Live Options Flow — See What Institutions Are Buying
Track unusual options activity in real time — sweeps vs blocks, true BULL/BEAR sentiment, and dollar premium. Every 10 minutes during market hours.
What Is Options Flow?
Options flow is the real-time tape of every options contract traded — the equivalent of the stock tape, but for derivatives. Unlike a stock's price (which reflects a consensus of millions of small orders), a single options flow print can represent millions of dollars of one-sided institutional conviction.
An institution willing to pay a large premium for short-dated calls is not hedging — it is expressing a directional view about a near-term price move. That information is public; TraderValue surfaces it the moment it prints, filtered to only the trades that meet strict size and fresh-positioning criteria.
Flow does not predict with certainty. But when combined with a technical signal like a T1 Ignition, it dramatically raises probability: two independent systems (the options market and the EdgeOS price-action cycle) agree on direction at the same time.
Sweeps vs Blocks
Not all large options trades carry the same signal. The execution style reveals intent.
| Type | How It Works | Signal Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Sweep | Single large order split across multiple exchanges simultaneously, executed at market price for speed | High — urgency signals directional conviction |
| Block | Large negotiated trade executed off-exchange between two parties at an agreed price | Medium — often a hedge, roll, or institutional adjustment |
Sweeps have higher predictive value for near-term directional moves because the buyer is paying market price to get filled immediately — they are not waiting for a better price. That urgency is meaningful. Both sweep and block prints are visible in TraderValue's flow panel, tagged accordingly on each row.
What Counts as Unusual?
Thousands of options contracts trade every minute. Most are retail noise, spread adjustments, or portfolio hedges. TraderValue applies two filters simultaneously to find the signal in that noise:
- Dollar premium ≥ $50,000 — eliminates small retail trades and focuses on institutional-scale positions
- Volume / Open Interest ratio ≥ 0.30 — identifies fresh positioning (new bets) rather than rolls on existing positions
The vol/OI filter is the more important of the two. A $500K block on a contract with 1,000,000 open interest is likely a roll — someone managing an existing position. A $50K sweep on a contract with 100 open interest is someone opening a new directional bet. The ratio distinguishes between the two.
Raw premium size alone does not signal conviction. The combination of size and fresh positioning is what creates an actionable signal.
CALL vs PUT Sentiment — It's Not What You Think
The most common misconception about options flow: CALL buys are bullish, PUT buys are bearish. This is wrong half the time. True sentiment depends on whether the contract was bought (BOT, at the ask) or sold (SLD, at the bid).
| Trade | Fill Side | True Sentiment |
|---|---|---|
| BOT CALL | Bought at ask | 🟢 BULLISH — buyer wants stock to rise |
| SLD PUT | Sold at bid | 🟢 BULLISH — seller is selling downside protection |
| BOT PUT | Bought at ask | 🔴 BEARISH — buyer wants downside protection |
| SLD CALL | Sold at bid | 🔴 BEARISH — seller expects limited upside |
TraderValue classifies every contract by true BULL/BEAR direction using the fill-side determination above — not just the contract type. Each row in the flow panel shows the correct sentiment label so you never misread a PUT sale as a bearish signal.
Combining Flow + EdgeOS — The Highest-Conviction Setup
Each signal system has predictive value independently. But when they align on the same stock on the same day, the combined edge is meaningfully higher than either alone.
The highest-conviction setup: An unusual CALL sweep ≥ $100K on a stock that fired a T1 Ignition (EdgeOS bull=1) the same day. Two completely independent systems — institutional options positioning and the EdgeOS technical cycle — agree on direction at the same time:
- The options market says: an institution paid a large premium for short-dated upside exposure on this stock today
- EdgeOS says: the bull counter just fired its first bar, confirming a new bull cycle with SCTR > 9
Historically, this convergence raises win rate 15–20 percentage points above either signal alone. It does not guarantee the trade; it shifts the base rate meaningfully in the trader's favor.
How TraderValue Surfaces Flow
Flow data is available in three places inside TraderValue:
- ≈Flow button on every chart — In any chart toolbar (single-chart view, multi-chart grid, or floating ChartOverlay), click the ≈Flow button. A 280px panel slides in showing the last 15 unusual flow contracts for that symbol: strike, expiry, premium, BULL/BEAR direction, SWEEP/BLOCK tag, and time-ago.
- Flow view (View 4) — The dedicated Flow tab in the workspace terminal shows market-wide unusual flow across all symbols in real time — the full live tape, not filtered to a single stock.
- Options Flow scan channel — In the Scans view, the Options Flow section surfaces the top unusual flow alerts across the smart universe (top-volume movers + Alpaca screener sources), with per-contract BULLISH/BEARISH labeling.
Data sources: Unusual Whales API + Tradier options data. Filters: premium ≥ $50K, vol/OI ≥ 0.30. Updated every 10 minutes during market hours. Per-contract fields: symbol, strike, expiry, dollar premium, BULL/BEAR sentiment, SWEEP/BLOCK tag, time.
Options Flow FAQ
What is unusual options flow?
Unusual options flow refers to large institutional options trades that stand out from typical retail activity. TraderValue defines unusual flow as dollar premium ≥ $50,000 AND volume/open-interest ratio ≥ 0.30. The vol/OI filter is critical — it identifies fresh positioning (new bets) rather than rolls or hedges on existing positions. Raw size alone is not enough; fresh positioning is the signal.
What is an options sweep and how is it different from a block?
An options sweep is a large order split across multiple exchanges simultaneously and executed at market price — prioritizing speed over price. This urgency signals directional conviction. A block is a large negotiated trade executed off-exchange between two parties at an agreed price. Blocks are often hedges, portfolio rolls, or institutional position adjustments with less directional implication. Sweeps have higher predictive value for near-term price moves.
Is CALL buying always bullish?
No. Sentiment depends on whether the contract was bought (BOT) or sold (SLD) and whether it was a call or put. BOT CALL = bullish (buyer wants stock to rise). SLD PUT = bullish (seller is comfortable the stock will not fall — selling downside protection). BOT PUT = bearish (buyer wants downside protection or is betting on a decline). SLD CALL = bearish (seller expects limited upside). TraderValue classifies each contract by true BULL/BEAR direction, not just the contract type.
How often is options flow updated in TraderValue?
Options flow is updated every 10 minutes during regular market hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET, Monday through Friday). The flow scanner pulls from both Unusual Whales and Tradier options data, filters for unusual criteria (premium ≥ $50K, vol/OI ≥ 0.3), classifies sentiment, and posts to the Flow panel and the dedicated Options Flow channel.
Can I filter options flow by ticker in TraderValue?
Yes. From any chart in TraderValue — whether in the Charts view, ChartOverlay, or the multi-chart grid — click the ≈Flow button in the chart toolbar. This opens a flow drawer filtered to that specific symbol, showing the last 15 unusual flow contracts with strike, expiry, premium, BULL/BEAR direction, SWEEP/BLOCK classification, and time. No manual filtering needed.
How do I combine options flow with technical signals?
The highest-conviction setup is a bullish unusual options sweep (≥$100K premium) on the same day a stock fires a T1 Ignition (EdgeOS bull=1). Two independent systems — institutional options positioning and the EdgeOS technical cycle — both point the same direction at the same time. Historically this convergence raises win rate 15–20 percentage points above either signal alone. Look for flow + T1 ignition on the same symbol the same day.
Open the Flow view in the TraderValue workspace — real-time unusual options activity across all symbols.
Open flow view →See T1 ignitions firing right now — cross-reference with flow to find the highest-conviction setups.
View live scans →Learn how T1 ignitions, SCTR, bull/bear counts, and GEX levels work — and how flow fits into the system.
Read the guide →