LV: Liquidity Void
Also known as: liquidity void, LV, inefficiency, imbalance zone, price void
What is it?
A liquidity void is a stretch of chart that price crossed in one fast, one-sided move, so almost no two-way trading took place there - typically a run of large same-direction candles with barely any overlap, set off by a news release or a session open. Take a GBP/USD 15-minute chart. The pair balances between 1.2740 and 1.2751 ahead of a US inflation print. The number lands and three candles carry it from 1.2742 down to 1.2681, each opening within a pip or two of the previous candle's low. The 50 pips between 1.2690 and 1.2740 is the void: price passed through those levels without real buying and selling ever meeting there.
Three same-direction candles took GBP/USD from 1.2742 to 1.2681 with barely any overlap, leaving the 1.2690-1.2740 range untraded; price came back two hours later and delivered through it properly.
Roughly two hours later price grinds back up to 1.2738 and delivers through that range properly. Scale is what separates a void from a fair value gap. A fair value gap is measured across one three-candle formation and is often five to fifteen pips wide. A void is measured across the whole displaced leg, and it usually has several fair value gaps sitting inside it. Because the range is inefficient, ICT treats it as an area price tends to revisit and trade through properly - a rebalancing target, not an entry trigger by itself.
The honest caveat is that "tends to" is not "must". Voids left by major data or a gap-driven Monday open can sit unfilled for weeks or months, and some never fill at all. An entry justified only by an unfilled void sitting above or below is a guess, and your capital is at risk on it.
Why it matters: A liquidity void marks the part of the chart price skipped rather than traded, which is where it most often returns to finish the business it never did.
It tells you where price is likely to be drawn back to, but it supplies no entry, no timing and no invalidation on its own.
Real-world example
A US CPI print drove GBP/USD from 1.2742 to 1.2681 in three 15-minute candles, leaving the 1.2690-1.2740 stretch untraded; price worked back to 1.2738 about two hours later.
How SignalBots handles it
SignalBots signals arrive with an entry, a stop and a target already stated, so a void you have marked becomes context for the trade rather than the trade itself - you can see whether the target sits inside the unfilled range before you take it. See /risk-warning.
Pro tip
Mark the void's midpoint as well as its two edges - price often turns from that halfway level and leaves the rest of the range unfilled for weeks.
Common pitfalls
Treating an unfilled void as a signal to fade price into it, when the void tells you where price may return but never when, or from which level.
Frequently asked questions
How is a liquidity void different from a fair value gap?
Scale. A fair value gap is measured across a single three-candle formation and is often five to fifteen pips wide. A liquidity void is measured across the whole displaced leg, and it normally has several fair value gaps sitting inside it.
Do liquidity voids always get filled?
No. Most eventually see price trade back through them, but voids left by major news or a gap-driven session open can sit unfilled for weeks or months, and some never fill. Treat filling as a tendency, not a schedule.
Is a liquidity void the same as a price gap?
No. A price gap is a literal discontinuity - one candle closes at 1.2740 and the next opens at 1.2690 with nothing traded in between, typical of a weekend open. A void has candles in it; they are simply fast and one-sided, so almost no two-way trade happened.
Which timeframe should I mark voids on?
Use the timeframe where the displacement is obvious, usually 15-minute up to 4-hour. A void that only shows on a one-minute chart is a handful of pips wide and gets crossed by ordinary spread and noise before it tells you anything.
How do I actually use a void once I have marked it?
Use it as a destination, not a trigger. If your bias is already long and an unfilled void sits above, that range is a reasonable place to take profit. The entry itself should still come from structure, with a stop that invalidates the idea.
Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Historical and backtested results do not guarantee future performance. Read the full risk warning.
