How to Use Initiative Buying and Selling in Orderflow

Initiative Buying (IB) and Initiative Selling (IS) are critical concepts in Orderflow that signal when aggressive traders are stepping in to move the market. These are not to be confused with Initial Balance from Market Profile—IB and IS in Orderflow refer to real-time buying or selling pressure, where market participants cross the bid-ask to claim control.

At Vtrender, Initiative trades are measured using custom Smart Candlestick logic and visual Orderflow tools. These signals appear across multiple timeframes—1, 3, 5, 15, or 30 minutes—but we recommend focusing on 3-minute and 30-minute bars for clarity and confirmation.

An IB signal indicates that buyers are willing to lift offers to push price higher—showing intent to control the auction. An IS signal highlights aggressive sellers overpowering bids. When these signals appear with strong volume and context—such as near volume clusters or following a shift in DPOC—they can mark trend ignition points.

Initiative traders don’t wait—they act. Their appearance often causes short-term volatility and directional moves. The key is reading their intent in relation to structure, not just reacting to the signal.

Here are 5 resources to help you apply IB and IS effectively:

• Orderflow Basics: Initiative Explained
  Breakdown of IB and IS with intraday relevance.
  👉 https://vtrender.com/posts/what-is-order-flow

• Glossary: Initiative Buying & Selling
  Definitions, timeframes, and recommended usage.
  👉 https://vtrender.com/glossary

• Live Charts: IB/IS Signals in Action
  See Initiative trades unfold on real-time Orderflow charts.
  👉 https://charts.vtrender.com

• VLD Room: Initiative Signals and Execution Get live guidance on reading and reacting to IB/IS.
  👉 https://vtrender.com/live-desk

• Forum: IB/IS Trade Reviews by Members
  See how traders applied Initiative logic across instruments.
  👉 https://vtrender.com/forum-blog

Learn more at charts.vtrender.com.