CRT — Candle Range TheoryICT Trading EducationArticle 65 of 100
ICT Daily CRT vs Weekly CRT: Which Reference Candle to Use
CRT is a single-candle model — but which candle you use as the Reference Candle determines everything. The daily RC produces intraday targets; the weekly RC produces multi-day swing targets. Using both simultaneously creates a nested CRT framework where the weekly RC defines the week’s targets and the daily RC defines the day’s entry opportunities within that weekly delivery.
The Inner Circle Traders
Updated July 2026
8 min read
Cluster: CRT — Candle Range Theory
Cluster 06: CRT — Candle Range Theory
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Key Takeaways
- The Daily CRT uses the previous day's high and low as the RC targets — intraday manipulation and delivery within a single session
- The Weekly CRT uses the previous week's high and low (PWH/PWL) as the RC targets — multi-day manipulation mid-week and delivery Thursday–Friday
- Weekly CRT targets are the same levels as PWH and PWL used in daily pre-session preparation — CRT explains why those levels are targeted so consistently
- Nesting daily CRT inside weekly CRT creates multi-scale confluence: the weekly defines direction, the daily provides kill-zone precision entry
- When daily and weekly CRT conflict, the weekly governs — a bearish daily in a bullish weekly context is the intraday Judas Swing, not a trend reversal
Daily CRT and Weekly CRT
CRT is built around a Reference Candle — the specific candle whose high and low define the manipulation targets and the delivery range. The two most commonly used Reference Candles are the previous day’s candle and the previous week’s candle, producing different scales of CRT setup with different target distances and holding times.
The Daily CRT uses yesterday’s candle as the RC. Yesterday’s high is the BSL target for a bearish daily CRT; yesterday’s low is the SSL target for a bullish daily CRT. Manipulation and delivery occur within a single trading session.
The Weekly CRT uses last week’s candle as the RC. Last week’s high (PWH) is the BSL target; last week’s low (PWL) is the SSL target. The manipulation sweep takes one to three days; the delivery takes the remaining days of the week.
Linked to PDH/PDL and PWH/PWL
Daily CRT targets are identical to PDH and PDL; weekly CRT targets are identical to PWH and PWL. CRT explains mechanically why these reference levels are so consistently hit — they are the RC boundaries of the institutional delivery cycle.
The Scale Difference: Daily vs Weekly Targets
Daily CRT delivers within one session — typically 30–80 pips on EURUSD or 50–150 NQ points. Entry during the London kill zone, close by the US session end. Weekly CRT delivers across 2–4 sessions — typically 100–300 pips on EURUSD or 200–500 NQ points. Entry mid-week at the weekly RC sweep, held through Thursday–Friday.
The choice between them depends on your trading style: intraday traders use daily CRT; swing traders use weekly CRT; high-conviction traders use both simultaneously with the weekly providing direction and the daily providing the precise entry timing.
Weekly CRT: The Multi-Day Delivery Model
The weekly CRT plays out across five trading days as a macro AMD cycle: Monday–Tuesday builds toward the manipulation target, Tuesday–Wednesday produces the mid-week sweep of the weekly RC boundary (the Judas Swing at the weekly scale), and Thursday–Friday delivers price to the opposite weekly RC extreme.
The entry for a weekly CRT trade is at the mid-week sweep confirmation — a CHoCH after price sweeps the weekly RC high or low, entering at the first daily CRT setup in the opposite direction. Stop above the swept weekly RC extreme. Target: opposite weekly RC boundary (PWL for a bearish weekly CRT, PWH for a bullish one).
Nesting Daily CRT Inside Weekly CRT
The highest-probability CRT setups occur when daily and weekly CRT align. The weekly CRT identifies the delivery direction (e.g., bullish: weekly RC low swept mid-week, delivering to weekly RC high). The daily CRT then provides the intraday entry: on Thursday or Friday, the day’s Judas Swing sweeps the daily RC low (SSL) before delivering higher toward the weekly RC high.
The daily RC sweep during a weekly delivery day is the precision entry. Stop below the swept daily RC low. Target the weekly RC high. This gives a multi-scale confirmed trade: the weekly CRT defines the destination, the daily CRT defines the precise entry and stop placement within that week’s delivery.
When daily and weekly CRT conflict, the weekly governs. A bearish daily CRT in a bullish weekly context is the intraday Judas Swing — not a reversal of the week’s trend. Wait for the daily bearish sweep to complete, the CHoCH to confirm, and enter the daily bullish delivery in the direction of the weekly trend.
Choosing Between Daily and Weekly CRT
Use daily CRT for intraday trading. PDH and PDL are the RC boundaries. The London or NY kill zone Judas Swing sweeps one of them. The CRT entry is taken after the sweep and CHoCH, targeting the opposite daily RC boundary. Close by the end of the US session.
Use weekly CRT for swing trading. PWH and PWL are the RC boundaries. The mid-week sweep (Tuesday–Wednesday) is the setup. Entry after the weekly RC sweep CHoCH, targeting the opposite weekly RC boundary by Thursday–Friday. Requires holding positions overnight.
Use both for maximum confluence. When the weekly CRT delivery direction and the daily CRT entry direction align on the same session, the combined setup has the highest probability of any CRT configuration. Daily entry precision within a confirmed weekly delivery is the peak CRT trade quality.
Either approach connects naturally to the broader ICT framework: PDH/PDL/PWH/PWL levels, AMD, and daily bias all reinforce the same reference level targets that CRT is built around.
Executing Daily and Weekly CRT: Side-by-Side Examples
A daily CRT execution on a bullish day follows this sequence: identify the prior day candle as the reference (its high and low are the CRT range). During the London open, price sweeps below the prior day low (daily SSL sweep — the manipulation phase). You wait for the sweep candle to close, then look for a bullish FVG on the 5M chart. Enter long from the FVG. Target: the prior day high (the opposite CRT extreme). The entire trade is defined by the daily candle’s reference range, executed in one kill zone, targeting the opposite extreme.
A weekly CRT execution spans multiple days: identify Monday’s candle or the prior week’s candle as the reference. Early in the week (typically Monday or Tuesday), price sweeps below the reference candle low (weekly SSL sweep). You enter long from the sweep zone or the FVG that forms after. Target: the reference candle high — a level that price typically reaches by Wednesday or Thursday in a normal bullish weekly delivery. The stop is below the weekly SSL that was swept.
The key execution difference: daily CRT entries and exits happen within hours. Weekly CRT entries and exits span days. Position sizing must account for this — weekly CRT trades hold through larger intraday fluctuations and require wider stops (below the weekly sweep low) compared to daily CRT trades (below the daily sweep low). Risk per trade should be the same percentage; the wider stop means a smaller position size on weekly CRT.
CRT on Higher Timeframes: Monthly and Quarterly Reference Candles
The CRT framework scales to any timeframe. Monthly CRT uses the prior month’s candle as the reference — the monthly high and low define the range. The manipulation sweep typically occurs in the first week of the new month. The delivery to the opposite extreme is the target for the entire month. Monthly CRT is a framework for swing traders and position traders who hold for weeks.
Quarterly CRT aligns with the IPDA seasonal tendencies framework. Q1 opens in January, Q2 in April, Q3 in July, Q4 in October. The prior quarter’s candle becomes the reference for the new quarter’s CRT delivery. This is the macro-level CRT — the sweep of the prior quarter’s low (if bullish QX) or high (if bearish QX) sets the quarterly draw on liquidity, which is the destination for the entire quarter’s price delivery.
For most retail traders, the daily and weekly CRT are the most actionable. Monthly and quarterly CRT provide the macro framework that helps you understand which direction the daily and weekly CRT setups should be taken. If the quarterly CRT is bullish (expecting delivery to the quarterly high), you only take bullish daily and weekly CRT setups — those aligned with the quarterly direction.
Avoiding the Most Common CRT Mistakes
The most common daily CRT mistake is entering before the sweep is confirmed. Traders see price approaching the reference candle low and anticipate the sweep — entering long before price actually takes the low. If price continues lower, they are stopped out before the real entry opportunity. The rule: never enter a CRT trade until the sweep candle has fully closed back inside the reference range. The close confirms the manipulation is complete.
The most common weekly CRT mistake is choosing the wrong reference candle. The reference candle should be a meaningful candle with a clear range — a large-bodied directional candle or a candle that forms after a significant structural event. A doji or spinning top as the reference candle produces unreliable targets because the high and low are too close together to provide meaningful guidance.
Both timeframes share a common mistake: trading CRT setups against the HTF bias. A bearish daily CRT (high sweep targeting the low) taken during a strongly bullish week is fighting the macro delivery. Even if the technical CRT sequence is perfect, trading against the HTF bias reduces probability significantly. Filter every CRT trade through the weekly and daily bias before execution.
Watch: ICT Daily CRT vs Weekly CRT: Which Reference Candle to Use
Original ICT teaching on this concept from the Inner Circle Trader YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the weekly CRT more reliable than the daily CRT?+
Weekly CRT targets (PWH, PWL) represent a full week of accumulated liquidity — making them among the most consistently hit levels in the ICT framework. But weekly CRT trades require overnight holds, introducing gaps and news risk. Neither is inherently more reliable; the choice depends on your trading style and risk tolerance.
What happens when the weekly sweep occurs on Monday?+
An unusually fast weekly sweep (Monday or early Tuesday) indicates strong institutional momentum. The delivery phase may span Tuesday through Friday — longer than usual. An early sweep doesn't invalidate the framework; it compresses the manipulation phase and extends the delivery phase.
How do I know when the weekly CRT delivery has completed?+
The weekly CRT delivery completes when price reaches the opposite weekly RC boundary (PWL if PWH was swept, or PWH if PWL was swept). Once that boundary is reached, the weekly CRT cycle is complete. The following week begins a new cycle.
Can daily and weekly RC boundaries coincide?+
Yes. If last week's high and yesterday's high are at the same price (common on Mondays), both daily and weekly CRT share the same BSL target. This stacks two periods of accumulated liquidity at the same level, making the sweep of that combined level more significant and the reversal after it more sustained.
Is there a monthly CRT?+
Yes. The previous month's candle can serve as the RC, with PMH and PML as the manipulation targets. Monthly CRT plays out across 2–4 weeks and is most relevant for position traders holding for weeks at a time.
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