detection. |
| Swing Bars | Pivot bars for structure. Default: 2. |
| Show all iFVGs | Display all iFVG boxes. Default: off. |
| Extend (iFVG) | Extend iFVG boxes forward. Default: on. |
| iFVG Labels | Label iFVG boxes. Default: on. |
| Show all FVGs | Display all standard FVG boxes. Default: off. |
| Extend (FVG) | FVG box extension bars. Default: 2. |
| FVG Labels | Label FVG boxes. Default: off. |
| Show HTF FVGs | Overlay HTF FVG boxes. Default: off. |
| HTF FVGs Timeframe | 4H or Daily. |
| Show PO3 HTF 1 | First PO3 candle group. Default: on, 1H, 3 candles. |
| Show PO3 HTF 2 | Second PO3 candle group. Default: on, 4H, 3 candles. |
| Show PO3 HTF 3 | Third PO3 candle group. Default: off, Daily, 2 candles. |
| Enable Time Filter | Master toggle. Default: off. |
| Mode | Silver Bullet (3 preset windows) or Custom Window. |
| SB London | Silver Bullet London window. Default: 03:00β04:00 AM NY. |
| SB NY AM | Silver Bullet NY AM window. Default: 10:00β11:00 AM NY. |
| SB NY PM | Silver Bullet NY PM window. Default: 14:00β15:00 PM NY. |
| Custom Session | User-defined session string. Default: 09:30β16:00. |
| Timezone | Timezone for time filter. Default: America/New_York. |
| Show Backtest Table | Display performance table. Default: off. |
| Stop Loss Mode | Manipulation Candle / Fractal Pivot / Signal Candle / ATR Volatility / Structural. |
| Take Profit Logic | Fixed RR or Next Liquidity Level. |
| ATR Length | For ATR SL mode. Default: 14. |
| ATR Multiplier | For ATR SL mode. Default: 1.5. |
| Fractal Lookback | For Fractal Pivot mode. Default: 5 bars. |
| Fixed Risk:Reward (TP) | TP multiplier. Default: 2.0. |
| Move to Breakeven | Shift SL to entry after X R. Default: off. |
| Breakeven Trigger (RR) | R-multiple that triggers BE. Default: 1.0. |
| Show | Nothing / POC Only / Both. Default: POC Only. |
| Lookback Bars | Bars in profile calculation. Default: 150. |
| Row Size | Histogram bins. Default: 24. |
| Value Area % | Volume % that defines the Value Area. Default: 70%. |
| POC Color / Width | Point of Control line style. Default: red, width 2. |
| VA Bull / Bear | Value Area High/Low zone colors. |
| Vol Bull / Bear | Volume bar colors within the histogram. |