Pivot Points & CPR
Pivot Points and CPR (Central Pivot Range) turn the previous session's High, Low, and Close into fixed price levels for the current session. Traders use them as support and resistance: where price is likely to pause, reverse, or break out.
They work differently from the other indicators:
- The levels don't move during the session. They're calculated once from the last completed day (or week) and stay flat until the next one starts. An EMA, by comparison, updates with every candle.
- Each indicator outputs one level. You pick which level the node uses, such as R1 or TC, and compare price against it like any other value.
For Offset, which these indicators read slightly differently, see Offset on pivot levels.
When to use them​
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Breakouts | Enter when price crosses above R1 or the CPR's top line |
| Reversals | Fade a move into Camarilla R3 or S3 |
| Day-type filter | Only trade trend strategies on days with a narrow CPR |
| Exits | Take profit at the next resistance level |
1. Pivot Points​
Calculates a central pivot (P) plus resistance levels above it (R1, R2, R3) and support levels below it (S1, S2, S3). Three calculation styles are available.
Parameters:
| Parameter | Options | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pivot Type | Standard, Fibonacci, Camarilla | Standard | How the levels are calculated - see Which pivot type? |
| Anchor | Daily, Weekly | Daily | Daily uses the previous day's High, Low, and Close. Weekly uses the previous week's. |
| Level | P, R1, R2, R3, R4, S1, S2, S3, S4 | P | The level this node outputs as a price |
| Offset | 0, 1, 2… | 0 | 0 = levels from the last completed session, 1 = the session before that |
Which pivot type?​
| Pivot Type | How the levels are spaced | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | From the pivot and the previous range (classic floor-trader pivots) | General support and resistance; the most widely used |
| Fibonacci | At 38.2%, 61.8%, and 100% of the previous range, measured from the pivot | Traders who already work with Fibonacci ratios |
| Camarilla | Tight levels around the previous close, with R4/S4 as outer levels | Intraday reversals at R3/S3 and breakouts beyond R4/S4 |
How the levels are calculated
All three types use the previous completed session's High (H), Low (L), and Close (C). The pivot is the same in each:
P = (H + L + C) / 3
Standard
R1 = 2 × P − L S1 = 2 × P − H
R2 = P + (H − L) S2 = P − (H − L)
R3 = 2 × P + (H − 2L) S3 = 2 × P − (2H − L)
Fibonacci
R1 = P + 0.382 × (H − L) S1 = P − 0.382 × (H − L)
R2 = P + 0.618 × (H − L) S2 = P − 0.618 × (H − L)
R3 = P + 1.000 × (H − L) S3 = P − 1.000 × (H − L)
Camarilla (measured from the previous close, not from P)
R1 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 12 S1 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 12
R2 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 6 S2 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 6
R3 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 4 S3 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 4
R4 = C + 1.1 × (H − L) / 2 S4 = C − 1.1 × (H − L) / 2
Example strategy - Standard pivot breakout (NIFTY spot, 5m):
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Entry | Close crosses above Pivot Points (Standard, Daily, R1) |
| Exit | Close crosses below Pivot Points (Standard, Daily, P) |
Example strategy - Camarilla breakout:
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Entry | Close crosses above Pivot Points (Camarilla, Daily, R4) |
| Exit | Close crosses below Pivot Points (Camarilla, Daily, R3) |
2. CPR (Central Pivot Range)​
Three lines built around the pivot: the Pivot (P), the Top Central (TC), and the Bottom Central (BC). The zone between TC and BC is the central range.
The width of that range is the most-watched part of CPR:
- Narrow CPR - the previous session was balanced. Often followed by a trending day.
- Wide CPR - the previous session had a large range. Often followed by a sideways day.
Parameters:
| Parameter | Options | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor | Daily, Weekly | Daily | Daily uses the previous day's High, Low, and Close. Weekly uses the previous week's. |
| Level | P, TC, BC, CPR Width % | P | The value this node outputs. P, TC, and BC are prices; CPR Width % is a percentage. |
| Offset | 0, 1, 2… | 0 | 0 = the CPR from the last completed session, 1 = the session before that |
Compare CPR Width % with a constant, such as CPR Width % < 0.25, rather than with price. Use it as a filter alongside your entry condition.
How CPR is calculated
From the previous completed session's High (H), Low (L), and Close (C):
P = (H + L + C) / 3
BC = (H + L) / 2
TC = 2 × P − BC
CPR Width % = |TC − BC| / P × 100
TC can come out below BC on some days. That's expected: the "top" and "bottom" swap when the close is in the lower half of the range. CPR Width % uses the absolute difference, so it's always positive.
Example strategy - narrow-CPR breakout (NIFTY spot, 5m):
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Entry | CPR (Daily, CPR Width %) < 0.25 AND Close crosses above CPR (Daily, TC) |
| Exit | Close crosses below CPR (Daily, BC) |
The 0.25 threshold is an example. What counts as "narrow" depends on the instrument, so check a few weeks of CPR widths in the Chart Preview before choosing one.
Offset on pivot levels​
On most indicators, Offset 0 is the current, still-forming candle (see Offset). Pivot Points and CPR have no "forming" value, because today's levels are fixed from yesterday's data. So on these two indicators:
- Offset 0 - the levels in force now, calculated from the last completed session.
- Offset 1 - the previous session's levels, calculated from the session before that.
Example: with a Daily anchor on Wednesday, Offset 0 gives levels calculated from Tuesday's candles, and Offset 1 gives levels calculated from Monday's.
Pivot levels come from the chart data you selected for the strategy. Pivots on a futures chart use the futures High, Low, and Close, so they won't match pivots calculated from the spot chart.
Next steps​
- Trend Indicators - pair a pivot breakout with a trend filter such as Supertrend or ADX
- What You Can Compare - everything a Comparison Node accepts