Scanner field guide
Read price around its session reference.
A VWAP scanner helps you research price around a volume-weighted session reference. Gapperz brings observed VWAP reclaim and failure conditions into the same workflow as the chart, volume, and company context.
By GapperzUpdated
Price meets participation.
Read the price path against its volume-weighted reference.
- Price
- $4.48
- Session VWAP
- $4.40
- 01VWAP weights a price observation by its trading volume.
- 02A crossover describes what was observed; it does not predict continuation.
- 03Match the session and distinguish trade-based values from bar approximations.
Put the price path in context.
VWAP stands for volume-weighted average price. It combines price and volume into a reference for a defined observation period. A price with more associated volume contributes more to the weighted average than a price with less volume.
A scanner can then ask where the latest price sits relative to that reference or whether it has crossed it. Gapperz uses observed VWAP reclaim and failure conditions as research context. A reclaim records a move back above the reference; a failure records the converse condition. Read the event timestamp and current chart rather than treating an earlier crossing as a permanent state.
The useful comparison is specific to the data and session represented. Align the chart's session boundaries and price basis with the scanner reference before comparing values across tools.
More volume means more weight.
Imagine three eligible trades in a small illustrative period: 100 shares at $4.00, 300 at $4.20, and 100 at $4.10. Their combined traded value is $2,070 and their combined size is 500 shares. The trade-weighted price is therefore $4.14.
A simple average of the three trade prices is $4.10. VWAP is higher in this example because the $4.20 trade carries three times the size of either other trade. The example explains weighting; it is separate from the illustrative path and prices in the hero diagram.
| Price | Shares | Price × shares |
|---|---|---|
| $4.00 | 100 | $400 |
| $4.20 | 300 | $1,260 |
| $4.10 | 100 | $410 |
| Weighted result | 500 total | $2,070 ÷ 500 = $4.14 |
Know how the reference was built.
VWAP can be constructed from individual trades or approximated with bars. A bar contains an aggregated price summary and volume, so its representative price need not reproduce the exact sequence of trades. The TradingView documentation illustrates a common bar approach using typical price.
Gapperz tracks whether its value comes from live trades, bar approximation, mixed inputs, or unavailable data. Preserve that distinction when comparing the number with another chart. More decimal places do not make two different input conventions equivalent.
| Basis | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Live trade | The accumulated value uses available trade inputs. |
| Bar approximation | The value uses aggregated bar inputs. |
| Mixed | The accumulation includes both input types. |
| Unavailable | There is no suitable value to interpret. |
Inspect the event, then its surroundings.
A crossing attracts attention because price has changed sides of a reference. The research is in the surrounding observations: the time of the cross, the pace of activity, the quote quality, and the price's subsequent position.
Identify the observed condition.
Read the reclaim or failure label and its timestamp. Distinguish that event from where the latest price is now.
Compare price with the reference.
Use the same session basis and note the input-quality label. Inspect the chart around the crossing instead of relying on one row value.
Add participation and quote context.
Review volume, the spread, and any available source update. A wide quote or sparse observations can change how the path should be interpreted.
Keep a clear monitoring question.
Save the symbol or create an available price/scan alert around your research condition. Verify the current observation when the notification arrives.
A few useful answers.
What is a VWAP scanner looking for?
It evaluates price relative to a defined volume-weighted reference. A workflow can focus on an observed cross, distance from the reference, or the current side of it. Read the specific scanner definition.
Is a VWAP reclaim a buy instruction?
No. It describes an observed price condition. Gapperz presents it with the chart, volume, and source context so you can investigate the event.
Why do two VWAP values differ?
Session boundaries, eligible observations, trade versus bar inputs, and the representative price used for a bar can all change the value. Compare those conventions before comparing the numbers.
Does VWAP describe every participant's average cost?
No. It is a weighted reference over the included observations. It does not identify who traded, their remaining holdings, or their individual costs.
Sources & editorial notes
Prepared by Gapperz using our scanner definitions and the primary references below. The examples are illustrative; the public methodology explains how we label data and research context.