Williams Alligator: three smoothed averages of median price, shifted forward, called the jaw, teeth and lips.
Overview
The Williams Alligator draws three lines on the price chart. The jaw (purple) is slow, the teeth (orange) are medium and the lips (yellow) are fast. Each one is pushed forward in time by a few bars.
When the lines are tangled, the market is often ranging. When they fan out in order, price is trending.
How it works
Each line is a smoothed moving average (SMMA) of median price, (high + low) / 2. Classic settings: jaw 13 bars shifted 8, teeth 8 bars shifted 5, lips 5 bars shifted 3.
The forward shift means the last few bars of each line extend past the current candle.
How to use it
- Some traders read tangled lines as the Alligator sleeping and stay patient.
- Watch the lines spread apart in order (lips, teeth, jaw) as a sign of a trend.
- Use price crossing the jaw as a broad trend change signal.
- Pair it with the Gator Oscillator to see the spread as a histogram.
These are ways some traders read it, for learning. They are not trade signals.
Settings
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Settings | |
| Jaw LengthSmoothing length of the Jaw SMMA of median price (hl2), 13 in the classic setup. | 13 |
| Teeth LengthSmoothing length of the Teeth SMMA of median price (hl2), 8 in the classic setup. | 8 |
| Lips LengthSmoothing length of the Lips SMMA of median price (hl2), 5 in the classic setup. | 5 |
| Jaw OffsetNumber of bars the Jaw plot is shifted into the future, 8 in the classic setup. | 8 |
| Teeth OffsetNumber of bars the Teeth plot is shifted into the future, 5 in the classic setup. | 5 |
| Lips OffsetNumber of bars the Lips plot is shifted into the future, 3 in the classic setup. | 3 |
| Style | |
| JawColor of the Jaw line. | #ab47bc |
| TeethColor of the Teeth line. | #ff9800 |
| LipsColor of the Lips line. | #ffd700 |
Alerts
You can alert on its line crossing a value or the candle close (from the chart's + menu); checked while ZoroCharts is open.
Notes and limits
- Works on any symbol and timeframe; it only needs candle data.
- The forward shift is part of the design; it is not a forecast.
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.