Version: Next 🚧

Timeframes Reference

Overview

Timeframes determine how frequently your algorithm evaluates market conditions and generates trading signals. x3Algo supports 8 timeframes ranging from 1 minute to 1 week, each suited for different trading styles and strategies.

Supported Timeframes

Timeframe	Code	Candles per Day	Candles per Week	Best For
1 Minute	`1m`	375	1,875	Scalping, High-Frequency
5 Minutes	`5m`	75	375	Scalping, Day Trading
15 Minutes	`15m`	25	125	Day Trading, Swing
30 Minutes	`30m`	12.5	62.5	Day Trading, Swing
1 Hour	`1h`	6.25	31.25	Swing Trading
4 Hours	`4h`	1.5	7.5	Swing, Position
1 Day	`1d`	1	5	Position Trading
1 Week	`1w`	0.2	1	Long-Term Position

Note: Candles per day based on typical 6.25-hour trading session (NSE: 9:15 AM - 3:30 PM)

Timeframe Details

1 Minute (1m)

Execution Frequency: Every 1 minute

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (3.3 hours)
Recommended historical data: 1,000 candles (16.7 hours)
Storage per symbol: ~500 KB per day

Characteristics:

Highest signal frequency
Most noise and false signals
Requires fast execution
High transaction costs
Sensitive to slippage

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Scalping strategies
High-frequency trading
Market making
Arbitrage opportunities
Very short-term momentum

❌ Not Good For:

Swing trading
Position trading
Strategies with wide stops
Low-volume instruments

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "1-Minute Scalper",
  "timeframe": "1m",
  "strategyType": "scalping",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "fixed_quantity",
    "quantity": 1
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 0.2,
    "takeProfit": 0.3,
    "maxDailyLoss": 500
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use tight stops (0.1-0.3%)
Quick profit targets (0.2-0.5%)
High win rate required (>60%)
Monitor transaction costs carefully
Use limit orders to reduce slippage

5 Minutes (5m)

Execution Frequency: Every 5 minutes

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (16.7 hours)
Recommended historical data: 500 candles (41.7 hours)
Storage per symbol: ~100 KB per day

Characteristics:

High signal frequency
Moderate noise
Good balance for scalping
Manageable transaction costs
Less sensitive to slippage than 1m

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Scalping strategies
Day trading
Momentum trading
Breakout strategies
Quick reversals

❌ Not Good For:

Swing trading
Position trading
Strategies requiring large stops

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "5-Minute Momentum",
  "timeframe": "5m",
  "strategyType": "momentum",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "risk_based",
    "riskPercentage": 1.0
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 0.5,
    "takeProfit": 1.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 1000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 0.3-0.8% stops
Target 0.5-1.5% profits
Win rate target: 55-65%
Combine with volume indicators
Use confirmation candles (1-2)

15 Minutes (15m)

Execution Frequency: Every 15 minutes

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (50 hours)
Recommended historical data: 300 candles (75 hours)
Storage per symbol: ~35 KB per day

Characteristics:

Moderate signal frequency
Good signal quality
Popular for day trading
Reasonable transaction costs
Good risk/reward ratios

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Day trading
Swing trading (intraday)
Trend following
Breakout strategies
Pattern recognition

❌ Not Good For:

High-frequency scalping
Long-term position trading

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "15-Minute Trend Follower",
  "timeframe": "15m",
  "strategyType": "momentum",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "risk_based",
    "riskPercentage": 1.5
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 1.0,
    "takeProfit": 2.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 2000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 0.8-1.5% stops
Target 1.5-3.0% profits
Win rate target: 50-60%
Excellent for EMA crossovers
Good for candlestick patterns

30 Minutes (30m)

Execution Frequency: Every 30 minutes

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (100 hours)
Recommended historical data: 250 candles (125 hours)
Storage per symbol: ~18 KB per day

Characteristics:

Lower signal frequency
Higher signal quality
Good for part-time traders
Low transaction costs
Clearer trends

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Day trading
Swing trading
Trend following
Mean reversion
Multi-timeframe analysis

❌ Not Good For:

Scalping
High-frequency trading

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "30-Minute Swing",
  "timeframe": "30m",
  "strategyType": "swing",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "risk_based",
    "riskPercentage": 2.0
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 1.5,
    "takeProfit": 3.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 3000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 1.0-2.0% stops
Target 2.0-4.0% profits
Win rate target: 45-55%
Good for RSI divergence
Combine with 1h confirmation

1 Hour (1h)

Execution Frequency: Every 1 hour

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (200 hours / 8.3 days)
Recommended historical data: 250 candles (250 hours / 10.4 days)
Storage per symbol: ~9 KB per day

Characteristics:

Low signal frequency
High signal quality
Excellent for swing trading
Very low transaction costs
Strong trend identification

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Swing trading
Position trading (short-term)
Trend following
Mean reversion
Multi-timeframe confirmation

❌ Not Good For:

Scalping
Day trading (too slow)
High-frequency strategies

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "1-Hour Swing Trader",
  "timeframe": "1h",
  "strategyType": "swing",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "risk_based",
    "riskPercentage": 2.0
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 2.0,
    "takeProfit": 4.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 5000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 1.5-3.0% stops
Target 3.0-6.0% profits
Win rate target: 40-50%
Excellent for MACD signals
Use with 4h trend filter

4 Hours (4h)

Execution Frequency: Every 4 hours

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (800 hours / 33 days)
Recommended historical data: 250 candles (1,000 hours / 42 days)
Storage per symbol: ~2.3 KB per day

Characteristics:

Very low signal frequency
Very high signal quality
Excellent for swing trading
Minimal transaction costs
Strong trend clarity

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Swing trading
Position trading
Trend following
Long-term strategies
Multi-timeframe analysis (higher TF)

❌ Not Good For:

Day trading
Scalping
Strategies requiring frequent signals

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "4-Hour Position Trader",
  "timeframe": "4h",
  "strategyType": "position",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "risk_based",
    "riskPercentage": 2.5
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 3.0,
    "takeProfit": 6.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 10000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 2.0-4.0% stops
Target 4.0-8.0% profits
Win rate target: 35-45%
Excellent for moving average systems
Use with daily trend confirmation

1 Day (1d)

Execution Frequency: Once per day (at market close)

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (200 days)
Recommended historical data: 250 candles (250 days)
Storage per symbol: ~0.5 KB per day

Characteristics:

Minimal signal frequency
Highest signal quality
Best for position trading
Negligible transaction costs
Clearest trend identification

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Position trading
Long-term investing
Trend following
Mean reversion (long-term)
Portfolio strategies

❌ Not Good For:

Day trading
Scalping
Strategies requiring quick exits

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "Daily Position Trader",
  "timeframe": "1d",
  "strategyType": "position",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "percentage",
    "percentage": 5.0
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 5.0,
    "takeProfit": 10.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 20000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 3.0-7.0% stops
Target 6.0-15.0% profits
Win rate target: 30-40%
Excellent for long-term trends
Use with weekly confirmation

1 Week (1w)

Execution Frequency: Once per week (at week close)

Data Requirements:

Minimum historical data: 200 candles (200 weeks / 3.8 years)
Recommended historical data: 250 candles (250 weeks / 4.8 years)
Storage per symbol: ~0.1 KB per day

Characteristics:

Rare signal frequency
Extremely high signal quality
Best for long-term investing
No transaction cost concerns
Major trend identification

Strategy Suitability:

✅ Good For:

Long-term position trading
Investment strategies
Major trend following
Portfolio rebalancing
Low-maintenance strategies

❌ Not Good For:

Day trading
Swing trading
Active trading strategies

Example Configuration:

{
  "name": "Weekly Long-Term Investor",
  "timeframe": "1w",
  "strategyType": "position",
  "positionSizing": {
    "method": "percentage",
    "percentage": 10.0
  },
  "riskParameters": {
    "stopLoss": 10.0,
    "takeProfit": 20.0,
    "maxDailyLoss": 50000
  }
}

Best Practices:

Use 7.0-15.0% stops
Target 15.0-30.0% profits
Win rate target: 25-35%
Focus on major trends
Minimal monitoring required

Multi-Timeframe Analysis

Timeframe Combinations

Scalping (1m/5m):

{
  "timeframe": "1m",
  "multiTimeframe": {
    "enabled": true,
    "higherTimeframe": "5m",
    "confirmationRequired": true
  }
}

Day Trading (15m/1h):

{
  "timeframe": "15m",
  "multiTimeframe": {
    "enabled": true,
    "higherTimeframe": "1h",
    "confirmationRequired": true
  }
}

Swing Trading (1h/4h):

{
  "timeframe": "1h",
  "multiTimeframe": {
    "enabled": true,
    "higherTimeframe": "4h",
    "confirmationRequired": true
  }
}

Position Trading (1d/1w):

{
  "timeframe": "1d",
  "multiTimeframe": {
    "enabled": true,
    "higherTimeframe": "1w",
    "confirmationRequired": true
  }
}

Timeframe Ratio Guidelines

Recommended Ratios:

1:3 to 1:5 ratio between timeframes
Example: 15m entry with 1h confirmation (1:4 ratio)
Example: 1h entry with 4h confirmation (1:4 ratio)

Avoid:

Too close: 15m with 30m (1:2 ratio) - not enough separation
Too far: 5m with 4h (1:48 ratio) - too much lag

Timeframe Selection Guide

By Trading Style

Scalper:

Primary: 1m or 5m
Confirmation: 5m or 15m
Holding time: Minutes
Trades per day: 10-50+

Day Trader:

Primary: 15m or 30m
Confirmation: 1h
Holding time: Hours
Trades per day: 2-10

Swing Trader:

Primary: 1h or 4h
Confirmation: 4h or 1d
Holding time: Days to weeks
Trades per week: 2-10

Position Trader:

Primary: 1d or 1w
Confirmation: 1w
Holding time: Weeks to months
Trades per month: 1-5

By Available Time

Full-Time Trader:

Can use: 1m, 5m, 15m, 30m
Best: 5m or 15m
Requires constant monitoring

Part-Time Trader:

Can use: 30m, 1h, 4h
Best: 1h or 4h
Check 2-4 times per day

Passive Trader:

Can use: 1d, 1w
Best: 1d
Check once per day

By Market Volatility

High Volatility:

Use higher timeframes (1h, 4h, 1d)
Reduces noise and false signals
Wider stops required

Low Volatility:

Can use lower timeframes (15m, 30m, 1h)
Tighter stops possible
More frequent signals

By Instrument Type

Stocks (NSE/BSE):

Recommended: 15m, 30m, 1h, 1d
Avoid: 1m (too noisy)

Futures (MCX):

Recommended: 5m, 15m, 30m, 1h
Good for: All timeframes

Options:

Recommended: 15m, 30m, 1h
Avoid: 1d, 1w (time decay)

Commodities (NCDEX):

Recommended: 15m, 1h, 4h, 1d
Good for: Medium to long-term

Data Requirements

Historical Data Needs

For Indicators:

SMA/EMA: Requires period × 2 candles minimum
RSI: Requires 14 candles minimum
MACD: Requires 26 candles minimum
Bollinger Bands: Requires 20 candles minimum

Example:

Strategy uses 200 SMA on 15m timeframe
Minimum data: 200 × 2 = 400 candles
Time required: 400 × 15 minutes = 6,000 minutes = 100 hours

Storage Considerations

Per Symbol Storage (approximate):

1m: 500 KB/day × 365 = 182 MB/year
5m: 100 KB/day × 365 = 36 MB/year
15m: 35 KB/day × 365 = 13 MB/year
1h: 9 KB/day × 365 = 3.3 MB/year
1d: 0.5 KB/day × 365 = 182 KB/year

For 100 Symbols:

1m: 18 GB/year
15m: 1.3 GB/year
1d: 18 MB/year

Execution Frequency

Signal Generation

How Often Algorithms Check Conditions:

1m: Every minute (375 times/day)
5m: Every 5 minutes (75 times/day)
15m: Every 15 minutes (25 times/day)
1h: Every hour (6 times/day)
1d: Once per day (1 time/day)

Candle Close Timing

When Signals Are Generated:

Signals generate at candle close
15m timeframe: Signals at :00, :15, :30, :45
1h timeframe: Signals at :00 of each hour
1d timeframe: Signals at market close (3:30 PM IST)

Example:

15m timeframe on NSE:
9:15 AM - First candle closes at 9:30 AM
9:30 AM - Second candle closes at 9:45 AM
...
3:15 PM - Last candle closes at 3:30 PM

Performance Considerations

Transaction Costs by Timeframe

Estimated Trades per Day:

1m: 20-50 trades → High costs
5m: 10-30 trades → High costs
15m: 3-10 trades → Moderate costs
1h: 1-5 trades → Low costs
1d: 0-2 trades → Very low costs

Cost Impact:

Brokerage: ₹20 per trade
STT: 0.025% (intraday sell)
Total per trade: ~₹25-50

1m strategy (30 trades/day): ₹750-1,500/day
15m strategy (5 trades/day): ₹125-250/day
1d strategy (1 trade/day): ₹25-50/day

Slippage by Timeframe

Expected Slippage:

1m: 0.05-0.15% (high)
5m: 0.03-0.10% (moderate-high)
15m: 0.02-0.05% (moderate)
1h: 0.01-0.03% (low)
1d: 0.01-0.02% (very low)

Best Practices

1. Start with Higher Timeframes

Begin with 15m or 1h to learn:

Clearer signals
Lower costs
Less stress
Better risk management

2. Match Timeframe to Strategy

Scalping → 1m, 5m
Day trading → 15m, 30m, 1h
Swing trading → 1h, 4h
Position trading → 1d, 1w

3. Use Multi-Timeframe Confirmation

Always confirm with higher timeframe:

{
  "timeframe": "15m",
  "multiTimeframe": {
    "enabled": true,
    "higherTimeframe": "1h"
  }
}

4. Adjust Stops and Targets

Scale stops/targets with timeframe:

1m: 0.2% stop, 0.3% target
15m: 1.0% stop, 2.0% target
1h: 2.0% stop, 4.0% target
1d: 5.0% stop, 10.0% target

5. Consider Your Lifestyle

Choose timeframe based on availability:

Full-time: 5m, 15m
Part-time: 1h, 4h
Passive: 1d

Common Mistakes

Using 1m without experience - Start with 15m or higher
Mixing incompatible timeframes - Use 1:4 or 1:5 ratio
Not adjusting stops - Scale stops with timeframe
Ignoring transaction costs - Lower timeframes = higher costs
No multi-timeframe confirmation - Always use higher TF filter

Timeframe Quick Reference

Timeframe	Trades/Day	Stop %	Target %	Win Rate	Best For
1m	20-50	0.1-0.3	0.2-0.5	60%+	Scalping
5m	10-30	0.3-0.8	0.5-1.5	55-65%	Scalping/Day
15m	3-10	0.8-1.5	1.5-3.0	50-60%	Day Trading
30m	2-6	1.0-2.0	2.0-4.0	45-55%	Day/Swing
1h	1-5	1.5-3.0	3.0-6.0	40-50%	Swing
4h	0-2	2.0-4.0	4.0-8.0	35-45%	Swing/Position
1d	0-1	3.0-7.0	6.0-15.0	30-40%	Position
1w	0-1	7.0-15.0	15.0-30.0	25-35%	Long-Term

Overview​

Supported Timeframes​

Timeframe Details​

1 Minute (1m)​

5 Minutes (5m)​

15 Minutes (15m)​

30 Minutes (30m)​

1 Hour (1h)​

4 Hours (4h)​

1 Day (1d)​

1 Week (1w)​

Multi-Timeframe Analysis​

Timeframe Combinations​

Timeframe Ratio Guidelines​

Timeframe Selection Guide​

By Trading Style​

By Available Time​

By Market Volatility​

By Instrument Type​

Data Requirements​

Historical Data Needs​

Storage Considerations​

Execution Frequency​

Signal Generation​

Candle Close Timing​

Performance Considerations​

Transaction Costs by Timeframe​

Slippage by Timeframe​

Best Practices​

1. Start with Higher Timeframes​

2. Match Timeframe to Strategy​

3. Use Multi-Timeframe Confirmation​

4. Adjust Stops and Targets​

5. Consider Your Lifestyle​

Common Mistakes​

Timeframe Quick Reference​

Related Topics​

Overview

Supported Timeframes

Timeframe Details

1 Minute (1m)

5 Minutes (5m)

15 Minutes (15m)

30 Minutes (30m)

1 Hour (1h)

4 Hours (4h)

1 Day (1d)

1 Week (1w)

Multi-Timeframe Analysis

Timeframe Combinations

Timeframe Ratio Guidelines

Timeframe Selection Guide

By Trading Style

By Available Time

By Market Volatility

By Instrument Type

Data Requirements

Historical Data Needs

Storage Considerations

Execution Frequency

Signal Generation

Candle Close Timing

Performance Considerations

Transaction Costs by Timeframe

Slippage by Timeframe

Best Practices

1. Start with Higher Timeframes

2. Match Timeframe to Strategy

3. Use Multi-Timeframe Confirmation

4. Adjust Stops and Targets

5. Consider Your Lifestyle

Common Mistakes

Timeframe Quick Reference

Related Topics