FairValueGaps.comCheat sheet
Comparison

FVG vs order block

A fair value gap is empty space between the wicks of candles 1 and 3. An order block is a single candle, usually the last opposing one before a strong move. One is a gap, the other is a candle.

By Michael H.. Last updated . Corrections log

The short answer

They are found differently and mark different things. A fair value gap is found by comparing two wicks, so any two people applying the rule get the same boxes. An order block is the candle before a strong move, and which candle, how strong a move, and whether the full range or only the body counts all vary between educators.

ComparedFair value gapOrder block
What it marksThe price range between the wicks of candles 1 and 3The range of one candle before a strong move
How it is foundAn exact comparison of two wicksA judgement about which candle and how strong a move
Confirmed byCandle 3 closingThe strong move after it closing
Candles inside itNone between the outer wicks by definition of the gap rangeIt is a candle that traded

They often sit close together, because the strong move that leaves a gap is the same move that defines the block before it. That is why charts can show both in one place, and why a mark on a chart is not evidence for either.

The gap side on a real chart

EURUSD15 minute3 bullish 3 bearish ยท 6 gaps by the rule
1.118001.119001.1200006:0008:0010:0012:0014:0016:00123456
  1. 1Bullish1.11769 to 1.11780formed 07:15 UTCTraded through at 09:30 UTC
  2. 2Bullish1.11838 to 1.11889formed 07:45 UTCTraded through at 08:30 UTC
  3. 3Bearish1.11888 to 1.11889formed 08:15 UTCTraded through at 08:15 UTC
  4. 4Bearish1.11846 to 1.11853formed 09:00 UTCTraded through at 10:30 UTC
  5. 5Bullish1.11802 to 1.11808formed 10:30 UTCNot revisited by 18:00 UTC
  6. 6Bearish1.11908 to 1.11918formed 17:00 UTCTraded through at 17:15 UTC
EURUSD, 2026-10-13, 06:00 to 18:00 UTC. Real candles: Dukascopy 15-minute candles, read 2026-10-31. Fair value gap by the three-candle wick rule, no minimum size. Each box runs from its gap until a later candle trades through its far edge, or to the end of the chart.

EURUSD, 13 October 2026, 06:00 to 18:00 UTC. The rule finds 6 gaps here, and every box is a range between two wicks. An order block would instead be one of the candles just before a strong move, and whether a candle qualifies depends on the definition used.

For the order block definition, a worked rule and a tool that marks them, see the order block indicator site.

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