Stop run
A quick sweep of an obvious level to trigger stops, just before a reversal.
A stop run pushes price just beyond a visible high or low to trigger the stops piled there, hand liquidity to large players, then reverse. The heatmap shows liquidity getting swept, then the rejection.
In depth
A stop run (or liquidity grab) deliberately pushes price just beyond an obvious level (a high, a low, a round number) where stop orders pile up. Once triggered, those stops become market orders that hand large players the counterparty they need to enter. Price 'sucks in' the liquidity, then often reverses.
It's not magic or a conspiracy: it's the logical consequence of everyone placing stops at the same 'logical' spots. The heatmap shows liquidity getting swept, then the clean rejection. Telling a stop run from a real breakout is one of order flow's most profitable skills.
On DeepCharts, watch for the pattern: approach of an obvious extreme, a volume spike on the break (stops firing), then a fast rejection with a delta flip the other way. An entry after price returns inside the level, stop beyond the wick, offers an excellent risk/reward.
A wick breaks the day's high by 2 ticks then closes below → stop run.
Chasing the breakout at the moment the level gives. That's precisely the stop-run trap: entering on the break puts you on the side of the triggered stops. Wait for rejection confirmation rather than running after the wick.
Frequently asked
How to tell a stop run from a real breakout?
A real breakout holds and sees price accept beyond, with follow-through volume. A stop run briefly crosses, finds no acceptance, and price quickly returns inside, often just a wick.
Why are stops so predictable?
Because most traders place stops at the same obvious spots: below the low, above the high, at round numbers. This clustering creates liquidity pockets the market reaches for.
Where should you place your stop to avoid it?
Beyond the obvious liquidity zone, not right at it. Give your stop room so a sweep doesn't take you out before your scenario plays out.
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