How to Use DOM and Time & Sales on ES
Most beginners stare at the DOM and Time & Sales like it’s encrypted data. ES order flow isn’t mystical — it’s just showing who is hitting the bids, who is lifting the offers, and where liquidity is stacking or vanishing. If you know how to read it, you stop entering blindly and start timing trades with actual intent behind them.
What the DOM Actually Tells You
The DOM (Depth of Market) displays:
- Bids and offers at each price level
- How much size is sitting there
- How quickly that size appears or disappears
The DOM shows where liquidity wants to trade — or wants to pretend it wants to trade. On ES, spoofing and fake size are common, so focus on reaction, not static levels.
| DOM Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bids stacking and holding | Support forming |
| Offers stacking and holding | Resistance forming |
| Size disappearing before trades hit | Fake liquidity |
| Fast bid/ask depletion | Momentum shift |
What Time & Sales Shows
Time & Sales is the tape — actual executed orders. It tells you:
- Whether traders are lifting the offer (aggressive buying)
- Whether they’re hitting the bid (aggressive selling)
- Speed and aggression of trades
- Large prints signaling institutions
How to Use DOM + Time & Sales Together
1. Confirm Breakouts
If ES breaks a key level, you want:
- Offers getting lifted aggressively
- Bid support building under the breakout level
- Fast prints hitting the tape
2. Confirm Reversals
A real reversal shows:
- Bid absorption slowing the drop
- Large buyers hitting offers at the turn
- Stacked offers getting pulled (liquidity vacuum)
3. Sniff Out Fake Liquidity
If 500 lots are sitting on the bid but disappear seconds before price reaches them, that size was never real. Don’t base trades on static DOM — watch liquidity behavior.
4. Enhance Your Level Tests
At key levels like VWAP, session high/low, or the opening range, the DOM slows down before the turn. The tape flips direction. This is how pros confirm entries.
If you don't know how to use these levels yet, read Session Highs/Lows & VWAP.
Final Takeaway
DOM and Time & Sales aren’t “advanced tools.” They’re basic order flow windows. Learn to read aggression, liquidity behavior, and level reactions. Once you do, your ES entries tighten up, your stops shrink, and you stop getting blindsided by fake breakouts.