Understand execution bubbles and consolidation

A bubble represents qualified flow, not necessarily one trade

Order Flow's bubbles begin with classified execution bursts that meet configured evidence rules. The default detector requires multiple distinct prints and sufficient recent activity, so one giant execution alone does not automatically create a circle. Unknown-direction volume can affect the dominance denominator without creating classified aggression. After qualification, display grouping can combine nearby eligible bursts, including opposing sides. Read the inspector before describing a bubble as one trade, a single participant or a directional position. Its size and color summarize a disclosed set of admitted signal executions.

Inspect a bubble's actual contents

Use Bubbles mode and keep the exact contract and time range visible. The detailed inspector is the best place to separate displayed appearance from constituent evidence.

1. Open Settings and review the burst thresholds and grouping configuration.
2. Hover a visible bubble to read contracts, buys, sells, net delta and execution counts.
3. Inspect its contributing-price ladder and time or price range when available.
4. Click the bubble to pin the details for closer inspection, then press Escape to close the pinned card.
5. Zoom in to investigate a crowded consolidated region rather than assuming the largest circle is a single exchange-defined event.

Understand the qualification controls

The detector uses configurable count, rate, prior-flow velocity, classified-side dominance and native-price progression limits. Standard defaults include six distinct executions, a recent-rate gate and a side-dominance requirement; these work together rather than providing independent definitions of 'large.' Prior baseline availability also matters. A newly opened capture without enough earlier history cannot claim the same baseline evidence as a mature stream. Temporally aggregated tape rows cannot prove individual-print velocity. Changing a minimum displayed bubble size is different from changing the evidence that qualifies a burst in the first place.

Use Smart consolidation to control crowding

Consolidate crowded bubbles is enabled by default for Smart grouping. It adapts bounded time and price grouping to chart scale, so a zoomed-out view can summarize nearby qualified constituents while a closer view reveals more detail. Qualification anchors and bounded membership prevent ordinary panning or a growing tail from arbitrarily redefining completed groups. Deliberate zoom or clustering-strength changes can still regroup the display. The grouping respects actual contract identity and known continuity breaks; it should not merge evidence through a reported unavailable range merely to produce a smoother picture.

Read anchors, size and colors independently

The default displayed price anchor is the native price with the greatest contributing volume, with deterministic handling of ties. A volume-weighted anchor is available as an alternative, and time can be volume weighted. Size can use total contracts or absolute net delta. Gradient, buy/sell split and pie styles display the same underlying quantities with different emphasis; optional spherical shading and opacity are presentation choices. A larger total-volume circle can contain balanced buying and selling, while a delta-sized circle emphasizes the net difference. Inspect the totals before drawing a directional conclusion from area alone.

Recognize filters, missing detail and absorption rings

Minimum aggregate volume filters the grouped display after qualification. Individual-size filtering depends on captured price/size histograms; if those details are incomplete, the interface should report the limitation rather than inventing individual prints from summed volume. Historical inspector details describe qualified signal executions, not every exchange print around the same time. Possible-absorption rings require separately captured synchronized replenishment evidence at a holding level. A bright heatmap region, current book or visually persistent bubble alone does not establish that evidence. Missing historical detail remains explicitly unavailable.

Troubleshoot absent, oversized or changing bubbles

If candles show activity without bubbles, inspect count, rate, dominance and minimum-size criteria before assuming execution delivery failed. If circles are too large or crowded, review size basis, maximum diameter, consolidation and clustering strength. Compare the same contract, time window and template when evaluating a screenshot after zoom changes. An opposing-color component can be legitimate when qualified constituents merge. Include grouping mode, thresholds, size basis and a pinned inspector in support evidence. This lets the issue be reproduced without treating a visual cluster as an undocumented exchange trade classification.