The Swing Trader's Weekly Workflow

Who This Is For

Swing traders, options players, and traders with day jobs who check charts 1–2x per day. This workflow runs on a Sunday-to-Friday cycle and requires approximately 30–45 minutes of active time per week.

Step 1 — Sunday Evening: Set Your Macro Bias

Indicator: Macro Compass | Timeframe: Weekly

Open a weekly chart of SPY or ES with Macro Compass loaded. Check the gate count and direction:

• 3+ gates bullish → Strong directional bias long for the week. Focus on long setups in the scanner.
• 3+ gates bearish → Strong directional bias short. Focus on short setups.
• 0–2 gates → No clear macro edge. Consider sitting out or trading only the highest-confidence scanner setups (⭐⭐⭐, Score 80+).

Time required: ~5 minutes.

Step 2 — Sunday/Monday: Scan for Setups

Indicator: Formation Scanner | Timeframe: Daily

Switch to Formation Scanner on a daily timeframe. Cycle through sector buckets relevant to the macro bias direction. Apply your filters:

• CONF: ⭐⭐ or better
• Score: 60 or above (raise to 70+ in choppy markets)
• Signal direction: LONG (if macro is bullish), SHORT (if macro is bearish), or RDY (approaching trigger)

Build a watchlist of 3–5 top-rated setups. Don't trade all of them — you are looking for your best candidates to monitor during the week.

Time required: ~15 minutes.

Step 3 — Monday–Friday: Confirm Entry Zones

Indicators: MTF Reaction Zones + Wave Oscillator | Timeframe: 4H or 1H

For each watchlist ticker, drop to a 4H or 1H chart. Add MTF Reaction Zones and Wave Oscillator. You are waiting for two conditions to align:

1. Zone confluence: Price at or near a zone stacking area (2–3 timeframes converging near your scanner entry price)
2. Momentum confirmation: Wave Oscillator fires a Moderate or Strong diamond in your direction

Do not enter just because price reaches your zone. Wait for the diamond. Do not enter just because a diamond fires. Check for zone support first. Both together = valid entry condition.

Time required: ~5 minutes each check, 2–3× per day.

Step 4 — Execute

Indicator: Trade Execution Suite

When Steps 1–3 align on a watchlist ticker:

1. Add Trade Execution Suite to your entry chart
2. Review the auto-plotted entry zone, ATR stop, and TP1/TP2/TP3 levels
3. Check the R:R label — if it shows 1.5:1 or better, the structure is valid
4. Execute within the entry zone. Set your stop at the Trade Execution Suite stop line — do not move it closer.
5. Manage the trade using the plotted levels. Consider partial profits at TP1, runners to TP2/TP3.

Time required: ~2 minutes to set up and execute.

Illustrative Example (Hypothetical)

Setup: Macro Compass shows 4-gate bullish signal on SPY. Formation Scanner finds "TECH-A" (fictional) with Score 78, ⭐⭐⭐ confidence, LONG signal, Action = Swing. MTF Zones show a 4H + 1H zone stacking at $145.20 — precisely at the Formation Scanner entry level. Wave Oscillator fires a Strong Buy diamond on the 1H chart. Trade Execution Suite plots entry zone $145.10–$145.40, ATR stop at $143.80, TP1 at $147.20, TP2 at $149.10, TP3 at $151.00, R:R = 2.3:1.

Action: Enter within $145.10–$145.40. Stop at $143.80. Take partial profits at TP1 ($147.20). Trail remaining to TP2/TP3.