ICT OTE - Clean v6 (Indicator)

ICT OTE — Indicator (Pine v6)
Comprehensive Guide & Rule-Based Trade Plan
This guide explains how to read and trade the Pine v6 indicator version of ICT’s Optimal Trade Entry (OTE). It covers chart elements, the 62–79% OTE zone (with 70.5% mid), confirmation logic, kill-zone gating, rule-based entries/stops/targets, and practical workflows.
1. Overview
The Optimal Trade Entry (OTE) is a core ICT concept that locates high-probability entries inside a Fibonacci retracement window between 62% and 79%, with 70.5% often used as a precise mid level. The indicator highlights that zone for the latest impulse (swing low to swing high for bullish, swing high to swing low for bearish), prints signal labels when price retraces into the box and a confirmation candle forms, and plots visual stop-loss and 1R/2R targets from your chosen entry line (62/70.5/79).
2. What the Indicator Draws
• OTE Box (62–79%): A green box for bullish OTE (drawn between 62% and 79% of the latest bullish impulse) and a red box for bearish OTE (drawn between 62% and 79% retracement of the latest bearish impulse).
• 70.5% Mid Line: A horizontal line through the OTE box at 70.5% (optional).
• Entry Line: Your selected entry reference: Top 62%, Mid 70.5%, or Bottom 79%.
• Signal Labels: ‘OTE Long’ appears when price touches the bullish OTE box and a confirmation candle prints; ‘OTE Short’ for the bearish side.
• Stop-Loss Guide: For longs: swing low of the dealing range; for shorts: swing high of the dealing range (visual plot).
• 1R/2R Target Lines: Two projected lines from the chosen entry to visualize 1R and 2R objectives (purely visual).
• Kill-Zone Shading (optional): Grey shading during London, NY-AM, and NY-PM windows, if gating is enabled.
3. Inputs & Settings
• Pivot Left/Right: Swing detection for impulses using pivot highs/lows (default 3/3).
• Draw OTE Box: Toggle drawing the 62–79% zone.
• Plot 70.5% Mid Line: Toggle the mid-line inside OTE.
• Entry Line: Choose the visual entry anchor (62% / 70.5% / 79%).
• Confirmation: Require a strong candle (default: close > open + continuation vs prior bar for longs; inverse for shorts).
• Stop/Targets: Toggle plotting the swing SL and 1R/2R targets.
• Kill-Zone Gating: If enabled, signals only fire in London (02:00–05:00 NY), NY-AM (08:00–11:00 NY), and NY-PM (13:00–15:00 NY).
• OTE Box Opacity: Adjust visual opacity of the box (default 85).
4. Rule-Based Entry Model
Use these steps exactly; do not skip.
1. Window: Optional — ensure you are inside an ICT kill-zone (London / NY-AM / NY-PM) if gating is enabled.
2. Impulse: Confirm the latest dealing range (pivot-based). Bullish = last swing low precedes last swing high; bearish = last swing high precedes last swing low.
3. OTE Box: Ensure price retraces into the 62–79% zone for the active impulse.
4. Confirmation: Wait for the required confirmation candle (strong or basic, per setting).
5. Entry Anchor: Use your selected line (62/70.5/79) as the reference for planning the fill.
6. Stops: Place SL at the swing extreme of the dealing range (longs: swing low; shorts: swing high).
7. Targets: Map 1R and 2R visual levels from the entry. Optionally prefer opposite liquidity or prior swing if closer (manual).
5. How to Read the Chart Step-by-Step
• Check background shading: are you inside a kill-zone (if enabled)?
• Identify the latest swing high/low markers (dealing range).
• Locate the OTE box for that impulse; confirm price retraced into the box.
• Inspect the confirmation candle: strong body and continuation (for longs: close > open AND close > prior high; for shorts: mirror).
• Use the entry line (62/70.5/79) as the reference; map SL and 1R/2R lines.
• If a signal label prints (‘OTE Long’ or ‘OTE Short’), you have alignment: timing, retracement, and confirmation.
6. Examples
Example Long (NY-AM): Price makes an impulse up (swing low then swing high). During NY-AM kill-zone, price retraces into the green OTE box. A strong bullish candle forms. Entry reference: 70.5% mid. SL at the swing low. Visual TP1/TP2 at 1R/2R.
Example Short (London): Price makes a bearish impulse (swing high then swing low). During London kill-zone, price retraces into the red OTE box. A strong bearish candle forms. Entry reference: 62%. SL at the swing high. Visual TP1/TP2 at 1R/2R.
7. Risk Management
• Fixed percent per trade: e.g., 1% risk relative to account equity (visual targets help sizing).
• One signal per kill-zone window: avoid overtrading inside the same hour.
• Respect invalidations: if a full body closes through the entire box or structure fails, stand down.
• Favor time/volatility windows for execution; avoid thin hours unless testing.
8. Common Pitfalls
• Forcing entries outside OTE: wait for a proper 62–79% retrace.
• Ignoring impulse definition: use confirmed pivots to avoid measuring from noise.
• Skipping confirmation: entries without a qualifying candle are lower quality.
• Inconsistent stops: SL belongs at the impulse extreme; avoid random micro-level stops.
• No timing discipline: kill-zone gating exists to filter low-probability periods.
9. Indicator Parameters — Quick Reference
• Pivot Left/Right: controls swing detection sensitivity (higher = stricter).
• Entry line: choose between 62%, 70.5%, and 79% for your signal anchor.
• Confirmation strength: toggle strong vs basic candle validation.
• Kill-zone gating: optional session-based signal filtering.
• Opacity/colors: cosmetic; adjust to your chart style.
10. Workflow Checklist
• Is the impulse correctly identified (pivot low/high order)?
• Is price inside the OTE box (62–79%)?
• Did the confirmation candle print?
• Is signal gating satisfied (if enabled)?
• Is SL mapped to the impulse extreme?
• Are 1R/2R levels clear from the entry?
• Any scheduled macro events in the window? (avoid surprise volatility).
11. References (ICT OTE & Kill-Zones)
• ICT Fibonacci / OTE levels: 62–79% with 70.5% mid — multiple tutorials and guides.
• ICT Kill-Zones: commonly used London / New York windows for timing entries.