The running total of trade delta plus book delta, as candles or a line, reset each session.
In plain English
What it shows
- The running total of trade delta plus book delta, reset each session. Delta is buying minus selling volume.
- A dashed line can show the trade-only total for comparison.
How traders use it
- Watch whether the total rises or falls with price, or moves against it.
- Compare the two lines to see how much the order book added.
What it does not tell you
- The total depends on where it was reset.
- A rising total does not mean price must rise.
Overview
Cumulative Delta (L2) adds up each bar's trade delta and book delta into one running total in its own pane, shown as candles or a line.
A dashed line can also show the trade-only total, so you can see how much the book changes add.
How it works
Trade delta comes from the trade stream and book delta from the 10 order-book rows nearest price (by default). The total resets each session by default.
How to use it
- Use it to follow the combined pressure of trades and resting orders over the session.
- Some traders compare the combined line with the trade-only dashed line.
- Watch the slope at key levels.
These are ways some traders read it, for learning. They are not trade signals.
Settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Book rows each side of price (top N levels)Counts the N book rows nearest the best bid and the best ask. A row is one recorded price step. | 10 |
| Show asOptions: candles, line | candles |
| Resetsession = the futures trading day (18:00 New York); crypto = the UTC day.Options: session, day, none | session |
| Also show trade-only delta (dashed) | On |
| Up | #03c988 |
| Down | #f23645 |
Notes and limits
- Pro: needs the full order book (Data feed L2).
- Needs the full order book (Data feed L2), which is part of Pro. Works on NQ, ES, YM, RTY, CL and GC futures (micros use their mini's book) and on crypto order books.
- The total depends on the reset point.
Education only. Not financial advice. Indicators mark what happened on the chart; they do not predict what price will do. Trading futures, forex, crypto and other markets carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone.