FOUNDING ACCESS IS FULL·Founder onboarding is closed.Get launch updates →
← All indicators
FreeIndicators·ThinkorSwim

Heiken Ashi Trend

Smoothed candles that strip the noise out of a trend.

How to install in ThinkorSwim

  1. In ThinkorSwim, open a chart, then go to Studies → Edit Studies.
  2. Click Create, clear the editor, and paste the code.
  3. Name it, click Apply, then OK, and it draws on your chart.

How to Use — WeTradePro Heiken-Ashi Trend

Our original Heiken-Ashi trend filter. Educational, not advice.

What it is (one line)

A noise-filtered trend signal that repaints price as Heiken-Ashi candles — a long run of same-color bodies means a clean trend; a color flip warns of a turn.

Who it's for & best timeframe

Trader typeHow you use itBest timeframeRecommended setting
Day traderStay in green bodies for longs, red for shorts; exit on the flip5-min – 15-minsmoothOpen yes
Swing traderBest fit — hold while the daily HA stays one color, trim on the flipDailysmoothOpen yes
Position traderWeekly HA color = the dominant regime; only trade with itWeeklysmoothOpen yes

Best overall: the daily chart. Heiken-Ashi shines at keeping you in a trend and out of chop.

What you see (on the price panel)

  • Colored HA candles drawn over your chart: green = bullish bar, red = bearish bar.
  • Green/red arrow at the bar where the color flips (potential trend change).
  • Labels: HA TREND: UP/DOWN (N bars) showing how mature the run is, and a FLIP flag on the turn bar.

How to trade it (the core play)

  1. Trade with the color. Green run = look only for longs; red run = look only for shorts.
  2. A trend is "clean" when bodies are large and one-sided (little opposite wick). That's a hold, not a fade.
  3. Enter on or just after a flip arrow in the new direction (best when it agrees with a higher-timeframe HA color).
  4. Stop below the flip bar's low (long) / above its high (short).
  5. Hold while the color holds. A small-bodied bar with wicks on both sides = momentum stalling; tighten up. Exit on the opposite flip.

Settings (inputs)

  • smoothOpen (yes) — uses the classic recursive HA open for the smoothest read. Set no for a slightly faster, choppier version.

Best on

  • Any liquid, trending instrument. Excellent on index ETFs (SPY/QQQ) and high-beta leaders (NVDA, AVGO, TSLA). Less useful on tight, range-bound tickers.

Common mistakes

  • Treating the HA close as the real price — HA prices are synthetic; use real price for fills and stops.
  • Counter-trend trading — don't short a strong green run just because it "looks extended."
  • Chasing a single flip in chop — confirm with a higher timeframe before acting.

Video script outline (for your WeTradePro tutorial)

  1. Hook: "This is the cleanest way to see if a trend is real or just noise."
  2. Show normal candles next to HA candles — point out how HA smooths the chop.
  3. Explain the color: green = up bar, red = down bar.
  4. The run counter: how a long one-color streak = a strong trend.
  5. The flip arrow: where trends change and how to enter.
  6. The hold: stay with the color, exit on the flip.
  7. Warning: HA prices are synthetic — use real price for stops.
  8. Recap + "import link in description."

Educational analysis, not financial advice.

← Back to all 103 indicators