What Is a Timeframe?
A timeframe determines how much price data each candlestick represents. A 1-hour candle shows 60 minutes of price action. A daily candle shows 24 hours. The same market looks completely different depending on the timeframe you choose โ a downtrend on the 15-minute chart might be just a pullback on the 4-hour chart.
Timeframe Categories
Scalping (1M-5M): Very fast. Requires constant screen time. Trades last minutes. High stress, high frequency. Not recommended for beginners.
Day Trading (15M-1H): Trades last hours. 1-3 trades per day. Good balance of activity and analysis time. The most popular timeframe combination for SMC traders.
Swing Trading (4H-Daily): Trades last days to weeks. Less screen time required. Larger stops but larger targets. Ideal for traders with full-time jobs.
Position Trading (Weekly-Monthly): Trades last weeks to months. Minimal screen time. Very large stops. Best for long-term investors using SMC for entries.
The SMC Timeframe Framework
In Smart Money Concepts, you always use two timeframes: a higher timeframe (HTF) for bias and a lower timeframe (LTF) for entries. The HTF tells you WHICH direction to trade. The LTF tells you WHEN to enter.
Popular combinations: 4H bias + 15M entry (day trading), Daily bias + 4H entry (swing trading), 1H bias + 5M entry (scalping).
Quantum Algo's multi-timeframe panel shows you the bias from your higher timeframe directly on your entry chart โ so you never miss the bigger picture while timing entries.