The Complete Guide to the Buy Sell Volume Indicator for NinjaTrader 8

Traditional volume indicators lie to you.

You see green candles. You think buyers are in control. You enter long. The market reverses. You lose money.

You see red candles. You assume sellers dominate. You go short. Price rallies against you. Another loss.

The problem? Standard volume indicators show total volume. They don't separate buying pressure from selling pressure. You're trading with half the information you need.

The Buy Sell Volume Indicator for NinjaTrader 8 changes the game.

It's a premium tool from Rize Capital that separates actual buy and sell volumes into distinct, visual bars on your chart. You see exactly who's in control—buyers or sellers—at every moment. No guessing. No assumptions based on candle colours that mislead you constantly.

This indicator reveals the hidden battle between buyers and sellers in real-time. You watch institutional accumulation before breakouts. You spot distribution before reversals. You trade with the same volume intelligence that professional traders use to consistently profit.

That's the difference between informed decisions and expensive mistakes.

What This Indicator Does

Separating Buy and Sell Volume

The Buy Sell Volume Indicator plots separate vertical bars for buying volume and selling volume. Not combined. Not mixed together. Separate.

Green bars show buying volume. Red bars show selling volume. You see both simultaneously on your chart. The visual separation makes market dynamics instantly clear.

Traditional volume indicators tell you how much volume occurred. This indicator tells you which side executed that volume. That's the critical difference. That's the information that matters for trading decisions.

Real-Time Market Control Visualisation

Beyond basic volume separation, the indicator plots arrows that reveal who's actually controlling the market. Not who you think is in control based on price movement. Who actually is in control based on volume analysis.

Green arrows appear when buyers dominate—when buying volume overwhelms selling pressure, regardless of what price action shows. Red arrows appear when sellers control the market—when selling volume crushes buying interest even if candles look bullish.

These arrows cut through price action noise. They show you the truth. Price can move up on weak buying volume while sellers accumulate positions. The arrows warn you. Price can drop on light selling while buyers build massive positions. The arrows alert you.

Delta Volume Analysis

The indicator offers delta volume mode—a powerful feature that plots the difference between buying and selling volume as single bars. Positive delta (buyers winning) shows as green bars. Negative delta (sellers winning) shows as red bars.

The right-most bar changes colour in real-time as the market delta shifts. You watch the battle unfold tick by tick. You see momentum changes as they happen, not after they've already moved price significantly.

Delta volume reveals market pressure that price hasn't reflected yet. That's leading information. That's the edge professional traders exploit constantly.

UpDownTick vs AskBid Volume Types

The indicator handles different data types intelligently. For futures and stocks with actual exchange volume data, you use AskBid volume type. For forex pairs and instruments without true volume data, you use UpDownTick analysis.

This flexibility means you get accurate volume separation regardless of what you're trading. Forex. Futures. Stocks. Indices. The indicator adapts to the data available and delivers reliable analysis across all instruments.

Why Volume Separation Matters

The Candle Colour Trap

Green candles don't always mean buyers control the market. Sometimes, price rises on minimal buying volume while sellers patiently build massive short positions. You see bullish candles. You buy. Then distribution completes and price collapses.

Red candles don't always mean sellers dominate. Sometimes, price drops on light selling while institutions accumulate aggressively. You see bearish candles. You sell. Then accumulation finishes and price explodes upward.

Candle colours mislead you constantly. Volume tells the truth. Separated buy and sell volume tells the whole truth.

Institutional Activity Detection

Large traders—institutions, market makers, hedge funds—don't advertise their intentions. They accumulate quietly. They distribute gradually. They hide their activity within normal market noise.

But they can't hide volume. When they buy, volume appears on the bid side. When they sell, volume hits the ask side. The Buy Sell Volume Indicator exposes this activity. You see institutional positioning before price reflects it.

That timing advantage is enormous. You position with institutions instead of against them. You enter before breakouts instead of chasing after they've already run. You exit before reversals instead of holding through drawdowns.

Confirmation for Technical Patterns

Technical patterns matter. Support breaks. Resistance tests. Trendline breaks. Chart formations. But these patterns fail constantly because traders ignore volume context.

The Buy Sell Volume Indicator provides that context. You see a breakout attempt with strong buying volume—real breakout. You see a breakout attempt with weak buying volume and increasing selling—false breakout.

Volume confirmation dramatically improves pattern reliability. Your technical analysis becomes more accurate because you're trading patterns that have volume support, not just price formations that look good visually.

Technical Requirements and Setup

Platform and Licensing

The Buy Sell Volume Indicator requires NinjaTrader 8 with a Lifetime licence subscription. This isn't a limitation—it's necessary for accessing the real-time data feeds the indicator needs for accurate volume separation.

Chart Type Specifications

The indicator works exclusively with intraday time-based minute bar types. Not daily charts. Not weekly charts. Not tick charts or Renko or range bars. Time-based minute bars only.

This specificity exists because volume separation algorithms require consistent time intervals for accurate calculations. The indicator includes built-in safeguards that display clear messages if you attempt to use it on incompatible chart types or timeframes.

Universal Instrument Compatibility

Version 5.2.0.1 introduced universal instrument compatibility. Forex pairs. Futures contracts. Individual stocks. ETFs. Indices. The indicator handles them all by automatically adapting to available volume data types.

Trial Period and Subscription

You get 30 days free when you subscribe. No obligation. Full functionality. Test it thoroughly. See if it improves your trading. After 30 days, you pay until you cancel. Straightforward pricing. No surprises.

Configuration and Customisation

Volume Type Selection

For instruments with actual exchange volume data (futures, stocks, ETFs), select "AskBid" as your volume type. This setting uses real volume data split between bid and ask executions for maximum accuracy.

For forex pairs and other instruments without true volume feeds, select "UpDownTick" as your volume type. This mode analyses uptick and downtick behaviour to provide realistic volume approximations that work well for trading decisions.

The right volume type matters. Use AskBid when available. Use UpDownTick for forex. Don't mix them incorrectly.

Plot Type Options

The indicator offers two primary plot types: "Buy Sell" mode and "Delta" mode.

Buy Sell mode displays separate bars for buying volume and selling volume. You see both sides distinctly. This mode provides maximum information and works well for detailed volume analysis and learning volume behaviour patterns.

Delta mode displays the difference between buying and selling as single bars. Cleaner visually. Faster to interpret. Better for experienced traders who understand volume dynamics and want streamlined information.

Choose based on your experience level and visual preferences. Both modes provide valuable information. Neither is inherently superior.

Arrow Plot Activation

To display the buying and selling pressure arrows, check the "Plot Arrows" option in the indicator settings. Ensure you see a tick mark confirming activation.

These arrows provide crucial additional insight beyond raw volume bars. They synthesise volume behaviour into clear directional signals about market control. Most traders benefit significantly from having arrows enabled.

Visual Appearance Customisation

The indicator offers extensive visual customisation through the Plots settings. Colours. Dash styles. Plot styles. Width. You control everything.

For clearer visual separation in Buy Sell mode, select the "Match data series width" option for Buy volume. This makes buying volume bars wider than selling volume bars, creating obvious visual distinction that's easier to process quickly during live trading.

Match your chart's colour scheme. Optimise for your lighting conditions. Create visual cues that work for your specific setup and preferences.

Practical Trading Applications

Trend Confirmation

When price trends upward with consistently strong buying volume (dominant green bars), you're seeing genuine trend. Not hopeful rally. Not short covering. Real accumulation driving sustained upward movement.

When price trends upward but selling volume increases or buying volume weakens, you're seeing distribution into strength. That trend is dying. Reversal is coming. The volume tells you before price confirms.

The same applies to downtrends. Strong selling volume confirms genuine downtrends. Weakening selling volume or increasing buying volume warns of reversals before they happen.

Reversal Identification

Volume divergences signal reversals before they're obvious in price action. Price makes new lows but selling volume decreases while buying volume increases—bullish reversal likely. Price makes new highs but buying volume weakens while selling volume grows—bearish reversal probable.

These divergences give you advance warning. You position for reversals early. You capture entire moves instead of jumping in after they're already halfway complete.

Breakout Validation

Breakouts fail constantly. Traders lose money chasing false breakouts that reverse immediately. Volume separation prevents this expensive mistake.

Real breakouts show surge in volume on the breakout side. Price breaks resistance with massive buying volume—legitimate breakout. Price breaks resistance with minimal buying volume and increasing selling—trap.

Only trade breakouts confirmed by volume. Ignore breakouts without volume support. This simple filter dramatically improves breakout trading success rates.

Accumulation and Distribution Detection

The indicator reveals institutional accumulation and distribution that occurs before major price movements. You see periods where price consolidates but buying volume consistently exceeds selling volume—accumulation. You see periods where price holds steady but selling volume dominates—distribution.

This information positions you ahead of breakouts and breakdowns. You're positioned with institutions before they move price. That's the ultimate edge.

Scalping Applications

For scalpers operating on 1-minute or 5-minute charts, the indicator provides tick-by-tick insight into immediate market pressure. The real-time delta bar colour changes show momentum shifts as they happen.

You scalp with the current volume pressure. When delta goes positive, you look for long entries. When delta goes negative, you look for short entries. Fast. Simple. Effective.

Swing Trading Context

Swing traders use the indicator to assess overall volume quality during multi-day position holds. Consistently strong buying volume during upswings confirms trend health. Increasing selling volume warns of potential reversals requiring position adjustments.

The indicator provides ongoing context for position management decisions. You know when to hold confidently and when to tighten stops or take profits.

Advanced Volume Analysis Techniques

Volume Exhaustion Recognition

When buying volume reaches extreme levels but price movement slows, you're seeing buying exhaustion. All available buyers have entered. No one left to push price higher. Reversal imminent.

When selling volume peaks but price stops falling, you're seeing selling exhaustion. Everyone who wanted out is out. No more selling pressure. Reversal coming.

The indicator makes these exhaustion patterns visible and tradeable. You recognise when one-sided volume has reached extremes that typically precede reversals.

Hidden Absorption

Sometimes, price drops on what appears to be strong selling volume, but buying volume is even stronger—hidden absorption. Institutions are accumulating into the selloff. That selloff won't continue. Reversal is near.

Sometimes price rises on apparent buying volume, but selling volume is actually stronger—hidden distribution. Institutions are offloading into the rally. That rally will fail. Reversal approaches.

Standard indicators miss this completely. Separated volume reveals it clearly.

Volume Climax Identification

Volume climaxes occur when buying or selling volume reaches extreme levels that can't be sustained. These climaxes often mark major turning points.

Buying climax: Massive green volume bars, price surge, then sudden shift to selling dominance. Top is in. Selling climax: Enormous red volume bars, price plunge, then abrupt shift to buying control. Bottom is in.

The indicator highlights these climactic moments through extreme bar sizes and rapid arrow colour changes. You identify major turning points as they happen, not days later when they're obvious to everyone.

Multi-Timeframe Volume Confirmation

While the indicator operates on intraday timeframes, you can use multiple chart windows with different timeframe settings to gain volume perspective across multiple horizons.

1-minute chart for immediate scalping decisions. 5-minute chart for short-term context. 15-minute chart for broader trend assessment. All showing separated buy and sell volumes.

When volume signals align across multiple timeframes, conviction increases. When they conflict, caution is warranted.

Version History and Improvements

Version 5.2.0.1 Major Updates

This version represented significant evolution. Universal instrument compatibility expanded the indicator's usefulness across all markets. The switch between UpDownTick and AskBid volume types provided flexibility for different data scenarios.

Buy and sell pressure arrows were added—critical enhancement that makes market control instantly visible. Name change from "Separate Buy Sell Volume in UpDownTick" reflected expanded functionality.

Exception handling for bar types and timeframes improved user experience by providing clear feedback when settings are incompatible. Auto-update and announcement features ensure users always have latest improvements.

Version 5.1.0.1 Foundation

Earlier version established forex pair compatibility and core UpDownTick functionality. This foundation enabled the broader enhancements that came in subsequent versions.

Ongoing Development

Rize Capital continues refining the indicator based on user feedback and evolving market data infrastructure. Expect ongoing improvements that maintain the indicator's effectiveness as markets and technologies evolve.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring Volume Type Settings

Using AskBid volume type on forex pairs produces unreliable results. Using UpDownTick on futures with real volume data wastes information quality. Match your volume type to your instrument correctly.

This seems basic. Traders mess it up constantly. Check your settings. Verify you're using the appropriate volume type for what you're trading.

Trading Volume Alone

Volume provides crucial information. But it's not everything. Don't ignore price action, support and resistance, trend context, or risk management because you have good volume indicators.

Use volume as confirmation and early warning. Not as standalone trading system. Combine it with solid technical analysis and disciplined risk management.

Overcomplicating Interpretation

Separated volume is intuitive. More buying volume than selling—buyers in control. More selling volume than buying—sellers in control. Arrows confirm who's winning. Don't overcomplicate it.

New users sometimes try to create complex volume analysis systems with dozens of rules. Keep it simple. Let the indicator show you what's happening. Trade accordingly.

Forgetting Timeframe Limitations

The indicator works on intraday minute-based charts only. Trying to use it on daily charts or non-time-based bar types won't work. The indicator will warn you, but some traders ignore warnings and wonder why results are poor.

Respect the technical requirements. Use appropriate chart types. Get reliable results.

Chasing Every Volume Signal

Not every volume shift deserves a trade. Context matters. Market conditions matter. Risk-reward matters.

Be selective. Wait for high-quality setups where volume confirmation aligns with other technical factors and offers favourable risk-reward ratios. Volume information improves trade selection—it doesn't eliminate the need for good judgment.

Integration With Trading Strategies

Trend Following Enhancement

Trend following strategies improve dramatically when combined with volume confirmation. You enter trends early when volume supports emerging direction. You exit trends promptly when volume warns of reversals.

The indicator doesn't change your trend following approach fundamentally. It makes that approach more reliable and better-timed.

Reversal Trading Precision

Reversal traders need confidence that turns are real, not temporary pullbacks. Volume divergences and exhaustion patterns provide that confidence.

You trade reversals with conviction when volume supports them. You ignore apparent reversals lacking volume confirmation. Success rates improve significantly.

Breakout Trading Optimisation

Breakout trading becomes consistently profitable when you filter breakouts by volume quality. Real breakouts have volume. False breakouts don't.

This simple filter, applied consistently, transforms breakout trading from frustrating to profitable. The indicator makes applying this filter easy.

Range Trading Refinement

In ranging markets, volume shows you where support and resistance are actually holding versus where they're about to break. Strong buying volume at support confirms it's holding. Increasing selling volume at support warns it's breaking.

Range traders using this information get better entries, better exits, and fewer catastrophic losses from ranges that break unexpectedly.

Best Practices for Success

Start With Buy Sell Mode

When first using the indicator, start with Buy Sell plot mode rather than Delta mode. See both buying and selling volume separately. Learn how they interact. Understand their patterns.

After you're comfortable interpreting separated volumes, you can switch to Delta mode if you prefer the streamlined visual presentation. But learn the fundamentals first.

Use Arrows Consistently

Enable arrow plots and pay attention to them. They synthesise complex volume relationships into simple directional signals. They're valuable especially during fast-moving markets when you need instant clarity.

Some experienced traders eventually disable arrows because they've internalised volume interpretation. But most traders benefit from keeping arrows enabled permanently.

Combine With Price Action

Volume tells you who's in control. Price action tells you what they're doing with that control. You need both.

Watch how price responds to volume shifts. Strong buying volume should push price up. If it doesn't, something's wrong. Strong selling volume should push price down. If it doesn't, be alert.

The interaction between volume and price provides deeper insight than either alone.

Maintain Trading Discipline

Better information doesn't eliminate the need for discipline. You still need stop losses. You still need position sizing rules. You still need emotional control.

The indicator gives you edge. Discipline converts that edge into consistent profits over many trades. Don't let good volume analysis make you careless with risk management.

Keep a Volume Journal

Document what volume patterns you notice and how price responds. Build personal database of volume behaviour in your markets. This experience compounds over time into intuitive volume interpretation skills.

Professional volume traders have seen thousands of volume patterns play out. That experience informs their decisions. You build similar experience through observation and documentation.

Conclusion: Trade With Volume Intelligence

The Buy Sell Volume Indicator reveals market truth that standard indicators hide. You see who's actually in control. You spot institutional activity before it moves price. You confirm patterns with volume before committing capital.

This isn't magic. It's information. The same information professional traders use to make better decisions and achieve more consistent results.

But information alone doesn't generate profits. You need to apply it intelligently. Within proper trading strategies. With sound risk management. With realistic expectations and disciplined execution.

Stop trading blind to market pressure. Stop assuming candle colours tell you who's in control. Stop missing the institutional activity that drives major moves.

Start trading with volume intelligence. With separated buy and sell analysis. With real-time insight into market dynamics that most traders never see.

That's the difference between informed trading and expensive guessing.