Alert Thresholds
Exact trigger conditions, cooldowns, re-alert rules, and suppression reasons for every alert type on this platform. Understanding these rules tells you when an alert fires, when it is blocked, and how to interpret labels like STALE or LATE.
Alert Reference Table
| Alert type | Trigger | Broadcast rule | Cooldown | Re-alert rule | Skip / suppression reasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RVOL | Current-minute volume ≥ 1.25x baseline (9:30–11 ET) or ≥ 1.5x baseline (mid-day) | Broadcast to all connected clients via WebSocket | 5 min same-symbol | Re-alerts if a new bar triggers a higher level than last alert | Bar > 3 min old (STALE), dollar-volume < $50 k, inactive stock, premarket bar during bell window, catchup backlog drop |
| Mover | 1-min price change (open→close or high-low range) ≥ 1.5% for any RTH bar | Broadcast immediately on bar close | 5 min same-symbol | Re-alerts at higher level if subsequent bar qualifies | Bar > 3 min old (STALE), no valid open price, volume < minimum, non-RTH bar |
| Near 200 EMA | Close price within ±5% of the 200-day EMA | Broadcast once per session per symbol | Session-long (once/day) | Does not re-alert same day once fired | No EMA baseline data, bar stale, non-RTH, already alerted today |
| EMA Cross Above | Close price crosses above the 9 EMA or 50 EMA from below on the 1-min chart | Broadcast on confirmed cross (previous bar below, current bar above) | 5 min same-symbol per EMA | Re-alerts after cooldown if another cross occurs | Bar stale, no EMA data, non-RTH |
| EMA Cross Below | Close price crosses below the 9 EMA or 50 EMA from above | Broadcast on confirmed cross | 5 min same-symbol per EMA | Re-alerts after cooldown if another cross occurs | Bar stale, no EMA data, non-RTH |
| Halt | LULD or regulatory halt received from exchange feed | Immediate broadcast (not bar-driven) | No cooldown | Alerts every distinct halt event | Duplicate event within 10 s |
| Resume | Trading resume received after a halt | Immediate broadcast | No cooldown | Alerts every resume event | Duplicate event within 10 s |
| Game trade | User places a paper buy or sell in the Game tab | Broadcast to users watching the same symbol (optional setting) | No cooldown | Every trade action is broadcast | User privacy setting blocks broadcast |
| Thoth AI paper trade | Thoth paper-trader opens or closes a position based on RVOL/Mover alert | Broadcast as a system alert in the live feed | Per-position (one open + one close) | New position on next qualifying alert after close | Outside RTH, alert was STALE, position already open for symbol |
RVOL Alert Levels
Level is based on how many times the current-minute volume exceeds the 30-day per-minute baseline. Alerts fire at 1.25x or higher during the open window (9:20–11:00 ET) or 1.5x or higher mid-day (11:00 AM–4:00 PM ET). Level 1–5 is assigned from the table below once the minimum threshold is met.
| Level | RVOL threshold | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ≥ 2.0x | Elevated — watch |
| 2 | ≥ 2.5x | Active — noteworthy |
| 3 | ≥ 4.0x | Strong — high priority |
| 4 | ≥ 6.0x | Very strong — investigate immediately |
| 5 | ≥ 10.0x | Extreme — institution or news-driven |
Baseline: 30-day rolling average of volume per minute for each symbol, computed nightly.
Volume minimum: Dollar volume must exceed $50,000 in the current minute (filters micro-caps).
Open bell reduced threshold: 1.12x during 9:20–9:30 ET pre-open window to catch early movers.
Mover Alert Levels
Level is based on the 1-minute price move — the larger of (open→close) or (high-low range). Alerts fire at ≥ 1.5% effective move (same threshold all sessions). Level 1–5 is assigned from the table below.
| Level | Min 1-min move | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ≥ 1.5% | Moderate — directional bias forming |
| 2 | ≥ 2% | Active — momentum building |
| 3 | ≥ 3% | Strong — notable single-minute move |
| 4 | ≥ 4% | Very strong — possible news/catalyst |
| 5 | ≥ 5% | Extreme — high-impact event |
STALE & LATE Labels
The bar that triggered this alert is more than 3 minutes old (180 seconds) when the alert was evaluated. This happens when the processing queue is backed up — most often at the 9:30 open bell when Polygon sends a large burst of bars. The price has likely moved significantly since this bar. Treat STALE alerts as informational — they confirm something happened but the opportunity has passed.
The bar arrived significantly after the minute it represents. Late bars are common during high-volume sessions when Polygon sends bars in batches. The data is valid but time-sensitive trading based on this bar carries extra risk.
Open-bell backlog behavior: During the 9:20–11:00 ET window, the system uses a LIFO (last-in, first-out) queue drain to prioritize the freshest bars. Stale bars at the front of the queue are periodically swept and discarded. This means you may see fewer alerts than expected immediately after 9:30, followed by a burst of fresh-bar alerts as the backlog clears. This is expected behavior after high-volume open bells.
EMA Alerts
Near 200 EMA
Price is within +/-5% of the 200-day EMA. Alerts once per session per symbol. Indicates potential support/resistance. No level 1–5 assigned.
EMA Cross Above
Previous bar closed below the EMA; current bar closes above it. Works on 9 EMA and 50 EMA on the 1-minute chart. 5-minute cooldown per EMA.
EMA Cross Below
Previous bar closed above the EMA; current bar closes below it. Signals potential breakdown or loss of momentum. 5-minute cooldown per EMA.
Halt & Resume Alerts
Halt and Resume alerts are driven by the exchange LULD feed — they are not bar-driven and are not subject to the STALE/LATE rules. They fire immediately on receipt.
Halt types: T1 (news pending), T2 (news dissemination), T3 (regulatory), LULD (Limit Up-Limit Down band breach). Each type carries different risk profiles.
No cooldown: Every distinct halt and resume event is broadcast. If a stock halts multiple times in a session, each event generates an alert.
Suppression: Duplicate events within 10 seconds are deduplicated to prevent double-alerts from exchange retransmissions.
Thoth AI & Game Alerts
Thoth AI Paper Trades
Thoth opens paper positions based on qualifying RVOL and Mover alerts during RTH. Each paper trade generates a buy alert (entry) and a sell alert (exit). Thoth only opens one position per symbol at a time.
Suppression: Outside RTH, when alert is STALE, or when a position is already open for that symbol.
Game Tab Trades
When users make paper trades in the Game tab, a broadcast can be sent to users watching the same symbol. These are social alerts — not automated signals.
Privacy: Users can disable game-trade broadcasts in account settings.
How to Interpret Alerts
Fresh alert (no label)
Bar is < 3 minutes old. Price shown is the close of the triggering candle. This is the most actionable state — act quickly if the setup matches your criteria.
STALE alert
Bar is > 3 minutes old when evaluated. The price has likely already moved. Use this for awareness only — do not enter based on a stale alert price.
High level (4–5)
Level 4–5 RVOL (≥ 6–10x) or Level 4–5 Mover (≥ 4–5%) indicates an exceptional event. Check for news, halt history, or unusual market conditions before acting.
Cooldown period
After an alert fires, the same symbol is blocked for 5 minutes (RVOL/Mover) to prevent alert spam. If you see a gap in alerts for an active symbol, this is likely the cause.