When to use it
Use the gappers scanner during your pre-market routine to identify names that are already moving outside their prior range before the opening bell. Gapping stocks often carry momentum into the open and can set up actionable Strat triggers — especially when the gap aligns with higher-timeframe continuity.The gappers scanner covers equities only. Futures and crypto symbols are excluded.
Where gappers appear
Gapper data surfaces in three places across the app, each tuned for a different workflow.Mission Control panel
The Top Gappers panel on Mission Control shows the largest gap-up and gap-down movers in a compact summary card, ranked by gap percentage. Configurable row limits let you show between 1 and 20 rows per direction.
Setups Table column and filter
The Gap column in the Setups Table displays the signed gap percentage on every row. Toggle the Gapper filter to restrict the table to symbols currently flagged as gapping. Kicker gaps are visually distinguished.
Dedicated gappers page
The standalone gappers page at Setups > Gappers provides a full-width table with sortable columns for gap percentage, gap dollar amount, symbol, and direction. It includes TFC context and earnings markers for each row.
How the scan works
Pre-market window opens
At 4:00 AM ET on trading days, the scanner begins polling real-time last-trade prices for all active equity symbols.
Compare against the prior day's range
Each symbol’s current pre-market price is compared against the previous session’s daily high and low. If the price is above the prior high, it’s a gap up. If it’s below the prior low, it’s a gap down. Symbols trading within the prior range are excluded.
Calculate gap metrics
For each gapper, the scanner computes the gap percentage and dollar amount relative to the breached level (prior high for gap-up, prior low for gap-down).
Detect kicker patterns
A gap qualifies as a kicker when the prior day’s candle has its open and close near opposite extremes of the range — a full-bodied candle in the direction opposite to the gap. Kickers represent an abrupt sentiment reversal and are highlighted separately.
Rank and display
Results are sorted by absolute gap percentage so the largest movers appear first. The table auto-refreshes every 2 seconds during pre-market.
Columns on the gappers page
The dedicated gappers page displays the following columns for each symbol.| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Ticker | The equity symbol. Kicker gaps show a Kicker badge next to the ticker. Click any symbol to open the ticker overview with news. |
| TFC | Timeframe continuity chips for the symbol across higher timeframes, so you can see whether the gap aligns with the broader trend. |
| DIR | Gap direction — UP (green) or DOWN (red). |
| Gap % | The percentage move beyond the prior day’s high or low. Color-coded green for positive, red for negative. |
| Gap $ | The dollar amount of the gap, signed. |
| ER | An earnings badge if the company reports within the current weekly window. |
| Price | The last pre-market trade price. |
| Prior H/L | The prior day’s high (for gap-up) or low (for gap-down) — the reference level the price breached. |
| Last Trade Time | Timestamp of the most recent pre-market trade used in the calculation. |
Kicker detection
A kicker is a gap where the prior day’s candle was a full-bodied bar in the opposite direction — the open was near one extreme of the range and the close was near the other.- Gap up + kicker: The prior candle was a strong bearish bar (open near high, close near low), and price is now gapping above that high. The sentiment has reversed sharply.
- Gap down + kicker: The prior candle was a strong bullish bar (open near low, close near high), and price is now gapping below that low.
Using gappers on Mission Control
The Top Gappers panel on Mission Control provides a compact pre-market overview without leaving your dashboard layout. It splits results into gap-up and gap-down sections, each ranked by gap percentage. You can configure how many rows appear per direction:Filtering setups by gapper status
In the Setups Table, toggle the Gapper filter to show only symbols that are currently flagged as gapping. This narrows the table to names with active pre-market gaps, so you can focus on setups forming on gapping stocks. The Gap column displays the signed gap percentage for every row, regardless of filter state. Kicker gaps are visually distinguished with a ring highlight.Gapper flags are updated in real time during pre-market and reset after the session opens. If you’re looking at the Setups Table during regular hours, the Gapper filter reflects the final pre-market snapshot.
Sorting
On the dedicated gappers page, click any sortable column header to reorder the table. Available sort fields are:- Ticker — alphabetical
- Gap % — by percentage (default: largest absolute gap first)
- Gap $ — by dollar amount
Timing and availability
| Phase | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Pre-market (4:00 AM – open) | Scanner is active. Table refreshes every 2 seconds. |
| Regular session (open – close) | Scanner is paused. Last pre-market snapshot is displayed. Refresh rate slows to 15 seconds. |
| After hours / weekends | Scanner is paused. No data displayed. |