Market structure
Market structure is the order of swing highs and lows. Higher highs and higher lows make an uptrend. Lower highs and lower lows make a downtrend.
Free plan · Sign in with MT4 or MT5 · Windows 10 and 11
On a real chart
How Arka Terminal marks it
- 01The swing path through confirmed highs and lows.
- 02Each swing labelled against the last one of its kind: HH, HL, LH or LL.
- 03The breaks that changed the structure along the way.
XAU/USD 30m candles, Oct 1, 2026 to Oct 5, 2026. Every drawing is Arka Terminal's AI Structure Analysis of these candles. Nothing is placed by hand.
The shape
An uptrend that turns
Higher highs and higher lows, then a lower high and a lower low.
How to read it
01
Compare like with like
A high is compared with the previous high, a low with the previous low.
02
Four labels
HH and HL describe an uptrend. LH and LL describe a downtrend.
03
The first opposite label is a warning
A lower high inside an uptrend is the first crack. A lower low confirms the turn.
04
Read more than one timeframe
The 1-hour can rise inside a falling daily. Know which one you are trading.
Common mistakes
Labelling noise
Small pullbacks are not swings. Use a fixed rule for what counts as a swing.
Fighting the bigger structure
Buying a 15-minute higher low against a daily downtrend is a counter-trend trade.
Calling a range a trend
Equal highs and lows are a range. Neither label set applies.
In Arka Terminal
One switch in the structure panel
- Labels on every swing
- Each confirmed swing is labelled HH, HL, LH or LL against the last swing of its kind.
- Four timeframes at once
- The panel shows the last break on 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours and daily, from the same rules.
- Against the bigger trend
- When this chart leans one way and the 4-hour and daily lean the other, the panel says so.
- Free on every plan
- The analysis runs on your PC. It uses no AI credits.
- Ask about it
- Arka Copilot reads the switches you have on and answers with the same prices the chart shows.
Market structure, marked on your own chart
- Free on every plan
- Sign in with your MT4 or MT5 account
- Nine structure switches, no AI credits
Questions
What is market structure in trading?
The sequence of swing highs and lows. It tells you whether the market is trending up, trending down or ranging.
What do HH, HL, LH and LL mean?
Higher high, higher low, lower high and lower low. Each compares a swing with the previous swing of the same kind.
How do I know the trend has changed?
The first sign is a swing against the trend, such as a lower high. A break of the last higher low confirms it.
Can Arka Terminal show structure on several timeframes?
Yes. The structure panel shows the direction of the last break on 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours and daily.
Related terms
Market structure
- Smart money concepts
- Order blocks
- Fair value gap
- Break of structure
- Market structure
Candles
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