WickCheck / Trading school / Market structure
Market structureBeginner
The pattern of swing highs and swing lows that shows whether price is trending up, trending down or ranging.
Simplified illustration, not real market data.
What it means
An uptrend makes higher highs and higher lows. A downtrend makes lower highs and lower lows. When neither holds, price is ranging.
Almost every smart money concept is read in the context of structure: a fair value gap or order block means something different in an uptrend than in a range.
How to spot it
- Mark the obvious swing highs and lows on your chart, not every small wiggle.
- Ask: is the last high above the previous high, and the last low above the previous low?
Common mistakes
- Reading structure on a timeframe that is too low, where every candle looks like a break.
- Calling a trend change on one wick instead of a close.
Related terms
Break of structureA candle closing beyond the last swing high (bullish) or swing low (bearish) in …Change of characterThe first break of structure against the current trend, an early sign the trend …Swing high and swing lowA swing high is a candle high with lower highs on both sides; a swing low is a c…
Why most strategies need a human behind the screen
Read the lessonWhat a mechanical test can and cannot tell you about smart money concepts.
Education only, not financial advice. Definitions vary between teachers; these are ours, written for clarity.