Gap future: the unfilled gaps of the main future
Index futures trade almost around the clock, so they rarely leave a gap — but when they do, it is usually after a weekend or a holiday, and it often stays on the chart for days. Untested Levels draws every gap of the main future that price has not filled yet, as a green box. The boxes appear on every supported chart: on futures as they are, on index and CFD charts converted with the cash-future difference.
On this page
09:30 · NYSE opens
123
- 108:15 — ES trades at 6,918.50, the high of the morning.
- 213:15 — the low of the day: 6,843.50. ES comes down into the gap and stops 2.25 points above its bottom (6,841.25).
- 315:30 — 6,900.00, 56.50 points above the low. The gap stays open until Tuesday 4 November.
Part of Untested Levels
Free TradingView indicator that marks earlier closes, opens and gaps the market has not traded back to — on index, futures and CFD charts.
Install Untested Levels (free) →What a futures gap is
Like an index gap, a futures gap is empty space between two daily candles: the whole range of one trading day lies above the high of the day before (a gap up) or below its low (a gap down). For a future, a trading day runs from the evening before to the afternoon — for ES from 18:00 to 17:00 New York time — so the night is part of it.
In the example, the trading day of Friday 24 October 2025 had a high of 6,841.25 and that of Monday 27 October a low of 6,865.75: over the weekend, while the market was closed, ES jumped 24.50 points. That empty space is the gap.
Why futures gaps are rarer than index gaps
An index only trades during regular trading hours, so every move in the evening and at night shows up as a jump at the next open. A future keeps trading through the night and absorbs most of those moves gradually. On 6 May 2026, for example, the DAX index opened with a gap of 231 points; FDAX, which had traded all night, had a gap of just 54 points. Futures gaps mostly form when the market is closed for a while — over a weekend or a holiday.
Filled, partly filled, untested
- Untested. Price has not traded in the gap since. The box is green.
- Filled. Price has traded through the whole remaining gap. The box stays on the chart for the rest of that day, in the same colour; the next day it is gone.
- Partly filled. Price came into the gap but not all the way through. During that day the box keeps its size; from the next day it shows only the part that is still open — as in the example, where the top of the gap was filled on 30 October.
A new gap is only known once the second trading day has ended, so the box appears from the next trading day.
How Untested Levels shows them
The gaps are measured on the daily candles of the main future (for example ES or FDAX). On mini, micro and nano futures you see the gaps of the main future. On index and CFD charts the boxes are converted with the current cash-future difference; on an index chart they only show while the index's stock market is open.
| Default look | Light green box with a thin border |
|---|---|
| Labels on the chart | Gap future and the date on which the trading day before the gap started — for US index futures that is the evening before (renamable; the size can be added) |
| Switched on by default | Yes |
| How far back | Up to 1000 trading days (adjustable) |
| Which gaps are drawn | Every unfilled gap within 25 % of the current price (adjustable); small gaps can be hidden with a minimum size |
| Timeframes | Charts from 1 second up to the daily chart; nothing on weekly and monthly charts |
| Markets | Nasdaq-100, S&P 500, Dow, Russell 2000, DAX, FTSE 100 and AEX — all tickers |
Why don't I see the boxes?
- It has been filled.Once price trades through the whole gap, the box stays for the rest of that day and is gone the next day.
- It formed on the last trading day.A gap is only known once the second trading day has ended; it appears from the next one.
- You are on an index chart outside its trading hours.There the future gaps appear only while its stock market is open; on futures and CFD charts they are always shown.
- Price is far away from them.Only gaps within 25 % of the current price are drawn. You can change this under General → Level visibility range.
- It is smaller than the minimum.Check Min gap size (points) in the group Untested Future Gaps (default 0: every gap).
- Your ticker is not recognised.See the supported tickers — and if yours is missing, let me know: requests are very welcome.
What you can change
In the indicator settings (the gear icon next to Untested Levels on your chart), under Untested Future Gaps:
| Show / hide | Show untested future gaps |
|---|---|
| Small gaps | Min gap size (points), default 0 (every gap) |
| How far back | Historical backfill, default 1000 trading days |
| Fill, border | Colour of the box and its border, border width and style |
| Label | Prefix (default Gap future), with the date (on) and the size (off) |
| Label size, line end, visibility range | Shared with all elements · General |
Charts and defaults on this page: Untested Levels v2.41.9 · updated 21 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference with Gap index?
Gap index is measured on the index, which only trades during regular trading hours. Gap future is measured on the main future, which trades through the night — so it has fewer and usually smaller gaps.
Why do futures gaps mostly appear on Mondays?
Because the market is closed over the weekend. During the week the future trades almost around the clock and rarely jumps.
When is a gap filled?
When price has traded through the whole gap that is still open. A touch of one edge is not enough.
Why does the box not turn grey when it is filled?
Future gaps have no separate look for filled today: the box stays in its colour for the rest of that day and is gone the next day.
Does it work on MES or a CFD?
Yes. On mini, micro and nano futures you see the gaps of the main future; on CFD and index charts they are converted with the cash-future difference.
Why is an older gap away from the candles?
A futures gap is a real gap from the past, so Untested Levels draws it at the price where it formed. With B-ADJ on, the candles from before the last quarterly roll are shifted into the new contract's prices, so a gap from before that roll can sit away from those candles. Switch B-ADJ off to see the old candles at the prices they traded. Gaps that formed after the roll are not affected.
Related levels
See the open futures gaps on your own chart
Untested Levels is free on TradingView. Add it next to Basics on any supported chart — for example ES, NQ or FDAX — and the open gaps of the future appear by themselves.