Core Concepts

Sell-Side Liquidity (SSL)

Orders resting below a price level — sell stops, breakdown orders, long stop losses

Sell-side liquidity refers to the collection of orders resting below a price level. This includes sell stop orders, breakdown entries, and stop losses from long positions. The market targets these clusters to generate the volume needed for larger moves. In a bearish trend, sell-side liquidity below swing lows is the external range liquidity target during impulsive phases.

How to Recognize

  • Orders cluster below swing lows and support levels
  • Includes sell stops, breakdown orders, and long stop losses
  • Targeted during bearish impulsive phases
  • Sweeps below lows fuel upside reversals or continuation moves

How to Avoid

  • Entering breakdowns without confirming whether liquidity is being swept
  • Placing stops at obvious levels where SSL clusters
  • Ignoring that a sweep of SSL may reverse immediately
  • Confusing an SSL sweep with a genuine breakdown