ICT Volume Imbalance (VI) Explained

What is Volume Imbalance in ICT?

A gap or lack of overlap between candle bodies/open-close prices, commonly interpreted as an inefficiency in price delivery.

Definition of Volume Imbalance

A price interval between adjacent candle bodies where their open/close ranges do not overlap, depending on the specific ICT definition used.

How to identify Volume Imbalance

Compare adjacent candle bodies rather than applying the three-candle FVG wick rule; mark the non-overlapping body interval.

Bullish Volume Imbalance example

a fast rise leaves a body-to-body imbalance that later acts as a retracement reference.

Bearish Volume Imbalance example

a fast decline leaves the inverse imbalance.

Volume Imbalance chart examples

Practical trading example

On a fast bullish 15-minute expansion, mark the body gap between consecutive candles and observe whether a later retracement rebalances it.

Common mistakes and important notes

VI definitions and drawing conventions differ among educators and platforms. Do not confuse it with exchange volume data.

Related ICT concepts

Part of Imbalances and Price Gaps. New to ICT? Start with the beginner guide.