DAILY BIAS FRAMEWORK

Daily bias is your directional conviction for the trading day -- determined from higher timeframe analysis before any session opens. It is the answer to: "Am I looking for longs today, shorts today, or neither?" This is fundamentally different from how most retail traders operate. They open a chart when the session starts, see what price is doing in the moment, and decide direction on the spot. Reactive decisions can introduce inconsistency because the trader is responding to information after the move has begun; compare a predefined bias process with reactive entries using journal data. Some traders prepare a scenario before a session by reviewing higher-timeframe context, candidate reference levels and a dealing range. The plan should remain conditional: price can invalidate the scenario, and new information can change the setup. A pre-session bias does not establish institutional order flow or mean the rest of the day is only execution.

Some traders use a top-down checklist to organize directional scenarios. The timeframes are context, not proof that a directional move is more likely; alignment and disagreement should be defined in advance and evaluated with journal or backtest data. MONTHLY CHART: Note the larger structure and reference levels under your chosen definitions. WEEKLY CHART: Record the intermediate structure and prior-week levels. If you use an AMD or quarterly narrative, treat its labels as hypotheses rather than verified phases. DAILY CHART: Record daily structure, prior-day levels and any defined FVG or OB references. State the scenario, alternatives and invalidation. If you choose to require alignment across timeframes, test that filter against the same entry and exit rules without the filter. Three matching timeframe labels alone do not establish a higher win rate or justify larger position size.

Before each session, traders can mark these reference levels as possible areas of interest: PREVIOUS DAY HIGH (PDH): ICT traders often label the area above PDH as potential buy-side liquidity. In a bearish scenario, some watch for a move above PDH followed by a bearish response, but neither the sweep nor the reversal is assured. PREVIOUS DAY LOW (PDL): ICT traders often label the area below PDL as potential sell-side liquidity. In a bullish scenario, some watch for a move below PDL followed by a bullish response, but neither the sweep nor the reversal is assured. PREVIOUS DAY CLOSE: The overnight gap between the previous close and the current day's open is significant. Some traders monitor this gap as a reference area, but it may remain open or be filled at an unpredictable time. PREVIOUS WEEK HIGH / LOW: Weekly highs and lows can provide broader context than prior-day levels, but their relevance varies and they do not define the maximum possible daily range. These are candidate reference levels, not guaranteed boundaries of the day's range. Use them where your model calls for them and keep alternative scenarios visible.

ICT materials may use midnight New York time as a “True Daily Open” reference, distinct from the 9:30 AM NYSE open. The reference can be included in a chart study, but it does not establish that a daily AMD cycle begins at midnight or that a particular session must accumulate, manipulate or distribute. One ICT narrative associates different windows with possible phases: Asian trading with accumulation, London with a possible Judas-style move, and New York morning with possible directional expansion. These are interpretations to test against defined session and price rules, not verified descriptions of an algorithm's actions. The relationship between price and the midnight open is a chart observation; it does not, by itself, determine an AMD phase or forecast direction. If the reference is part of your model, specify the market, timezone, session window, setup trigger and invalidation, then compare outcomes with a baseline.

Some strategies include a neutral or no-trade condition when their required context is missing or contradictory. Treat the following as possible review prompts, not universal signals: • Monthly and weekly context disagree under your chosen definitions. • Price is near the middle of a marked range and your model has no defined setup there. • A high-impact news event may change execution conditions. • A reference area has not provided the trigger your rules require. • The target or invalidation conditions for the scenario are unclear. When a required condition is absent, following a written no-trade rule can reduce discretionary entries. It does not mean every neutral day is harmful or that low-conviction days always lose. Track no-trade decisions as well as triggered setups, and assess the filter using defined data rather than assuming a fixed number of high-quality trades per month.

EXAMPLE PRE-SESSION ROUTINE (ADAPT IT TO YOUR MARKET): Choose a consistent time and timezone that fit your instrument and strategy. STEP 1 -- Higher-timeframe context: Record the larger structure and candidate reference levels using consistent definitions. STEP 2 -- Intermediate context: Mark prior-week levels and note any model-specific seasonal or AMD hypothesis without treating it as a confirmed phase. STEP 3 -- Daily context: Mark prior-day levels and candidate FVG/OB zones if they are part of your rules. STEP 4 -- Write a conditional scenario: For example: "If condition X occurs at level Y, I will monitor for Z; if invalidation A occurs, I will stand aside." Include alternatives. STEP 5 -- Set alerts where useful: Use alerts to support the plan; do not assume a named session will trigger the scenario. Review the routine's effect on consistency and results before claiming it outperforms reactive analysis.