Whale Alert Guide
العربيةLearn how large-premium option prints are detected, how aggressiveness and repeat activity are classified, and why size does not prove conviction.
A large options trade can be easy to miss in a busy tape. Whale Alert gathers trades meeting its size or premium criteria so you can find notable activity quickly. Inspect the contract, timing and possible hedges or related legs before interpreting it.
Use the page controls and filters
Select results
Use symbol, direction, period and minimum score, then choose page size. Favorites-only shows your saved items.
Radar-specific filters
Inspect the contract type, side, premium, size, strike and expiry filter for this radar. Start with one condition and broaden an empty search.
Sorting and pages
Choose the sort column and direction, then navigate result pages. The first page is not necessarily the complete result set.
When results are absent
Distinguish empty results from an error or a plan lock. Broaden filters for an empty list, retry errors and inspect plans for locked access.
Fields and concepts
Premium and contract size
Estimate the dollar value and number of contracts in the observed print.
Bid/ask execution
Classifies aggressiveness relative to the quote observed around the trade.
Sweep or block
Describes execution shape, not the full strategy or opening status.
Repeat activity
Groups related large prints by symbol and time to reveal patterns worth reviewing.
Volume and OI context
Compare the trade with normal activity and the contract's outstanding count.
Contract details
Expiry, strike, type, and moneyness define the risk carried by the instrument.
Review workflow
- Confirm quote time, premium calculation, contract identity, and radar threshold.
- Compare the print with current spread, daily volume, open interest, and underlying liquidity.
- Search nearby timestamps for related strikes, expirations, stock trades, or opposing legs.
- Open the contract and underlying charts and review scheduled events.
- Treat repeat activity as a research pattern, not proof that the same participant is accumulating.
Useful supporting context
- Size that is material relative to the contract and underlying, not only an absolute dollar threshold.
- Current quote context and a clear execution record.
- Repeated related activity that remains coherent after checking for spreads.
- Independent price, volatility, or event context.
Cautions
- A large deep-in-the-money trade used as stock replacement or hedge.
- A block reported without reliable bid/ask context.
- One leg of a multi-leg strategy interpreted alone.
- Assuming repeated prints belong to one trader or are all opening positions.
Risk and limitations
Related guides
Investigate a large-premium execution
Whale describes size relative to product rules. It does not identify the trader or prove that the position is directional, unhedged, or newly opened.
- Read the exact contract, DTE, size, option price, and total premium before reacting to the badge.
- Compare size with OI and contract volume while allowing for stale intraday OI.
- Inspect trade side, condition code, sweep or block classification, and nearby prints for a possible multi-leg package.
- Check the underlying chart, news, IV, and spread to see whether the execution paid for urgency or liquidity.
- Follow later price and OI changes, but avoid copying the trade because the whale's hedge, horizon, and risk capacity are unknown.
Page components explained
Narrow the signals
Filter by stock, period, price or the available signal criteria. Start broad and add conditions gradually. The timeframe belongs to the signal, while the date range controls when signals appeared.
Period, timeframe and direction
Use the period to choose recent or older signals, the timeframe to choose the candle scale, and direction to separate bullish and bearish readings. These settings answer different questions.
Read the signal list
Start with symbol, signal time and timeframe, then read direction and the radar-specific details. Open a signal to inspect it on the chart. Scores are ranking aids, not measured win probabilities.
Saved signals and watchlists
Favorites retain specific signals for review. A watchlist tracks stocks and can include many signals for each one. Check which control you are using before narrowing the list.
Supporting context
These switches keep signals with the selected news, block-volume, compliance or options context. Presence of extra information is not proof that the signal is stronger or that all sources agree.
Inspect a signal
Compare the signal marker with the price at that time and the moves that followed. Confirm the timeframe and timestamp. A historical chart shows what happened; it does not guarantee the next signal will behave the same way.
Automatic refresh
Refresh checks for new readings. It does not make an old source current. Check the reading's timestamp and any warning before using it.
Language
Use the flag to switch the interface language. Check the currency shown on subscription and payment pages after changing language; trading symbols keep their original spelling.
Light and dark mode
Choose the appearance that makes text and chart details comfortable to read. Changing the theme affects the display, not the underlying data or signals.
Page layout
Use this control to change the available page layout. It changes how much space the interface uses, not the meaning of the displayed values.
Fullscreen
In the signed-in app, expand the site to gain more room for charts and tables. Use the control again or Escape to leave browser fullscreen.
Notification bell
Review recent notifications and their timestamps here. The badge counts unread notifications; it is not a count of unreviewed trading opportunities. Delivery channels and rules are managed in alert subscriptions.
Account menu
Open account settings, subscription details and other personal links here. Use sign out when you finish on a shared device.