Halts & resumes scanner (Trade Ideas) + audio alerts¶

Halt names can move fast and violently. The point of this guide is not “catch every resume.” It’s to build a workflow that:

• surfaces halt/resume events quickly
• keeps the list tradable (liquidity/spread)
• gives you audio/attention without a screen-stare
• prevents the most common “I got chopped to death” mistakes

The core idea¶

Use Trade Ideas to do three jobs:

1) Detect the event (halt / resume / volatility pause) 2) Filter for tradability (liquidity, spread, price, float if relevant) 3) Notify you (audio + popups) so you can choose action

Step 1 — Build the “halt/resume” window¶

In Trade Ideas, create a Top List Window (or your preferred list window) and add halt/resume-related alerts.

Recommended approach:

• Start with a Top List so you can quickly sort/scan
• Add columns that help you avoid junk and avoid chasing

Suggested columns¶

Pick the columns that match your style, but this set is a strong baseline:

• Last
• % Change
• Volume Today (or 1-min volume)
• Relative Volume
• Bid / Ask (or Spread)
• HOD / LOD
• Time (when it triggered)

If you haven’t built “tradability filters” before, read this first: - Liquidity filters - Relative volume

Step 2 — Add filters (keep it tradable)¶

Halt lists get noisy. Your filters are the difference between:

• “I can review this calmly”
• “This is a firehose of garbage”

Baseline filters (good default)¶

Use values that match your account size and comfort, but as a starting point:

• Price: avoid ultra-cheap names unless that’s your lane
• Example: Last between $1 and $50
• Liquidity: require meaningful volume
• Example: Volume Today > 500k (or higher if you want only the cleanest names)
• Spread: avoid names you can’t enter/exit without paying a tax
• Example: Spread < $0.10 (scale this with price; on $2 stocks even $0.05 can be rough)

Optional “noise reducers”¶

• Exchange: exclude OTC
• Market cap / float: if you know you only want certain profiles
• Time of day: if you only trade certain sessions
• Time of day filter

Step 3 — Configure audio alerts (so you don’t miss resumes)¶

Audio is useful when:

• you’re monitoring multiple things
• you want to glance only when something actually happens

Audio principles¶

• Use distinct sounds for “halt” vs “resume”
• Keep volume moderate (don’t train yourself to ignore it)
• Don’t run 15 different sounds — you’ll stop processing them

If you’re already drowning in alerts, fix that first: - Too many alerts - Alert window tips (reduce noise)

Step 4 — Resume workflow (what to do when it fires)¶

When a resume alert fires, your job is not to click buy. Your job is to answer, quickly:

• Is this liquid enough right now?
• Is the spread sane?
• Is this resuming into news/volume, or is it a dead-cat bounce?
• Is there a nearby level (HOD/LOD/VWAP) that makes the trade definable?

A simple disciplined process:

1) Check spread and tape speed 2) Check 1–5 minute chart context 3) Decide: trade / watch / ignore

Guardrails (highly recommended)¶

Guardrail 1 — size down¶

If you trade halts, size down. Your edge is information + speed, not leverage.

Guardrail 2 — avoid “resume chasing”¶

Many resumes spike then fade. If your plan is “buy green,” you’re donating.

Guardrail 3 — one change at a time¶

If you’re experimenting: - don’t change filters + entry logic + size in the same session

Paper-first is the safest way to learn: - Paper trading checklist

Common issues¶

• You’re seeing tons of junk → increase liquidity threshold + add spread cap
• Alerts feel delayed → often filters/windows are too broad or your expectations are off
• Alerts feel delayed
• Nothing shows up → you filtered too hard or you’re testing in a quiet session
• No alerts

Next¶

• Build a cleaner momentum list: Momentum scanner settings
• Reduce noise systematically: Alert hygiene

Disclosure: some links are affiliate links. Learn more.

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Written by

David

Updated 2026-02-04

Mentor-style Trade Ideas tutorials focused on workflow, clarity, and repeatable process.