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Key terms for this guide
These glossary pages cover the ideas and platform language most closely tied to this workflow.
A spike is relative, not universal
Good volume spike tools compare current activity to recent activity. That means the same threshold can feel noisy on one instrument and silent on another.
- Thresholds need to be tested on the actual instrument and chart style.
- A single universal number rarely survives contact with different markets.
- That is why spike tools are better thought of as relative context tools.
Pair spikes with location
A spike at a prior-session high, opening range boundary, or major channel edge is usually more informative than a spike in the middle of an unimportant rotation.
Feed quality still matters
The usefulness of a volume spike depends on the market and the feed. Always review what your platform is actually reporting before assuming the signal has the same meaning everywhere.
- The same indicator can be more trustworthy on one market than another.
- Poor feed quality should lower your confidence, not just your threshold.
- Structure and location become more important when the feed is weaker.
