Bilateral patterns
Range
No built-in bias
Price oscillating between a defined floor and ceiling with no trend structure.
What a range tells you
Most of the time markets are in a range. Recognising one early prevents the most common beginner error: applying trend logic to a sideways market.
Why it forms
Two-sided interest with neither side able to force a resolution.
How traders enter it
Either fade the edges toward the middle, or wait for the break with a retest. The middle of a range is the worst place to enter.
How it fails
Ranges end. Trading the edges works until the day it does not, which is why the invalidation level matters more here than anywhere else.
That last section is the one worth rereading. A pattern is only useful because it comes with a level that proves you wrong — without one you have a shape and a hope.
People also ask
Is a range bullish or bearish?
Neither. A range has no directional bias built into it — it describes a change in volatility, not direction. The break decides.
How do you trade a range?
Either fade the edges toward the middle, or wait for the break with a retest. The middle of a range is the worst place to enter.
When does a range fail?
Ranges end. Trading the edges works until the day it does not, which is why the invalidation level matters more here than anywhere else.
Can ChartLens spot a range for me?
Yes. Photograph or screenshot any chart and ChartLens names the pattern if it is clearly formed, with a confidence level and whether it is forming, confirmed or failed — and says nothing if it is not there.
Last updated .