Timeframe
A timeframe is the duration each candle on a chart represents (from one minute to several months) and sets the horizon of the analysis.
The timeframe defines the duration aggregated into each candle on a chart: a “1 hour” candle summarises the open, high, low and close of one hour of trading. The same asset tells very different stories depending on the chosen interval: a clean daily uptrend can hide sharp corrective waves on the 15-minute chart. All technical indicators are computed on the chart's timeframe: a 14-period RSI covers 14 days on the daily, 14 hours on the hourly.
Choosing your timeframe
- Day trading: short intervals (1 minute to 1 hour), positions opened and closed within the day.
- Swing trading: intermediate intervals (1 hour to daily), positions held for days to weeks.
- Position trading and investing: daily, weekly, monthly and beyond.
Screener.Trading offers 18 timeframes, from 1 minute to 12 months, usable on charts as well as in screener rules; intervals that are not native to the data providers are aggregated automatically. The shorter the interval, the more numerous but noisier the signals; the longer it is, the rarer but more robust they are. Most traders pick a main timeframe matching their availability, then consult a higher one for context.
Frequently asked questions
Keep exploring
- FeatureThe multi-indicator, multi-timeframe screenerCombine technical indicators, timeframes and comparison operators to keep only the assets that match your strategy exactly.
- FeatureCharts built for technical analysis13 stackable indicators, a full drawing toolkit and annotations that are still there every time you come back to a symbol.
- IndicatorPrice: the raw data behind all technical analysisBefore any indicator, there is price. The close, open, high and low of each candle are the building blocks of your screener rules.
- IndicatorRSI (Relative Strength Index)The most popular momentum oscillator: it bounds the strength of a move between 0 and 100 and flags overbought and oversold conditions.
- GlossaryMulti-timeframe analysisMulti-timeframe analysis means studying the same asset across several timeframes, typically a higher one for the trend and a lower one for timing.
- GuideThe complete beginner's guide to tradingEverything you need to understand before placing your first order: reading a chart, choosing your style, using the right indicators, managing risk, and practicing without risking a cent.
- GuideBuilding your first screener, step by stepHow to turn a strategy idea into objective rules, pick the right asset universe, read scan results and iterate until you get a genuinely actionable list of opportunities.