ICT Daily Bias Explained — How to Set Bullish or Bearish Bias (Free PDF)

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ICT daily bias is the assumed direction of the trading day — bullish or bearish — that anchors every intraday entry I take. Without a correct daily bias, the rest of the ICT method does not work. The daily bias is the input to every PD Array tap, every kill-zone setup, every Market Structure Shift trigger.

This guide is the full breakdown of the ICT daily bias — what it is, the three signals I use to identify it, how to read daily timeframe order flow, the bullish and bearish variants with chart examples, the step-by-step bias workflow I run before every session, the common mistakes that produce wrong bias calls, and the answers to the questions I get most often.

What is ICT Daily Bias?

ICT daily bias is the anticipated direction of price movement for a given trading day. To trade the ICT method consistently, I need to call this bias correctly — the rest of the model is built on top of it.

A bullish daily bias means I expect the day to deliver upside, so I look for buy entries at higher-timeframe PD Arrays. A bearish daily bias means I expect the day to deliver downside, so I look for sell entries. A neutral or unclear bias means I stay on the sidelines until the higher timeframe gives me a clean read.

How to Identify ICT Daily Bias

To call the correct daily bias, I check three elements before the session opens.

(I) Daily timeframe order flow. This is the most important input. According to Michael Huddleston, banks and institutional traders use the daily chart to position their orders. The structure of the daily chart — higher highs and higher lows for bullish, lower highs and lower lows for bearish — gives the dominant directional read.

(II) Any imbalance to rebalance. Price moves for two reasons, and the first is to rebalance an imbalance. I scan the higher timeframes for unfilled fair value gaps, premium-discount imbalances, and weekly opening gaps. Price tends to revisit and rebalance these zones, which gives a directional signal.

(III) Draw on liquidity. The second reason price moves is to take liquidity. I identify the next significant draw on liquidity — old highs, old lows, equal-highs/equal-lows, session extremes — because price gravitates toward those pools. The direction of the next major draw on liquidity is often the direction of the day.

How to Identify Daily Timeframe Order Flow

Order flow is the current structure of price movement on the daily chart.

Bullish order flow means price is expected to move higher. The structure prints higher highs and higher lows. Price moves up to take liquidity above old highs or to rebalance an imbalance. In a bullish market, I look for buy entries and my daily bias points higher.

Bearish order flow means price is expected to move lower. The structure prints lower lows and lower highs. Price moves down to take liquidity below old lows or to rebalance an imbalance. In a bearish market, I look for sell entries and my daily bias points lower.

Step-by-Step Daily Bias Workflow

This is the exact sequence I run before every trading session to set the bias. Save it, print it, do not skip a step.

1. Open the daily chart at least 30 minutes before the London or New York session.
2. Read the daily order flow — is the chart printing higher highs and higher lows (bullish), or lower lows and lower highs (bearish)?
3. Identify any unfilled imbalance on the daily — fair value gaps or weekly opening gaps that price has not yet rebalanced.
4. Mark the next significant draw on liquidity — the closest old high or old low above and below current price.
5. Check the previous day close — close above midpoint of prior day’s range suggests bullish carry; close below suggests bearish carry.
6. Confirm with the 4-hour structure — the 4-hour should not be in obvious conflict with the daily read.
7. Set the bias as bullish or bearish based on the alignment of the three primary signals (order flow, imbalance, draw on liquidity).
8. Skip the day if the three signals point in three different directions. Unclear bias means no trade.

What is Bullish Bias in Forex?

Bullish bias in forex is the trader’s expectation that the next major move on a given currency pair, index, or instrument will be to the upside. The term is interchangeable with “bullish daily bias” when applied at the daily timeframe. A bullish bias is set by reading higher-timeframe order flow (higher highs and higher lows on the daily chart), spotting an unfilled imbalance above current price, or identifying the next major draw on liquidity sitting above. Bullish bias does not mean every candle moves up — it means the dominant move of the session is expected to be up.

What is Bearish Bias in Forex?

Bearish bias in forex is the trader’s expectation that the next major move on a given instrument will be to the downside. Like its bullish counterpart, the term mirrors “bearish daily bias” when applied at the daily timeframe. A bearish bias is set by reading lower lows and lower highs on the daily chart, spotting an unfilled imbalance below current price, or identifying the next major draw on liquidity sitting below. Bearish bias does not predict every minute of the session — it sets the directional anchor for where the dominant institutional flow expects to deliver price.

Bias vs Trend — What is the Difference?

Bias and trend are related but distinct. Trend is what price has already done — visible higher highs and higher lows for an uptrend, lower lows and lower highs for a downtrend. Bias is what price is expected to do next, given the trend, the imbalances, and the next draw on liquidity. A market can be in a clear uptrend with a temporary bearish bias for a single session if the next draw on liquidity sits below current price. The bias is the directional read for the immediate session; the trend is the structural read across many sessions. Both feed each other, but they are not the same thing.

Bullish Daily Bias

A bullish daily bias means I expect price to move higher during the session. The reason can be bullish daily order flow, an unfilled imbalance above current price, or the next major draw on liquidity sitting above.

Once the bullish bias is set, I mark my points of interest — order block, breaker block, fair value gap, or unicorn — at locations where I expect price to retrace before continuing higher.

For trade execution, I drop to a lower timeframe (15-minute or 30-minute) and wait for price to test one of those points of interest. I look for an entry confirmation such as a Market Structure Shift on the lower timeframe.

After the confirmation, I execute a buy trade targeting the daily timeframe draw on liquidity or unfilled imbalance.

A real chart example is shown below.

Bearish Daily Bias

A bearish daily bias means I expect price to decline during the session. The reason can be bearish daily order flow, an unfilled imbalance below current price, or the next major draw on liquidity sitting below.

Once the bearish bias is set, I identify my points of interest — order blocks, breaker blocks, fair value gaps, or unicorns — at locations where I expect price to retrace before continuing lower.

For trade execution, I drop to a lower timeframe (15-minute or 30-minute) and wait for price to test one of those points of interest. I look for an entry confirmation such as a Market Structure Shift to the downside.

After the confirmation, I execute a sell trade aiming for the draw on liquidity or imbalance below on the daily timeframe.

A real chart example is shown below.

If you want a shortcut to find the daily bias more quickly, see my paired guide: ICT Daily Bias Trick — No One Told You.

Common Mistakes I See Traders Make on Daily Bias

Five mistakes account for the majority of wrong-direction trades I see in the comments. Avoid these and the bias call gets dramatically more reliable.

1. Reading bias from a lower timeframe. The daily bias must come from the daily chart. Reading bias off the 1-hour or 15-minute is the most common error and produces conflicting signals every time intraday volatility kicks in.
2. Ignoring the next draw on liquidity. Order flow alone is not enough. Price often sweeps the closer liquidity pool first, then reverses to the dominant direction. The draw on liquidity tells you which side is the magnet.
3. Forcing a bias when the daily is unclear. If the daily prints inside-bar consolidation or a balanced range, there is no clean bias. Sit out. There is no rule that says I must trade every session.
4. Switching bias mid-session. Once the bias is set, it stays set for the day. Switching after the manipulation phase looks rational but is almost always the wrong call. Trust the morning read.
5. Confusing bias with direction of the current move. Bias is the predicted direction for the day, not where price is right now. If price is moving up against a bearish bias, that is the manipulation phase — wait for the reversal.

Pikiran Akhir

For a precise daily bias call, I cross-reference the daily order flow, the unfilled imbalances, and the next draw on liquidity, then validate against ICT concepts like the Array PD TIK, the ICT OTE Pattern, and the Kekuatan Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi (TIK) 3. Bias is the foundation. Get it right, and the rest of the model takes care of itself.

FAQs About ICT Daily Bias

What is ICT daily bias?

ICT daily bias is the anticipated direction of price for a given trading day — bullish or bearish — anchored on the daily timeframe. It is the input to every ICT entry trigger, kill-zone setup, and PD Array tap.

How do I identify the correct daily bias?

Cross-reference three signals on the daily chart: order flow direction, any unfilled imbalance to rebalance, and the next significant draw on liquidity. When all three align, the bias is reliable.

What is bullish order flow?

Bullish order flow is when the daily chart prints higher highs and higher lows. It signals the institutional direction is up, and I look for buy entries at higher-timeframe PD Arrays.

What is bearish order flow?

Bearish order flow is when the daily chart prints lower lows and lower highs. It signals the institutional direction is down, and I look for sell entries at higher-timeframe PD Arrays.

What is a draw on liquidity?

A draw on liquidity is the next significant pool of stop-loss orders sitting above or below current price — typically at old highs, old lows, equal highs, or equal lows. Price tends to gravitate toward these pools.

Can the daily bias change during the session?

Once set in the morning, the bias should remain fixed for the session. Switching mid-session usually means reacting to the manipulation phase, which is the opposite of the real move. Trust the morning read.

What timeframe should I use to set daily bias?

The daily chart, validated against the 4-hour. Bias read from lower timeframes is unreliable because intraday noise drowns out the institutional structure.

What if the daily bias is unclear?

Sit out. If the three primary signals point in three different directions, or the daily prints inside-bar consolidation, there is no clean bias. Skip the session and wait for clarity.

ICT Daily Bias PDF Download

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