why the screener is the right tool for bias

before you trade, you need a read on direction. the screener is built for exactly this — it lets you look at multiple reports across multiple tickers simultaneously, so instead of forming a bias on one data point, you're forming it on a grid of data points.

a single report might lean bullish. but when 3 or 4 reports across the same ticker are all pointing the same direction, that's confluence — and that's where the screener becomes your most useful pre-market tool.

the fastest way to start is the daily bias template — a pre-built screener setup designed specifically for this workflow. it comes loaded with:

load it from the right nav panel by clicking its name. your screener populates immediately with 14 rows and 4 columns of colour-coded data — a full directional read on every major instrument, ready to scan before the open.

you don't have to use the daily bias template. any screener configuration works the same way. but if you're getting started, this is the setup to run first.

every cell in the screener is colour-coded based on the directional read for that report + ticker combination today:

the colour is instant — you don't need to read a number or do math. a mostly green row is bullish. a mostly red row is bearish. a mostly grey row is neutral.

here's what drives the colour for each of the 4 default reports:

colour is determined by the opening candle direction. a green opening candle (bullish) gives a green cell. a red opening candle (bearish) gives a red cell. the cell is showing you whether the historical data for today's opening candle leans bullish or bearish on continuation.

colour is based on breakout vs breakdown direction. green = the data favours an upside break of the initial balance. red = the data favours a downside break. grey = no strong edge in either direction.

colour is based on which extreme forms first. green = the low formed first (rejection from the lows = bullish). red = the high formed first (rejection from the highs = bearish). this report gives you a directional read on where the rejection is likely to come from.

colour is based on where price opened relative to the previous day's range. green = price opened above the PDR (bullish positioning). red = price opened below (bearish positioning). grey = price opened inside the range — no directional edge from positioning alone.

with the table loaded, here's the bias-building workflow:

1. scan the rows

each ticker row tells you the directional story across all 4 reports. a row that's 4/4 green is about as clear a bullish read as you'll get from the data. a 3/4 or 4/4 red row is equally clear on the short side. mixed rows require more judgment.

2. check the bias bar

the horizontal bias bar at the top of the screener shows the aggregate bullish/bearish/neutral split across your entire setup. use it as your macro read — if 70% of the bar is bullish, most of what you're watching is leaning long today. if it's split evenly, the market is mixed.

the bar and the individual rows work together. the bar tells you the overall lean; the rows tell you where the strongest specific setups are.

3. sort to surface the strongest reads

click any column header to sort all tickers by that report's reading. if you want to find every ticker with the most bullish IB Standard read, sort by that column — the cleanest setups rise to the top instantly.

a mostly grey row means the data isn't offering a clear directional edge for that ticker today. the right move is to skip it or wait.

this is one of the most useful things the screener can tell you — not just where the edge is, but where it isn't. if a ticker you normally trade is showing grey across the board, that's a signal to sit on your hands or look elsewhere. trading against neutral data is trading without an edge.

grey doesn't mean the ticker is broken or the data is wrong. it means today's conditions don't offer a clean read from these reports. come back tomorrow.

once you've spotted a ticker with a strong directional lean, click any cell in that row to open the full report page — pre-loaded with the same settings. from there you can review the full data, subreports, and historical context before committing to a bias.

the screener gets you to the right tickers fast. the full report page is where you validate the read before you trade it.

the daily bias template is the recommended starting point, but you're not locked to it. once you understand how the colour coding works, you can build a bias setup around the reports most relevant to how you trade.

a few things that make a bias-focused screener setup work well:

see the screener templates article for how to save and manage your setup.