# Tick Bars

Tick ​Bars ​build a new bar after a set number of trades, for example after every 500 trades. Basic charts (like time-based) draw a new bar after a set period of time, for example after every 5 minutes or hours.

For example, each bar of a 500-tick chart represents 500 trades of any size. A tick can be a trade of just one contract, or 10,000 contracts. This is why it’s crucial to combine the use of tick charts with volume.

<figure><img src="https://4186075531-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LD6FsRvQ3jgwJIg6O7r%2Fuploads%2FmshKxZ9AC0ZdXVNl33VW%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9fea16ee-ae8a-40e7-9f92-b90a0177690b" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To set this chart type, open TimeFrame Selector and select in the drop-down menu — **Tick Bars**.

<figure><img src="https://4186075531-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LD6FsRvQ3jgwJIg6O7r%2Fuploads%2FVo0fTyq1Ygt3XqzpPdfT%2FTick%20bars.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=01309c75-b84c-4b43-91c2-8138c3d11aed" alt=""><figcaption><p>Tick Bars in Quantower platform</p></figcaption></figure>

Depending on the type of instrument (Futures, Crypto, or Forex/CFD), the user can select the required data type for constructing tick bars.

<figure><img src="https://4186075531-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LD6FsRvQ3jgwJIg6O7r%2Fuploads%2FedsIxgrMGNpA9tZkKlXa%2Fclipboard-image-1727202990.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9ed9f32f-602e-4b36-a407-00eb6c9f955c" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.quantower.com/quantower/analytics-panels/chart/chart-types/tick-chart.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
