Trade Ideas columns that matter (so you can decide fast)¶
Most people lose time in Trade Ideas because their windows are unreadable: - too many columns - the wrong columns - no consistent order
This page gives you a “default column stack” you can reuse across: - Top List Windows (scanners) - Alert Windows (signals)
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The 80/20 column stack (works for most intraday workflows)¶
If you trade intraday, these tend to do the heavy lifting: - Last (price) - Gap % - Dollar Volume - Volume Today and/or Average Daily Volume - Relative Volume (or a similar “vs normal” column) - Float
Goal: answer “is this name liquid and in my lane?” in one glance.


How I organize columns (order matters)¶
Left-to-right is a story: 1. Identity: symbol, last 2. Why it’s here: gap %, relative volume 3. Can it trade?: dollar volume, average daily volume 4. Behavior regime: float (optional), price range 5. Strategy-specific: the alert condition’s related columns

Top List vs Alert Window: what changes?¶
Top List Window¶
Top List is more about ranking: - prioritize “why it’s moving” and “is it tradable” - you can add ranking columns (relative volume, gap, etc.)
Alert Window¶
Alert Window is more about context: - what triggered - what lane it’s in - whether it’s worth a chart glance
See: - Top List tutorial - Alert Window tutorial
What to avoid (clutter traps)¶
- columns you never look at
- columns that duplicate information
- fundamentals-heavy columns if you’re trading short-term (they can distract more than help)
If you want fundamentals, use them intentionally—don’t let them bloat your window.
FAQ¶
What are the best Trade Ideas columns for day trading?¶
Last, Gap %, Dollar Volume, Volume Today/ADV, Relative Volume, and (optionally) Float are a strong starting stack for most intraday workflows.
How many columns should I use?¶
Enough to decide quickly, not enough to feel “complete”. Start with 6–10, then add only what you can justify.
Next¶
Next step
Turn this into a repeatable workflow
If you only do one thing next, tighten your lane and reduce noise. That's how Trade Ideas becomes usable.