ICT Vacuum Block — Opening Gaps from FOMC, NFP & High-Volatility Events + Free PDF

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The ICT Vacuum Block is a gap in price action created by a high-volatility event — FOMC, NFP, a geopolitical event such as war, or a session/week opening — where no trading activity occurred inside the gap. It is named “vacuum” because of the vacuum of liquidity left behind, and price typically returns to fill or partially reprice the gap on a later leg.

In this guide I walk you through the vacuum block — the meaning, the bullish and bearish setups, the consequent encroachment entry rule, common mistakes and the free PDF download.

What is an ICT Vacuum Block?

The ICT vacuum block is a gap created in price action because of a high-volatility event like FOMC, NFP, or a geopolitical event such as war.

It can also be created because of a week, day or session opening.

It is called a vacuum block because of the vacuum of liquidity inside the gap.

When price opens up or down from the previous market price leaving a gap behind, that gap is the ICT vacuum block. There has been no trading activity inside the gap because no trader was able to execute a trade during the high-volatility event.

Price tends to return to fill these gaps and then continue its move in the direction of the gap.

(I) Bullish ICT Vacuum Block

A bullish ICT vacuum block is created when price opens above the previous market price, leaving a gap behind. The gap may be due to a high-volatility event or a geopolitical event.

Economic and geopolitical events affect the price of assets — so price can increase heavily because of these events.

This bullish vacuum block indicates that prices are in a strong up-trend and a vacuum of liquidity has been created because of the volatile event.

Price tends to fill the vacuum of liquidity, and it can reprice the gap.

How to Trade a Bullish ICT Vacuum Block

To trade a bullish vacuum block, first understand the event and its impact that caused the gap in price.

If the event and its impact look to have a long-term influence on the markets, wait for price to retrace back into the vacuum block.

When price retraces back, mark the consequent encroachment level (50% midpoint) of the vacuum block.

When price approaches the consequent encroachment level — or goes beyond it — look for bullish trade confirmation such as an Pergeseran Struktur Pasar TIK on a lower timeframe.

After the confirmation you can execute a buy trade with the stop loss below the low of the vacuum block.

For take profit you can use ICT Fibonacci Levels or the next draw on liquidity.

(II) Bearish ICT Vacuum Block

A bearish ICT vacuum block is created when price opens below the previous market price, leaving a gap behind. The gap may be due to a high-volatility event or a geopolitical event.

Economic and geopolitical events affect the price of assets — so price can decrease instantly because of these events.

This bearish vacuum block indicates that prices are in a down-trend and a vacuum of liquidity has been created because of the volatile event.

Price tends to fill the vacuum of liquidity, and it can reprice the gap.

How to Trade a Bearish ICT Vacuum Block

To trade a bearish vacuum block, first understand the event and its impact that caused the gap in price.

If the event and its impact look to have a long-term influence on the markets, wait for price to retrace back into the vacuum block.

When price retraces back, mark the consequent encroachment level (50% midpoint) of the vacuum block.

When price approaches the consequent encroachment level — or goes beyond it — look for bearish trade confirmation such as an Pergeseran Struktur Pasar TIK on a lower timeframe.

After the confirmation you can execute a sell trade with the stop loss above the high of the vacuum block.

For take profit you can use ICT Fibonacci Levels or the next draw on liquidity.

Step-by-Step ICT Vacuum Block Trade Flow

This is the exact sequence I run when trading a vacuum block.

1. Identify the catalyst. FOMC, NFP, CPI, geopolitical news or a session/week opening — the event that created the gap.
2. Mark the vacuum block on the chart. The full gap range from the prior close to the new open.
3. Mark the consequent encroachment. The 50% midpoint of the vacuum block — the most reactive level inside the gap.
4. Assess the catalyst’s longevity. If the event has long-term impact (FOMC rate change, structural geopolitical shift), price is more likely to respect the vacuum block on the retest. Short-lived catalysts produce less reliable retests.
5. Wait for the retracement. Price must trade back into the vacuum block.
6. Drop to the lower timeframe. 5-minute or 1-minute for the entry trigger.
7. Wait for the LTF MSS. A clean Market Structure Shift at or near the consequent encroachment confirms the reaction.
8. Enter on confirmation. Buy at a bullish vacuum block; sell at a bearish vacuum block.
9. Set the stop. Below the low of the vacuum block (bullish) or above the high (bearish).
10. Take profit at the next draw on liquidity. Use ICT fib extensions or the next external liquidity pool.

Best Markets for the ICT Vacuum Block

The vacuum block forms most often on instruments that are sensitive to scheduled news and weekend/holiday closes.

• NQ (NASDAQ futures) dan ES (S&P 500 futures) — CME Globex weekend gaps and FOMC-day vacuum blocks deliver the cleanest setups on US indices.
• XAU/USD (Gold) — gold’s reaction to NFP, CPI and FOMC routinely creates large vacuum blocks that price reprices days or weeks later.
• GBP/USD dan EUR/USD — major forex pairs gap on weekend opens and around central-bank announcements.

For traders in the United States who follow the CFTC FIFO and no-hedge rules, NQ and ES are the most natural fit for vacuum-block trading. The CME Globex Sunday open and FOMC announcement days produce textbook vacuum blocks on US futures, and the retest typically occurs within US working hours over the following sessions.

Common Mistakes Trading the Vacuum Block

These are the recurring mistakes I see when traders first start trading vacuum blocks.

1. Treating every gap as a vacuum block. Small intraday gaps without a clear high-volatility catalyst are not vacuum blocks. The setup specifically requires a news, geopolitical or session-open catalyst.
2. Ignoring the catalyst longevity. A vacuum block created by a temporary event (a single news headline that fades) often does not get respected on the retest. Long-term catalysts deliver more reliable setups.
3. Skipping the LTF MSS. The retest of the consequent encroachment alone is not the entry. A lower-timeframe Market Structure Shift is the trigger.
4. Stop too tight. Stops parked at the body of the vacuum block can get hunted on the wick. Use the full vacuum-block edge with a small buffer.
5. Holding past the next draw on liquidity. Vacuum-block trades have a clear first target. Holding past it without a structural reason often gives the move back.
6. Confusing vacuum block with NWOG. The Celah Pembukaan Minggu Baru is a specific weekly-open vacuum block. The general vacuum block can occur on any high-volatility event — not just weekends.

Does Price Always Fill the Gap?

No — it is not certain that price will fill the gap, and it is not necessary.

But if price returns to fill the gap, you can look for the trade entry at the consequent encroachment with a lower-timeframe MSS confirmation.

Does Price Fill the Gap Completely?

If price fills a gap completely, that is a perfect price delivery. But it is not the case in most circumstances.

Price may just tap the gap and move away — or it may fill the gap completely. Statistically, the consequent encroachment (50%) is the most reactive level, and most reactions occur there rather than at the full-fill point.

Does the Vacuum Block Fail to Hold Price?

Yes — the vacuum block can fail to hold price if it was created as a result of a temporary volatile event whose impact does not last long.

This is why understanding the catalyst’s longevity is the critical filter for vacuum-block trades. A long-term catalyst (FOMC rate change, structural news) produces a vacuum block that holds. A short-lived headline produces a vacuum block that often fails on the retest.

ICT Vacuum Block PDF Download

You can download below ICT vacuum block in PDF for free. This PDF is sponsored by ICTPDF.COM.

To learn the complete ICT Trading strategy step by step, you can buy the E-book PDF Perdagangan TIK pada ICTPDF.COM.

FAQs about the ICT Vacuum Block

Brief answers to the questions readers ask most often about the vacuum block.

What is the ICT vacuum block?

The ICT vacuum block is a gap created in price action by a high-volatility event (FOMC, NFP, geopolitical news or a session/week opening) where no trading activity occurred inside the gap. The gap is named “vacuum” because of the vacuum of liquidity, and price typically returns to fill or reprice the gap on a later leg.

What creates a vacuum block?

A high-volatility event such as FOMC, NFP, CPI, war or a major political event — or a normal session/week opening — that causes price to open at a different level from the prior close, leaving a gap with no trading activity inside it.

How is a vacuum block different from a fair value gap?

A fair value gap is a 3-candle wick-to-wick imbalance during normal trading. A vacuum block is created by a price-discontinuity (a true gap with no trading inside) caused by a high-volatility event or session open. The vacuum block is a specific subset of “opening gap” patterns, often containing FVGs inside it.

Where do I enter a vacuum block trade?

At or near the consequent encroachment (50% midpoint) of the vacuum block on the retest, after a lower-timeframe Market Structure Shift confirms the reaction.

Where is the stop loss?

Below the low of the vacuum block (bullish) or above the high of the vacuum block (bearish), with a small buffer.

Where do I take profit?

The next draw-on-liquidity in the direction of the original gap, or use the ICT fib extensions to stage exits.

Will price always fill a vacuum block?

No — fills are not guaranteed. Long-term catalysts (FOMC rate change, structural news) produce vacuum blocks that are more likely to hold and be respected on the retest. Short-lived catalysts can fail.

Does the vacuum block work on indices, gold and forex?

Yes — NQ, ES, XAU/USD and major forex pairs all produce vacuum blocks around scheduled news (FOMC, NFP, CPI) and weekend opens.

What is the difference between vacuum block and NWOG?

The New Week Opening Gap (NWOG) is a specific subtype of vacuum block formed only at the weekly open. The vacuum block is the general category — it can occur at any session/week open or on any high-volatility event.

How do I know if the catalyst will hold?

Long-term structural catalysts (rate decisions, sustained policy shifts, major geopolitical events) produce vacuum blocks that hold on the retest. Single-headline events that fade within a session produce vacuum blocks that often fail. Use the size and persistence of the move after the gap as a guide.

What timeframe is best for vacuum-block setups?

The daily and H4 are best for marking the vacuum block. The 5-minute and 1-minute are used for the LTF MSS entry trigger at the consequent encroachment retest.