Volume is one of the easiest and most useful tools you can add to your TradingView chart. In plain language: volume tells you how many shares, contracts, or units were traded during a candle or time period. High volume often confirms a strong move; low volume can mean the move lacks conviction. Below I’ll analyze the common ways people view volume in TradingView, explain the differences (standard volume vs. volume profile vs. footprint), and give a clear 6-step how-to plus quick tips you can use right away.
Quick analysis of the typical "How to see volume in TradingView" resources
Most guides and videos about “how to see volume in TradingView” follow the same simple steps: open a chart, click Indicators, search for Volume, and add it. They often then show how to color the bars, add moving averages on volume, or use related studies like Volume Profile to see volume by price level. Official TradingView support pages explain the indicator, and community posts or YouTube tutorials show hands-on examples. (TradingView)
What “Volume” actually shows (short)
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For stocks: volume = number of shares traded in that candle.
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For futures/options: volume = number of contracts traded.
This helps you judge how strong a price move is — big price moves on big volume are usually more meaningful than big moves on low volume. (TradingView)
Types of volume tools in TradingView (and why they matter)
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Standard Volume indicator — vertical bars under the chart showing traded volume per candle. Easy and quick. (TradingView)
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Volume Profile (Price by Volume) — horizontal histogram that shows how much volume traded at each price level over a chosen range. Great to find support/resistance zones. (TradingView)
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Volume Footprint / Footprint Charts — more advanced; show buyers vs. sellers inside candles or at price ticks. Useful for order-flow traders. (TradingView)
6 Simple Steps — How to see volume on TradingView (works on web and desktop)
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Open a chart for the asset you want (stock, crypto, forex, etc.).
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Click the Indicators button in the top toolbar. (TradingView)
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In the search box type “Volume”. The built-in “Volume” indicator will appear in the list. Click it. (TradingView)
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The volume bars appear below your price chart automatically. By default green/red bar colors match bullish/bearish candles. (TradingView)
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To customize: hover over the volume area, click the settings (gear) icon, and change colors, transparency, or add a moving average of volume if you like. (TradingView)
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To use Volume Profile: open Indicators → search “Volume Profile” → choose the profile type (Fixed Range, Session Volume, Visible Range) and apply; then set the range or let it auto-apply. This shows horizontal volume by price. (TradingView)
Two quick example uses (so it’s practical)
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Confirm breakouts: Price breaks a resistance level. If the breakout candle has much higher volume than recent average, it’s more likely real. If volume is low, be cautious. (TradingView)
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Find value areas with Volume Profile: Use Fixed Range or Visible Range profile to spot Price-of-Control (POC) and value area. Price often reacts around these high-volume price levels (support/resistance). (TradingView)
Short walkthrough to customize volume (easy settings)
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Open volume settings (gear icon).
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Change bar colors (e.g., green for up, red for down).
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Add a moving average line to the volume pane to compare current volume to average.
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For Volume Profile, set the lookback or choose “Visible Range” to auto-profile what you currently see on screen. (TradingView)
Common beginner mistakes (and how to avoid them)
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Reading volume alone: Don’t use volume by itself to make trades. Combine it with price action, support/resistance, or an indicator like VWAP. (TradingView)
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Confusing Volume Profile with Time-based volume: Volume Profile measures volume at price levels, not by time; don’t treat it like a time-series indicator. (TradingView)
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Ignoring data source: Some symbols (especially on crypto) may pull volume from specific exchanges — volumes can differ between exchanges. Check the exchange/data feed if exact volume matters.
Advanced options to explore later
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Volume Footprint / Delta for detailed traded-at-bid vs traded-at-ask information (order flow). (TradingView)
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Custom scripts on TradingView (Pine scripts) — community authors publish advanced volume indicators (e.g., coloured volume, volume-scaled price). Browse the Indicators library to try them. (TradingView)
Quick checklist to get started right now
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Add Volume indicator.
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Add a simple 20-period moving average on the volume pane to spot spikes.
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Try Volume Profile on a recent swing to find POC and value area.
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Watch how volume behaves on breakouts and retests. (TradingView)
Conclusion — Keep it simple and test
Volume is a basic but powerful tool. Start with the standard volume bars, learn to read spikes and drops, and then add Volume Profile when you want price-level insights. Use demo or paper trading to practice reading volume with live price action before using real money. For step-by-step video help, many short tutorials on YouTube demonstrate exactly the clicks (Indicators → type “Volume” → add) if you prefer a screen walkthrough. (YouTube)
Useful links I consulted (for your reference)
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TradingView support: Volume and Volume Profile pages. (TradingView)
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TradingView community scripts and examples (Volume & Volume Profile library). (TradingView)
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Short tutorial video showing the steps live.