Does an equal high or low still count as inside?

Yes. In QuantLogic the high may equal the previous high and the low may equal the previous low.

Is an inside bar bullish or bearish?

Neither by itself. That is why you test both sides and look at the context around it.

What timeframe does QuantLogic use for inside bars?

One-minute bars of the regular session, using closed bars only.

Setup library

October 22, 2026Français Español

Inside bar: what it is, and how to test it

An inside bar is a bar whose high and low both stay within the bar before it. Traders read it as the market pausing after a bigger move. Here is the exact rule QuantLogic uses and how to test it on your own market.

The level the idea readsThe bar where the idea firesA drawn example, not market data.

What it is

The bar before, often a big one, is called the mother bar. The inside bar trades only within its range: no new high, no new low.

Its opposite is the outside bar, which makes both a higher high and a lower low than the bar before.

The exact rule QuantLogic uses

Inside bar, on one-minute bars.

This bar's high is at or below the high of the bar before.
This bar's low is at or above the low of the bar before.

When is it known? Known when the bar closes. The colour of the bar does not matter; an inside bar has no long or short side by itself, so test both.

Versions you can build

Inside bar. High and low within the bar before.
Outside bar. A higher high and a lower low than the bar before.

What to look at around it

In QuantLogic, every time the idea happened is laid out with the data points around it, so you can see where it held and where it didn't:

Time of day and sessionEconomic calendar and newsVWAP distanceGamma regime, flip and wallsYesterday's value area and pivotsVolatilityNQ vs ES since the openUp or down on the day

Traps when you test it

Treating every inside bar the same. On one-minute bars they are common; the context around them is usually what separates them.
Testing one direction only. An inside bar has no side, so check longs and shorts.
Mixing timeframes. An inside bar on a 5-minute chart is not the same event as one on a 1-minute chart.

Build it and test it yourself

Open Inside bar in Build with QuantLogic. See every time it happened on NQ, ES, Gold or Crude since September 2025, check the long and the short side, add your own filters and run the luck test.

Build this setup See plans

Nothing is proven until it holds live. We give no trading signals and no advice, we never hold your money or your accounts, and we never trade for you.

Questions

Does an equal high or low still count as inside?: Yes. In QuantLogic the high may equal the previous high and the low may equal the previous low.
Is an inside bar bullish or bearish?: Neither by itself. That is why you test both sides and look at the context around it.
What timeframe does QuantLogic use for inside bars?: One-minute bars of the regular session, using closed bars only.

Related setups

Educational content, not investment advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. See the risk disclosure.