Showing the spread directly on the chart
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 7:33 pm
Many scalpers watch price and ignore the spread until it's too late. A better setup puts it right where the eyes already are.
Options vary by platform. In MT5, a small indicator or script can display the current spread in a corner. Some traders prefer a coloured line for the ask, so the distance to the bid is visible. Others use an alert that fires when the spread exceeds a threshold.
The point is to remove the guesswork. Entering at 0.3 pips spread and entering at 1.8 pips are different trades, with different required move sizes and different odds. If the spread is invisible, entries get made at the wrong moments.
A rule of thumb that some use: skip any entry where the spread is more than a set percentage of the target, say 15 percent. That one filter can save a surprising number of trades.
Which tools or indicators do you use to keep spread visible?
Options vary by platform. In MT5, a small indicator or script can display the current spread in a corner. Some traders prefer a coloured line for the ask, so the distance to the bid is visible. Others use an alert that fires when the spread exceeds a threshold.
The point is to remove the guesswork. Entering at 0.3 pips spread and entering at 1.8 pips are different trades, with different required move sizes and different odds. If the spread is invisible, entries get made at the wrong moments.
A rule of thumb that some use: skip any entry where the spread is more than a set percentage of the target, say 15 percent. That one filter can save a surprising number of trades.
Which tools or indicators do you use to keep spread visible?