I noticed that many traders talk about the same concepts without really knowing how to piece them together. FVG, market structure, liquidity... all that floats in the air. That’s why I decided to share how I actually build a coherent ICT trading plan.

It all starts with your daily bias, and that’s where it gets interesting. You begin on the weekly chart, period. That’s your foundation. From there, you identify two essential things: IRL/ERL (imbalance zones) and candle bias. Why? Because price always moves toward these levels. It’s mechanical.

The thing with candle bias is that the price reaction to the previous candle tells you everything. If the high or low of a previous candle is swept and the next candle engulfs it, you’re looking at a potential reversal. Some see this as a Fibonacci sweep, I just see the market structure redefining itself.

Now, each move on a higher timeframe from IRL to ERL generates a market maker pattern on a lower timeframe. It’s not by chance. You need to align your trades with the objective of this pattern. Once you confirm the MMXM, you focus only on what follows the target direction.

After marking all that on the weekly, you move down to the daily. Ideally, both should align. If the weekly is confusing, no worries, you continue on the daily until you have a clear direction. It’s an iterative process.

ICT trading becomes really concrete when you move to H4/H1 timeframes. There, you confirm your move with market maker patterns. That’s your intra-day framework, the one where you actually trade.

There’s also Time-Based Liquidity. The highs and lows of a defined time range are crucial. Why? Because reversals often happen at those points. That’s where liquidity accumulates.

When you go down to M15, you look for local IRL/ERL, analyze the reaction to the TBL, check the opening price. Then you refine even further on M1 for your entry.

Before jumping in, you verify your checklist. Entry confirmations on lower timeframes come in three forms. First, a change in market structure: align with your overall bias, look for an M1 shift with an FVG, enter on that FVG with stops above the structure. Your target? An opposite liquidity level on M15.

Second, SMT divergence. When correlated assets break their correlation, a big move is coming. Combine that with a key HTF level and you have something solid.

Third, the iFVG. If one side of the order flow isn’t respected at a key HTF level, a reversal is probably starting.

The ICT trading I practice relies on this structure. You apply it rigorously, study your charts, and gradually it becomes natural. It’s not magic, it’s just well-understood and well-applied market mechanics. Refine your ICT trading strategy, and you’ll see the difference. 🚀