Price doesn’t always move smoothly. Sometimes the market jumps from one level to another with nothing in between. These gaps usually occur when liquidity dries up or when a catalyst forces instant repricing. If you’re building your foundation in how markets behave, start with What Is Trading?.
Gaps are closely tied to how the bid and ask update during stress. When liquidity thins or spreads widen, price leaps to the next available level. For clarity on these mechanics, explore Bid vs Ask.
Most gaps form when there simply aren’t orders between two prices — often after major events or during thin sessions. To understand this core idea, review What Is Liquidity?.
Gaps often trigger stop-loss cascades, which amplify the move and stretch the gap even further. Strengthen your understanding by studying Stop-Loss Basics.
Chart literacy makes gaps easier to read. The size, placement, and follow-through behavior of a gap reveal sentiment and momentum. Solidify your reading with Candlestick Anatomy.
Gaps often blast through support or resistance, trapping traders or creating sharp continuation. To understand those zones, explore Support & Resistance.
Volume and momentum signals help reveal whether a gap is likely to fill, extend, or pivot into a trend. Build this perspective with Volume 101.
News catalysts are one of the biggest drivers of gaps — economic releases, earnings, surprise headlines. To understand these shock events, see How News Impacts the Market.
Gaps intensify emotional reactions. Traders chase them, fade them too early, or panic when price jumps past their levels. For help with the psychological side, explore Psychological Trading Pressure.
If you want to build structure and risk control around gap behavior, strengthen your approach with Risk Management.
Understanding gaps lets you read market structure with far greater precision. Once you know why price skips levels — and what the market is signaling — you can trade with confidence instead of confusion.