At Unusual Flow, we track and surface high-conviction options trades that stand out due to their size, speed, risk profile, or institutional signature. These are what we call “Unusual Flow Picks.”
These picks are automatically detected by our Flow AI system based on unique trade characteristics — not just volume alone — and are flagged using alert color codes for easy identification and deeper insights.
What Makes a Flow “Unusual”?
Unusual Flow Picks are not your average options trades. They meet one or more of the following criteria:
Aggressive Entry – Orders placed at the ask or bid, signaling urgency.
Open Interest Spike – When volume far exceeds existing open interest.
High Premium – Trades involving substantial dollar amounts.
Short DTE + Far OTM – Risk-heavy bets on near-term moves.
Institutional Size – Orders involving 10,000+ contracts, often used in hedging or positioning.
These signals help surface what experienced traders often refer to as “smart money moves.”
Alert Color Codes Explained
Each Unusual Flow Pick is tagged with a color-coded alert that indicates why it stood out. Here’s how to read them:
🟩 Green Alert – High Aggression
What it means: A highly aggressive order with a large contract size, short expiration, and a strike price far out of the money.
Why it matters: Traders are making bold directional bets with limited time — often a sign of strong conviction.
🟣 Purple Alert – Volume vs. OI Mismatch + IV Spike
What it means: Volume or trade size exceeds open interest, often paired with a rise in implied volatility.
Why it matters: This could indicate new positions being opened with urgency — not just rolling or closing trades.
⚪ Silver Alert – Institutional Scale
What it means: Orders with 10,000+ contracts or signs of institutional execution (e.g., sweep orders, algorithmic prints).
Why it matters: Big players are making big moves — whether hedging, speculating, or reallocating.
🟡 Gold Alert – High Premium
What it means: A large order where the total premium paid is substantial.
Why it matters: These traders are risking real capital, and such size typically reflects strong directional bias or volatility play.
Why These Picks Matter?
Trend Spotting: Detect early signs of momentum before it hits the headlines.
Institutional Clues: Follow what large players are doing, not what they’re saying.
Risk Assessment: See where traders are aggressively pricing risk.
Tactical Edge: Layer your technical or fundamental thesis with real-time order flow context.
Where to Find Unusual Picks?
Navigate to the Unusual Picks tab on your dashboard, where you’ll see the day’s most notable trades — color-coded and ranked by premium, volume, or signal strength. These alerts are also available on your main dashboard, right pannel "Flow Alerts".
You can also filter by:
Bullish/Bearish sentiment
Expiration
Premium size
Sector or ticker
Need more help? Reach out via the in-app chat.