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Key terms for this guide
These glossary pages cover the ideas and platform language most closely tied to this workflow.
Volume spikes measure participation
A volume spike indicator compares current volume to recent volume. It is strongest when the feed provides meaningful volume and you want to know whether a move is attracting unusual participation.
Bar speed measures tempo
Bar speed looks at how quickly bars are completing relative to recent bars. That makes it useful on chart types where pace itself says something important, even when raw volume is less informative.
The best choice depends on the chart
On instruments with strong centralized volume, a spike study may be the cleaner signal. On range, Renko, or other fast-updating charts, bar speed can sometimes show urgency earlier. Many traders benefit from using one as confirmation for the other.
