# The 9 AlgoEdge Channels Explained > A deep dive on each channel, when to use it, and which to prioritize for your trading style. Source: https://tradeecho.com/docs/features/algoedge/8-channels-explained (updated 2026-07-06) A deep dive on each channel, when to use it, and which to prioritize for your trading style. --- ## 1. Large Trades ### What It Shows The biggest options trades across all stocks - regardless of ticker, expiration, or type. ### Best Use Case Spotting major market movements and institutional activity. When a trade shows 4,000+ contracts and $9M+ value, someone with serious capital is making a bet. ### Example Alert "SPX 3700 Puts 01/16/26 @ 23.90 - Size: 4000x - Value: $9.6M" ### When to Prioritize - Swing trading (multi-day holds) - Market-wide sentiment - Identifying the biggest institutional bets - Pre-market research --- ## 2. Executive Trades ### What It Shows High-volume SPY and QQQ trades with short expirations. Index-based, ETF-focused. ### Best Use Case Index-based strategies and ETF trading. SPY and QQQ are the most liquid options markets - these alerts show where smart money is positioning on the broad market. ### Example Alert "SPY 450 Calls 0DTE @ 2.50 - Size: 2000x" ### When to Prioritize - Trading SPY or QQQ directly - Index options strategies - ETF-focused day trading --- ## 3. SPX 0DTE ### What It Shows Same-day expiry SPX trades only. Zero days to expiration. ### Best Use Case Fast-paced day trading with high leverage. Highest risk/reward. Best for traders who can act within minutes and exit before close. ### Example Alert "SPX 5900 Calls @ 3.00 - Size: 1000x - Value: $300K" ### When to Prioritize - Day trading (primary channel for 0DTE) - High leverage, quick in-and-out - Morning session (9:30 AM - 12:00 PM) --- ## 4. Momentum Trades ### What It Shows High-volume, low-priced trades with near-term expirations. Often single stocks, not just indices. ### Best Use Case Catching momentum before it becomes obvious. Low premium = high leverage. Multiple alerts on same ticker = strong signal. ### Example Alert "TSLA 250 Calls 2DTE @ 0.50 - Size: 5000x" ### When to Prioritize - Stock-specific momentum (TSLA, NVDA, etc.) - Catching early moves - When SPX is quiet but individual names are active --- ## 5. Directional Trades ### What It Shows Trades showing a specific market condition or direction - often sweeps across exchanges, indicating conviction. ### Best Use Case Following the smart money's direction. Multiple SPX calls in succession = bullish. Multiple puts = bearish. ### When to Prioritize - Confirming trend direction - NDX Morning Sniper (directional NDX flow at open) - When you need conviction confirmation --- ## 6. Weekly Trades ### What It Shows Large trades expiring within a week. Not 0DTE, but short-dated. ### Best Use Case Short-term market bets and weekly strategies. Less time decay than 0DTE, but still leveraged. ### Example Alert "AAPL 180 Puts 5DTE @ 3.00 - Size: 1500x" ### When to Prioritize - Weekly options strategies - Earnings plays (if within the week) - When 0DTE is too volatile for your risk tolerance --- ## 7. High Value 0DTE ### What It Shows High-impact same-day trades across major indices (SPX, NDX, etc.). Lower contract count but high dollar value. ### Best Use Case Intraday opportunities with significant capital behind them. Institutional-sized same-day bets. ### Example Alert "NDX 21340 Calls @ 38.10 - Size: 352x - Value: $1.3M" ### When to Prioritize - NDX Morning Sniper - When SPX 0DTE is quiet but NDX shows big flow - High-value, lower-contract institutional bets --- ## 8. Small Trades ### What It Shows Smaller, high-volume trades outside major indices. Niche opportunities. ### Best Use Case Stock picking, niche momentum, finding unusual activity in less-followed names. ### Example Alert "NVDA 450 Calls @ 2.00 - Size: 800x" ### When to Prioritize - Stock-specific research - When indices are flat - Building a watchlist of active names --- ## 9. Insider Trades ### What It Shows Trades flagged by the insider-detection algorithm - aggressive, far out-of-the-money positioning of the kind that often shows up before news. This is the only channel where the feed adds an **OTM %** column, so you can see exactly how far from the money each bet sits. ### Best Use Case Hunting for "someone knows something" setups. A large, far-OTM, short-dated bet on a quiet name is worth a second look - check NewsEdge and the chart before acting. ### Example Alert "XYZ 25 Calls 7DTE @ 0.35 - Size: 3000x - OTM: 18%" ### When to Prioritize - Pre-catalyst research (earnings, FDA, M&A chatter) - Screening for unusual conviction on single names - Building an event-watch list --- ## Channel Priority by Trading Style | Style | Primary | Secondary | Tertiary | |-------|---------|-----------|----------| | **0DTE Day Trader** | SPX 0DTE | High Value 0DTE | Momentum | | **NDX Sniper** | High Value 0DTE | Directional | SPX 0DTE | | **Swing Trader** | Large Trades | Weekly | Executive | | **Stock Picker** | Momentum | Small Trades | Insider Trades | | **Index Trader** | Executive | SPX 0DTE | Large Trades | | **Catalyst Hunter** | Insider Trades | Large Trades | Weekly | --- ## Using the Search Ticker Box Filter alerts by specific tickers: - **SPX** - Only SPX trades - **NDX** - NDX Morning Sniper focus - **TSLA** - Tesla-specific flow - **AAPL** - Apple-specific flow Use this to focus on your watchlist and cut through the noise.