How to Read Order Flow on 6E Using Footprints, Imbalances and Delta
Most 6E traders stare at candles and pretend they know what's happening. Order flow actually shows you who’s hitting the bid or lifting the offer. If you can read footprints, imbalances and delta, you stop guessing and start reacting to real buying and selling.
Why Order Flow Matters in 6E
6E is heavily influenced by institutional flow tied to EUR/USD and macro news. Order flow lets you see those players hitting the tape in real time—not after the candle closes. This builds on the correlations from key 6E correlations.
- You see aggression: buyers lifting offers, sellers slamming bids.
- You see absorption: big players sitting on levels soaking up orders.
- You see exhaustion: when one side runs out of fuel.
Price doesn't move because of indicators. Price moves because orders hit the book. Order flow shows the cause, not just the result.
Footprint Charts: Your First Real Look Inside a Candle
A footprint chart breaks each price level into two numbers:
- Bid volume – trades executed at the bid.
- Ask volume – trades executed at the ask.
| Signal | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Large ask volume | Aggressive buyers |
| Large bid volume | Aggressive sellers |
| Heavy bid but price doesn’t drop | Absorption → potential reversal |
Once you learn to read these numbers, you'll never look at a candle the same way again.
Imbalances: Where One Side Overpowers the Other
An imbalance occurs when ask volume overwhelms bid volume at a price level (or vice versa). Platforms usually flag these 3:1 or 4:1 ratios with color heatmaps. These zones show exactly where the market tipped.
Why imbalances matter in 6E:
- They show where buyers or sellers got aggressive.
- They often create future support/resistance.
- They highlight breakout levels with real participation, not fake retail buying.
You’ll see clean imbalances during news spikes like CPI and NFP, which ties back to how news events hit 6E.
Delta: The Net Battle Between Buyers and Sellers
Delta = ask volume − bid volume. It tells you who is in control across an entire bar or session.
| Delta Behavior | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Positive delta + rising price | Strong buying, trend continuation |
| Negative delta + falling price | Strong selling, trend continuation |
| Positive delta but price falling | Absorption by sellers |
| Negative delta but price rising | Absorption by buyers |
Absorption signals are often early warnings that the current trend is weakening.
Identifying Absorption in 6E
Absorption is where big players sit on the bid or ask and soak up everything thrown at them. It's one of the most powerful reversal signals in 6E order flow.
- Large bid volume but price won't drop → buyer absorption.
- Large ask volume but price won't rise → seller absorption.
- Delta diverges from price → imbalance of effort vs. result.
Absorption often shows up at major FX levels in EUR/USD spot, reinforcing the lead/lag from 6E vs EUR/USD.
Exhaustion: When a Move Runs Out of Fuel
Exhaustion shows up as the exact opposite of absorption—buyers or sellers try to push, but volume collapses. On a footprint chart this looks like:
- Very small bid volume during a sell move → sellers tiring.
- Very small ask volume during a buy move → buyers drying up.
- Low volume nodes at the top or bottom of a swing.
Exhaustion signals often form at the tail end of news-driven spikes, where all that's left is trapped traders and fading momentum.
How to Use Order Flow With Levels
Order flow doesn’t replace technical structure. It refines it. Combine:
- Major FX levels from EUR/USD spot
- Session timing from best times to trade 6E
- Order flow confirmation at the level
That combination stops you from guessing and lets you trade where real money is positioned.
Final Thoughts
Order flow is not magic. It just shows you the truth: who is buying, who is selling, and who is getting run over. If you learn footprints, imbalances and delta on 6E, you stop taking trades based on “candles look bullish” and start basing decisions on actual aggression and absorption.