Order blocks keep disappearing before price even reaches them — why?

OB_Max_Age (default 50 bars) — if price hasn't returned to an OB within 50 bars, the indicator removes it from tracking. This prevents stale OBs from confusing the structure. In fast-moving trends, OBs get taken out (mitigated) in 5–10 bars, which is actually healthy. In slow, choppy markets, even valid OBs may age out before price gets there. The 50-bar window is a reasonable default; if you're trading on H1, consider reducing to 20–30 bars to keep only the most recent structure.

What's the most powerful confluence combination for scalping?

BOS + Liquidity Sweep + OB Retest = your highest probability setup. Here's the sequence: market breaks structure (BOS), sweeps liquidity above swing high (sweep), rejects, and returns to OB — all within 10–15 bars. That's the textbook institutional entry. When you see all three within a tight window, confidence hits 90+ and the trade is worth sizing up. The indicator fires when 2 of 3 align — watching for all 3 manually gives you an extra edge.

My chart is full of FVGs — how do I focus on the ones that matter?

Prioritize FVGs that form at swing highs/lows (where institutional activity creates them), FVGs that coincide with OB zones, and recent FVGs (within 10 bars of current price). Old FVGs beyond 30 bars rarely get filled and are mostly noise. Use FVG_Max_Age at 30 — the indicator will automatically clean up the chart. If the chart is still cluttered, reduce Max_FVG_Count to 3 so only the 3 most recent, highest-priority gaps are tracked.

FVG shows as "filled" — should I reverse immediately?

Wait. FVG fill alone is not a reversal signal — it just means the imbalance has been addressed. What matters is how price behaves after the fill: if price fills the FVG and bounces cleanly off the opposite side, that's a continuation setup (trade in the direction of the bounce). If price blasts through the FVG and keeps going, the FVG is irrelevant. The fill is information, not a signal.

SMC Order Blocks + BOS/CHoCH + FVG + Liquidity

Name: SMC Order Blocks + BOS/CHoCH + FVG + Liquidity
Author: PipsGrowth

#04 · SMC / Institutional / Reversal Non-Repainting EA Readable Dashboard Alerts

This is a comprehensive Smart Money Concepts (SMC) indicator that detects institutional order flow patterns: Order Blocks (zones where institutions placed large orders), Break of Structure (BOS) confirming trend continuation, Change of Character (CHoCH) signaling trend reversal, Fair Value Gaps (FVG) showing imbalance, and liquidity sweeps (stop hunts). It requires at least 2 of 3 SMC conditions to align before generating a signal.

How It Works

Swing highs/lows are detected using a configurable lookback. The indicator tracks HH/HL/LH/LL structure sequences. BOS fires when price closes beyond the last swing high (bullish) or low (bearish). CHoCH fires when the structure sequence reverses. Bullish Order Blocks are the last down-candle before a strong up-move that breaks structure. FVGs are price gaps between bar i-2 and bar i. Liquidity sweeps are wicks beyond swing points that close back inside.

Entry Signals

Bullish: BOS confirmed OR CHoCH to bullish + Price returns to bullish OB + Sweep below swing low → BUY (2+ of 3)
Bearish: BOS confirmed OR CHoCH to bearish + Price returns to bearish OB + Sweep above swing high → SELL (2+ of 3)
No-Trade: Price in middle of range, no structure break, no OB retest

Exit Signals

✕TP: ATR-based TP or opposite OB zone reached
✕Reversal: Opposite CHoCH forms → close and reverse
✕Expiry: Signal_Expiry_Bars passed without TP

Trade / No-Trade Filters

Structure Required: No BOS/CHoCH → no trade
OB Retest Required: Price not at OB → no trade
Spread: Spread > Max_Spread_Points → no signal
Cooldown: Last signal < Cooldown_Bars ago → no signal
Confluence: BOS + OB + Sweep → higher confidence (all 3 = 90+)

Source Code Preview

First 50 of 1095 lines

PG_04_SMC_OrderBlocks.mq5

MQL5

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

//| PipsGrowth_SMC_OrderBlocks_Indicator_v1.mq5 |

//| https://www.pipsgrowth.com |

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+

#property link "https://www.pipsgrowth.com"

#property version "1.00"

#property indicator_chart_window

#property indicator_buffers 13

#property indicator_plots 6

// Plot 0: BUY Entry (up triangle, green)

#property indicator_label1 "BUY Entry"

#property indicator_type1 DRAW_COLOR_ARROW

#property indicator_color1 clrLime

#property indicator_width1 2

// Plot 1: SELL Entry (down triangle, red)

#property indicator_label2 "SELL Entry"

#property indicator_type2 DRAW_COLOR_ARROW

#property indicator_color2 clrRed

#property indicator_width2 2

// Plot 2: Exit Signal (color arrow: aqua=TP, orange=reversal, gray=expired)

#property indicator_label3 "Exit"

#property indicator_type3 DRAW_COLOR_ARROW

#property indicator_color3 clrAqua,clrOrange,clrGray

#property indicator_width3 2

// Plot 3: BOS Marker

#property indicator_label4 "BOS"

#property indicator_type4 DRAW_ARROW

#property indicator_color4 clrDeepSkyBlue

#property indicator_width4 1

// Plot 4: CHoCH Marker

#property indicator_label5 "CHoCH"

#property indicator_type5 DRAW_ARROW

#property indicator_color5 clrMagenta

#property indicator_width5 1

// Plot 5: Liquidity Sweep

#property indicator_label6 "Sweep"

#property indicator_type6 DRAW_ARROW

#property indicator_color6 clrYellow

#property indicator_width6 1

//--- Input Parameters

input group "Core"

Educational purposes only. Do NOT use with real money. Test on demo accounts only.

Key Features

Multi-concept SMC detection (OB, BOS, CHoCH, FVG, Liquidity)

Confluence-based entries (2+ of 3 conditions required)

Order Block zones with mitigation tracking

FVG detection with fill tracking

Liquidity sweep detection (stop hunts)

Confidence scoring: BOS(25) + CHoCH(30) + OB(25) + Sweep(20) + FVG(10) + Volume(10)

Visual rectangles for OB and FVG zones

Input Parameters

Swing_Lookback

Default: 5

Bars left/right to confirm swing point

OB_Max_Age

Default: 50

Max bars an OB remains valid

FVG_Max_Age

Default: 30

Max bars an FVG remains valid

Liquidity_Lookback

Default: 20

Bars to look for liquidity targets

Require_BOS_For_Entry

Default: true

Only enter after BOS confirmation

Require_OB_Retest

Default: true

Only enter when price returns to OB

SL_ATR_Mult

Default: 1.5

Stop loss in ATR multiples

TP_ATR_Mult

Default: 2.0

TP in ATR multiples

Installation Guide

1Download the .mq5 file using the download button

2Open MetaTrader 5 → File → Open Data Folder

3Navigate to MQL5 → Indicators

4Copy the .mq5 file into the Indicators folder

5Open MetaEditor (F4) and press F5 to compile

6The indicator will appear in Navigator under Indicators

7Drag the indicator onto your chart

8Test on a demo account before live trading

Clear Warning: Educational Purposes Only

This indicator is for educational and testing purposes only. Do NOT use it with real money. Test only on demo accounts. Trading with real money involves substantial risk of capital loss. This tool does not constitute investment advice.

Community

Frequently Asked Questions

Timing. SMC confluence tells you the setup is structurally valid, but it doesn't guarantee the entry timing is right. A bullish OB retest that forms at 3pm on a Friday afternoon, or right before a major news event, is structurally correct but will likely fail due to liquidity collapse. Also check the ATR regime — if the market is in VOLATILE regime, even a perfect SMC setup can whipsaw. The indicator identifies the opportunity; you still need to read the timing context.

Last updated: July 11, 2026

Educational Disclaimer

This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Trading involves significant risk and you may lose your capital. Always consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Learn More

MetaTrader 5 Docs— Official Documentation MQL5 Community— Indicator Library Investopedia - Technical Indicators— Financial Education

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Specifications

CategorySMC / Institutional / Reversal

DifficultyAdvanced

Versionv1.0

TimeframesM15, M30, H1

RepaintingNo

EAReadable

Best For

SMC tradersReversal tradingM15-H1 timeframesXAUUSD and forex majors

Multi-Timeframe Confluence Scoring Engine

Evaluates 7+ independent conditions per bar with weighted scores. Only fires when total score meets configurable threshold.

Price Action Pattern Detector at Key Levels

Detects candlestick patterns (pin bars, engulfing, inside bars) only at key levels. Patterns in the middle of nowhere are ignored.

SMC Structure (BOS/CHoCH + OB + FVG + Liquidity)

Detects market structure (swing points, BOS, CHoCH), Order Blocks, Fair Value Gaps, and liquidity sweeps with mitigation tracking.