Gap index: the unfilled gaps of the index
An index only trades during regular trading hours. When it opens far away from where it traded the day before and never goes back, an empty space is left between the two daily candles: a gap. Untested Levels draws every gap of the index that price has not filled yet, as a shaded box. The boxes appear on every supported chart: on the index and CFDs as they are, on futures converted with the cash-future difference.
On this page
123
- 109:00 — the DAX opens at 25,487.45 and falls at once.
- 209:30 — the low of the day: 25,303.11, 184 points under the open and just 4 points inside the gap. The gap holds.
- 316:45 — the high of the day: 25,651.16, 348 points above the low.
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) →Part of Straydog Zones & Levels
TradingView indicator that draws the daily DAX zones and levels from Straydogtrading.com on index, CFD and futures charts.
Install Straydog →What an index gap is
On a daily chart, a gap is empty space between two candles: the whole range of one day lies above the high of the day before (a gap up) or below its low (a gap down). Price jumped over that area and never traded there. Friday 24 July 2026, for example, had a high of 25,099.68 and Monday 27 July a low of 25,361.03 — the 261 points in between were never traded.
Indices gap more often than futures, because an index is only calculated during regular trading hours: everything that happens in the evening and at night shows up at once in the next opening price. A gap is only known once the second day has ended, so Untested Levels draws it from the morning after.
Filled, partly filled, untested
- Untested. Price has not traded in the gap since. The box is blue.
- Filled. Price has traded through the whole remaining gap. The box turns grey for the rest of that day; 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.
A large gap can take weeks. The DAX gap of 24 to 27 July 2026 (25,099.68 to 25,361.03, 261 points) shrank step by step: price came into it on 28 and 30 July, again on 15 and 24 September — each time the box got smaller from the next day — until it was filled completely on 1 October.
Why traders watch them
- Unfinished business. A gap is an area the market skipped. Many traders expect price to come back and fill it, and the edges of a gap often stop a move — as on 30 July in the example above.
- After the fill. Once a gap is filled, its edge often works the other way: the old ceiling becomes a floor, as at 12:45 in the DAX example of 9 October below.
How Untested Levels shows them
The gaps are measured on the daily candles of the index itself. They appear on every supported chart: on the index and CFDs as they are, on futures (main, mini, micro, nano) converted with the current cash-future difference. The same kind of gaps measured on the main future are a separate element: Gap future.
| Default look | Light blue box with a thin border · filled today: grey |
|---|---|
| Labels on the chart | Gap index and the date of the day before the gap (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 |
| Price on your chart | Futures (main, mini, micro, nano): converted with the current cash-future difference. CFD and index charts: the index value itself |
| 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 |
More examples
Click a chart to enlarge it.
Why don't I see the boxes?
- It has been filled.Once price trades through the whole gap, the box turns grey for the rest of that day and is gone the next day.
- It formed yesterday.A gap is only known once the second day has ended; it appears the morning after.
- 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 index gaps (default 0: every gap).
- You are on a weekly or monthly chart.Untested Levels draws on charts from 1 second up to the daily chart.
- 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 index gaps:
| Show / hide | Show untested index gaps |
|---|---|
| Small gaps | Min gap size (points), default 0 (every gap) |
| How far back | Historical backfill, default 1000 trading days |
| Fill, border | Separately for untested and for filled today |
| Label | Prefix (default Gap index), 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
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 shrink while price is in it?
During the day the box keeps its size, so you can see the whole gap. From the next day it shows only the part that is still open.
Why does a new gap appear a day later?
A gap exists only if the second day's whole range stays away from the first day. That is known once the second day has ended, so the box appears the next morning.
Which date is in the label?
The date of the day before the gap — the day whose high or low forms the far edge of the box.
Does it work on a futures chart?
Yes. The gaps are the index's own gaps, converted to the future's price with the current cash-future difference. Gaps measured on the future itself are a separate element: Gap future.
Related levels
See the unfilled gaps on your own chart
Untested Levels is free on TradingView. Add it next to Basics on any supported chart — for example the DAX or ES — and the open gaps of the index appear by themselves.