Timeframe
The duration each candle represents — from 1-minute to monthly — defining the granularity at which price action is analysed.
A timeframe (or time frame) is the period compressed into each bar or candle on a chart. Common timeframes range from 1-minute (scalping) through 1-hour (swing intraday) to daily and weekly (position trading).
The same price action looks very different at different timeframes. A bullish engulfing on a 5-minute chart is noise on a daily chart. Understanding which timeframe drives your trade thesis and which provides the entry trigger is foundational to multi-timeframe analysis.
Related Terms
Bar Chart
A chart showing each period's open, high, low, and close as a vertical bar with left and right tick marks.
BeginnerMulti-Timeframe Analysis
The practice of reading price action across multiple timeframes to align the higher-degree trend with lower-timeframe entries.
IntermediatePrice Action
The study of raw price movement — candlestick patterns, swings, and structure — without relying on lagging indicators.
BeginnerTrend
The persistent directional bias of price over a defined timeframe — up, down, or sideways.
Beginner